Psalm 106 21

Psalm 106:21 kjv

They forgat God their saviour, which had done great things in Egypt;

Psalm 106:21 nkjv

They forgot God their Savior, Who had done great things in Egypt,

Psalm 106:21 niv

They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt,

Psalm 106:21 esv

They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,

Psalm 106:21 nlt

They forgot God, their savior,
who had done such great things in Egypt ?

Psalm 106 verses

Psalm 106 21 Meaning

Psalm 106:21 speaks of Israel's profound ingratitude and spiritual amnesia, specifically how they neglected or willfully disregarded God, their Deliverer, despite His overwhelming display of power and miraculous works in the land of Egypt. This verse underscores the shocking contrast between God's magnificent actions of salvation and the swiftness with which His chosen people forgot Him and His covenant, leading to their subsequent rebellion.

Psalm 106 21 Context

Psalm 106 is a confessional psalm, part of the fourth book of the Psalter, that recounts the history of Israel's persistent rebellion against God and God's unwavering faithfulness despite their repeated provocations. The psalm serves as a communal lament and a prayer for restoration, emphasizing the nation's consistent pattern of sin from the Exodus to the exile.

Verse 21 falls within a section (Psa 106:13-23) that focuses on the Golden Calf incident at Mount Sinai (Exod 32), which immediately followed God's grand deliverance from Egypt. This context is critical because it highlights the egregious nature of Israel's forgetfulness. They had just witnessed ten devastating plagues, the dramatic parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of the Egyptian army, and experienced God's direct presence and revelation at Sinai—yet almost immediately, they turned to idolatry. Their forgetfulness was not mere lapse but an active abandonment of the One who saved them, driven by impatience and a desire for tangible gods reminiscent of the very pagan culture they had just left. This historical moment is a stark polemic against the efficacy of idols and highlights Israel's unfaithfulness contrasted with God's steadfast character.

Psalm 106 21 Word analysis

• They forgot: (Hebrew: Shakchu - שָׁכְחוּ). This term implies more than a simple memory lapse. It signifies a profound spiritual neglect, an act of discarding from the mind, or a willful rejection of something known and vital. It suggests a lack of understanding or a disregard of obligations, rather than mere absent-mindedness. For Israel, it meant neglecting their covenant relationship and the powerful proofs of God's existence and care.

• God: (Hebrew: El - אֵל). A common singular term for God, often emphasizing His power, supremacy, and uniqueness. In this context, it contrasts Him sharply with the false, impotent deities of Egypt they would later imitate.

• their Savior: (Hebrew: Moshi'am - מוֹשִׁיעָם). Derived from yasha, meaning "to save, deliver, help." This highlights God's active role as rescuer and deliverer. Calling God "their Savior" emphasizes a specific, personal relationship that He established through His mighty acts, making their forgetting even more treacherous. He rescued them from literal, crushing slavery.

• who had done: This phrase indicates past, completed actions with enduring significance. God's deeds were concrete, undeniable historical events, not abstract concepts. The perfect tense underscores the finality and powerful impact of these past events.

• great things: (Hebrew: Gedolot - גְדֹלוֹת). Meaning "great deeds," "mighty works," "wondrous acts." This refers to the magnificent miracles and powerful interventions God performed to free Israel, encompassing the ten plagues (like turning water to blood, bringing frogs, lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the death of the firstborn), the parting of the Red Sea, and the pillar of cloud and fire. These were demonstrably unique, powerful, and unequivocally divine acts, setting the God of Israel apart from all other deities.

• in Egypt: The specific geographical location where these "great things" occurred. Egypt was the land of their bitter bondage and the site where God decisively proved His superiority over Pharaoh and all the gods of Egypt (Exod 12:12). Their forgetting was made more egregious by the very recent and direct witnessing of God's power in a hostile foreign land.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "They forgot God their Savior": This phrase directly confronts the core of their offense. It highlights not just forgetfulness, but the tragic failure to acknowledge and remember the very Being who redeemed them. It signifies a severing of loyalty and relationship with their rescuer, indicating an absence of gratitude and faith towards the One who proved His divine power for them. This forgetfulness opened the door to their subsequent sin and idolatry.
  • "who had done great things in Egypt": This emphasizes the unreasonableness and inexcusability of their forgetfulness. God's "great things" were undeniable, visible, and overwhelming demonstrations of His power and commitment to His people. They were not abstract theological truths but tangible acts of deliverance that demanded constant remembrance and worship. The contrast between God's mighty actions and their rapid decline into amnesia is striking.

Psalm 106 21 Bonus section

The profound tragedy of Psalm 106:21 lies in the immediate aftermath of "great things in Egypt" leading to profound forgetfulness. The nation witnessed spectacles of divine power unparalleled in human history, designed to cultivate unwavering faith and loyalty. Yet, the Israelites rapidly succumbed to impatience and idol worship, demonstrating that even extraordinary supernatural experiences do not inherently guarantee lasting obedience without an abiding commitment to remember and obey. Their spiritual amnesia was a choice, not just a mental flaw. It signifies a profound spiritual depravity and a challenge to the Lord's absolute authority, choosing perceived convenience or control (a visible, tangible god like a calf) over reliance on an invisible, omnipotent Deliverer. This forgetfulness foreshadowed their cyclical pattern of apostasy, showing how deeply rooted human rebellion can be.

Psalm 106 21 Commentary

Psalm 106:21 serves as a sharp indictment against Israel's pervasive pattern of spiritual forgetfulness and ingratitude. It pinpointed a fundamental flaw: their failure to hold onto the memory of God's active, powerful deliverance. The phrase "They forgot God their Savior" is incredibly poignant. It underscores that this wasn't an academic forgetting, but a relational one—they forgot their Savior, the very One who liberated them from unimaginable bondage. This wasn't merely a lapse; it was a deep-seated rejection of His covenant love and overwhelming displays of power, immediately after they had seen "great things in Egypt." These "great things" were no less than the plagues and the Red Sea miracle, direct and irrefutable proofs of God's unique sovereignty and faithfulness.

The proximity of this forgetfulness to the events themselves—the golden calf incident occurred mere weeks after the Red Sea deliverance and the Sinai revelation—underscores the human heart's profound inclination toward sin and idolatry, even in the face of overwhelming divine evidence. This forgetfulness directly paved the way for their rebellion and subsequent turning to idols (Exod 32), an affront to the one true God who had explicitly forbidden such practices. The verse, therefore, is a sober warning for all generations against taking God's past mercies and provisions for granted. It highlights that the human heart, left to itself, easily turns from its divine Rescuer to lesser things, often leading to destructive consequences.

Practical applications include:

• Regularly remembering God's past acts of salvation and faithfulness in our lives to strengthen present trust.
• Cultivating gratitude to counter the tendency to take divine blessings for granted.
• Warning against the subtle nature of spiritual amnesia, which can lead believers astray.