Psalm 106:20 kjv
Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.
Psalm 106:20 nkjv
Thus they changed their glory Into the image of an ox that eats grass.
Psalm 106:20 niv
They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass.
Psalm 106:20 esv
They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass.
Psalm 106:20 nlt
They traded their glorious God
for a statue of a grass-eating bull.
Psalm 106 20 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Calf Incident (Direct Historical Event) | ||
| Ex 32:4 | And he received them from their hand... they said, These be thy gods, O Israel... | Aaron fashioned a molten calf. |
| Ex 32:7-8 | And the LORD said unto Moses... they have turned aside quickly... made them a molten calf... | God condemns Israel's swift turning to idolatry. |
| Dt 9:16 | And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf... | Moses' remembrance of their sin at Horeb. |
| Neh 9:18 | Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This is thy God that brought thee up... | Levites' prayer confesses their making the calf. |
| Acts 7:40-41 | Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods... And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice... | Stephen's speech referencing the calf in historical review. |
| Warnings Against Idolatry (Commandments & Principles) | ||
| Ex 20:4-5 | Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image... | The Second Commandment forbids making images of God. |
| Dt 4:15-16 | Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves... lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image... | Moses warns against making any likeness, animal or human. |
| Dt 4:18-19 | The likeness of any beast that creepeth on the earth, the likeness of any fish... the sun... the moon... | Explicitly forbids making likenesses of earthly creatures or celestial bodies. |
| Lev 19:4 | Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods... | General command against idolatry. |
| Ps 115:4-8 | Their idols are silver and gold... They have mouths, but they speak not... | Highlights the futility and powerlessness of idols. |
| Isa 40:18-19 | To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him? The workman melteth a graven image... | God's incomparability and the folly of making images of Him. |
| Isa 44:9-10 | They that make a graven image are all of them vanity... | Those who fashion idols are nothing. |
| Jer 10:3-5 | For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree... decked with silver and with gold... | Description of lifeless idols made by human hands. |
| Rom 1:22-23 | Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image... | Paul's theological parallel of exchanging God's glory for images. |
| Rom 1:25 | Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator... | Exchanging God's truth for lies and worshipping creation. |
| Acts 17:29 | Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone... | It is wrong to think God can be represented by crafted material. |
| God as Israel's Glory / Consequences of Losing Glory | ||
| Ps 3:3 | But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head. | The Lord is the believer's glory and protector. |
| Jer 2:11 | Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? but my people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit. | God laments Israel exchanging Him, their true glory, for worthless idols. |
| Hos 4:7 | As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame. | Idolatry leads to their glory being turned into shame. |
| 1 Sam 4:21-22 | And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel... | The ark of God (representing God's presence/glory) captured, showing spiritual decline. |
| Hab 2:18-19 | What profiteth the graven image... Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake... | Idols are worthless teachers; those who worship them are mute. |
| Ex 40:34 | Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. | The manifestation of God's glory filling His dwelling place. |
Psalm 106 verses
Psalm 106 20 Meaning
Psalm 106:20 states that the Israelites "changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass." This verse is a poignant accusation recounting Israel's profound rebellion during the Exodus journey, specifically referring to the golden calf incident at Mount Sinai. It signifies an act of extreme spiritual degradation, where they exchanged the transcendent, magnificent, and living God—who was their true honor and glory—for a lifeless, physical, and common animal idol, reflecting an utter betrayal of His character and their covenant with Him.
Psalm 106 20 Context
Psalm 106 is a confessional psalm, part of a larger section (Psalms 104-106) reflecting on God's mighty acts and Israel's responses. It serves as a historical recount of Israel's recurring apostasy and God's enduring faithfulness. The psalm chronicles a litany of Israel's sins from their deliverance out of Egypt through the wilderness wanderings, culminating in their idolatry in Canaan, exile, and dispersion. Verse 20 specifically references one of their most egregious acts of rebellion immediately after witnessing God's powerful signs and receiving His direct commands: the golden calf incident at Mount Sinai (Ex 32). This event occurred while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Law, highlighting their impatient disbelief and propensity to return to the pagan practices of surrounding nations, particularly Egyptian animal worship which they had just escaped.
Psalm 106 20 Word analysis
- they changed: The Hebrew
וַיָּמִרוּ(vayamirú) implies an active and deliberate exchange, a substitution made by choice. This was not a passive failing but an intentional turning away, indicating deep-seated spiritual rebellion. - their glory: The Hebrew
כְּבוֹדָם(kevōdām) from kavod, literally "their weight, honor, or splendor." In this context, "their glory" primarily refers to God Himself (their unique covenant relationship with Yahweh, His manifested presence among them, His honor, majesty, and reputation), as He was their distinguishing feature and ultimate source of renown. For Israel to "change their glory" means they exchanged the very essence of their unique relationship with God for something else, devaluing Him as their supreme honor. It also implies they exchanged their own honor (as a nation set apart for God) for something degrading. - into the similitude: The Hebrew
בְּתַבְנִית(bətavnīth), from tavnith, meaning "pattern, structure, likeness, or form." This highlights that they attempted to contain or represent the uncontainable, invisible God within a tangible form, violating the Second Commandment. - of an ox: The Hebrew
שׁוֹר(shor) refers to a bull or ox. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the bull was a common symbol of strength, power, and fertility, often associated with major deities like Baal (Canaanite) or Apis (Egyptian). By making an idol in the form of an ox, Israel adopted the pagan understanding of deity, attributing divine power to a created beast, fundamentally misrepresenting their unique God who delivered them from a nation steeped in such animal worship. - that eateth grass: The Hebrew
אֹכֵל עֵשֶׂב(ōkhēl ʻēs̱ev), "eating grass." This phrase adds a stark and demeaning contrast to the majesty of God. Grass is common, perishable vegetation. An animal that eats grass is mortal, dependent on creation for sustenance, and representative of the earthly, not the divine. This specific detail emphasizes the utter absurdity and extreme degradation of the exchange: from the self-sufficient, eternal Creator of the universe to a mundane, dependent, and temporary creature of His creation. It underscores the folly of their spiritual prostitution.
Psalm 106 20 Bonus section
The sin of making the golden calf was particularly heinous not only because it broke the newly given second commandment (Ex 20:4) but also because it reflected a fundamental misunderstanding of Yahweh's nature as transcendent and incomparable (Dt 4:12-16). Israel had just seen God's power devastate the false gods of Egypt (Ex 12:12), including their animal deities, yet they turned immediately to the very imagery of those defeated gods. This highlights a persistent human tendency to reduce the divine to something tangible and manageable, often derived from familiar cultural practices, rather than wrestling with the mystery and holiness of the true God. The emphasis on "eating grass" highlights the radical difference between God, who gives life and sustenance to all creation, and an idol that requires sustenance for itself and is fundamentally bound by earthly limitations. This deep theological distinction was profoundly violated by Israel's choice, setting a precedent for much of their future rebellion.
Psalm 106 20 Commentary
Psalm 106:20 serves as a powerful indictment of Israel's idolatry, encapsulating the profound spiritual degeneration that occurs when humanity replaces the living God with a man-made construct. The "glory" they exchanged was not merely an abstract concept, but God Himself in His revealed majesty and saving power, whom they had intimately witnessed during the Exodus. Their decision to fashion a golden calf, mimicking the animal cults they had just escaped from Egypt, was an active and conscious repudiation of their covenant, reducing the incomparable God to a dependent, mortal beast. The imagery of "an ox that eateth grass" accentuates the appalling nature of their folly: exchanging infinite glory for finite creaturely dependence. This act of substitution reveals the human heart's constant temptation to limit God, to make Him understandable and controllable, and ultimately, to make Him in our own image rather than living in submission to His true nature. The verse stands as a timeless warning against diminishing God's majesty and seeking spiritual comfort in anything other than His divine, unchangeable self.