Psalm 106:28 meaning, Cross Ref, ai commentary KJV NIV ESV NLT

Psalm 106:28 kjv

They joined themselves also unto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead.

Psalm 106:28 nkjv

They joined themselves also to Baal of Peor, And ate sacrifices made to the dead.

Psalm 106:28 niv

They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods;

Psalm 106:28 esv

Then they yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead;

Psalm 106:28 nlt

Then our ancestors joined in the worship of Baal at Peor;
they even ate sacrifices offered to the dead!

Psalm 106 28 Cross References

Verse	Text	Reference
Num 25:1-3	While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore... and ate of their sacrifices...	Direct historical account of Baal-peor sin.
Num 25:9	Those who died by the plague were twenty-four thousand.	Consequence of the Baal-peor sin.
Deut 4:3-4	Your own eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor...	Moses' warning about learning from the past sin.
Josh 22:17	Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us... a plague came upon the congregation?	Recounted as a severe historical warning.
Hos 9:10	When I found Israel... they went to Baal-peor and devoted themselves to shame...	Prophetic indictment of Israel's defilement at Peor.
1 Cor 10:7-8	Do not be idolaters as some of them were... nor let us indulge in sexual immorality...	NT warning against idolatry and fornication, referencing Israel's wilderness sin.
1 Cor 10:20	What pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God...	"Sacrifices of the dead" equated with demonic offerings.
Rev 2:14	Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block... eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.	NT warns against teachings leading to Baal-peor type sins.
Exo 20:3	You shall have no other gods before me.	Foundation of covenant violated by worshipping Baal-peor.
Exo 20:4	You shall not make for yourself a carved image...	Second commandment against idolatry directly broken.
Deut 32:17	They sacrificed to demons that were no gods... gods they had not known...	Equates false gods (dead ones) with demons.
Lev 17:7	They shall no longer offer their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they have prostituted themselves.	Parallel to "sacrifices of the dead" and spiritual prostitution.
Ps 115:4-7	Their idols are silver and gold... they have mouths, but do not speak...	Describes the lifelessness and futility of idols ("the dead").
Ps 135:15-18	The idols of the nations are silver and gold... those who make them become like them...	Reiteration of the deadness of idols and those who worship them.
Isa 44:9-10	All who fashion idols are nothing... a god that cannot save?	Underscores the powerlessness and deadness of idols.
Jer 10:14	Every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols, for his images are a delusion... there is no breath in them.	Idols are lifeless and a deception.
Hab 2:18-19	What profit is an idol when its maker has carved it... A teacher of lies!	False gods offer nothing, unlike the living God.
Isa 8:19	Should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?	Direct polemic against necromancy, often tied to pagan worship.
1 Sam 28:13-14	When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out... "You are Samuel."	Example of forbidden consultation with the dead.
Rom 1:21-23	Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images...	Explains the spiritual folly behind exchanging the Living God for "dead" idols.
Gal 5:19-21	Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality... idolatry...	Idolatry is a fundamental sin, bringing spiritual judgment.
Eph 5:5	No sexually immoral or impure or greedy person—who is an idolater—has any inheritance...	Direct spiritual consequence of idolatry.

Psalm 106 verses

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

Psalm 106 28 Meaning

Psalm 106:28 recounts a grave sin committed by the Israelites during their wilderness journey, specifically referring to the incident at Baal-peor as recorded in Numbers 25. The verse details their covenant disloyalty through actively joining themselves to the false deity Baal-peor, symbolizing their embrace of pagan worship, and consuming sacrifices offered to lifeless idols, characterized as "the dead." This act violated the core commandments of God and exposed them to severe divine judgment, demonstrating Israel's recurring pattern of rebellion and spiritual infidelity against their deliverer.

Psalm 106 28 Context

Psalm 106 is a confessional psalm, part of a larger collection (Book Four of Psalms). It serves as a historical recount of Israel's repeated rebellion and idolatry during their wilderness wanderings, despite God's consistent faithfulness and deliverance. The psalm details a litany of specific sins from the Red Sea onward, expressing national confession and seeking God's renewed mercy. Verse 28 specifically zeroes in on the infamous incident at Baal-peor, recorded in Num 25:1-9, which occurred towards the end of their wilderness journey, just before entering the Promised Land. This event epitomized Israel's profound spiritual disloyalty: they actively "yoked themselves" to a Moabite-Midianite pagan deity, participating in rituals involving sexual immorality and cultic feasting, leading to a severe plague that claimed 24,000 lives. The psalm uses this past sin to remind the community of God's unwavering holiness and the devastating consequences of forsaking Him for false gods.

Psalm 106 28 Word analysis

They joined themselves (וַיִּצָּמְדוּ - `va-yit-tsa-me-du`): From the Hebrew root `צָמַד` (tsamad), meaning "to join," "to be attached," "to yoke." This verb conveys a deep, binding commitment, akin to being yoked together as animals are to a plow or being shackled. It highlights the active choice and intimacy of their apostasy, not just passive exposure. Spiritually, it signifies their willful spiritual prostitution and breaking of their covenant loyalty with God by cleaving to an idol.
unto Baal-peor (לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר - `le-va'al pe'or`):
- `לְ` (`le`): "to," "unto," indicating direction and devotion.
- `בַּעַל` (`Ba'al`): A general Semitic term meaning "lord," "master," or "owner." In Canaanite religion, Baal was a primary storm, fertility, and war god. Its use here specifically denotes the idol and cult, a direct rival to YHWH's exclusive sovereignty.
- `פְּעוֹר` (`Pe'or`): Refers to a specific place or mountain associated with this Baal manifestation, possibly indicating an "opening" or "cleft." This deity's worship was particularly characterized by ritual sexual immorality and possibly necromancy, as highlighted by other scriptural accounts.
and ate (וַיֹּאכְלוּ - `va-yo-khlu`): From `אָכַל` (akhal), "to eat," "to consume." Eating consecrated food was a central act in ancient worship, signifying communion, participation, and loyalty. By eating the cultic meals of Baal-peor, the Israelites actively participated in its idolatry, implying their acceptance of its deity and sharing in its "table," directly opposing their covenant relationship with God.
the sacrifices (זִבְחֵי - `ziv-chei`): From `זֶבַח` (zevach), "sacrifice" or "offering." This term specifies the cultic offerings made to the deity. Their consumption of these "sacrifices" meant partaking in rituals expressly forbidden by God, aligning themselves with a spiritual entity other than the living God of Israel.
of the dead (מֵתִים - `mei-tim`): From `מֵת` (met), meaning "dead ones" or "corpses." This is a profoundly polemical and significant phrase. It has multiple layers of meaning:
1. Lifeless Idols: It points to the idols themselves being lifeless, powerless, and impotent statues, in stark contrast to the living, active God of Israel. They sacrificed to "gods that were no gods" (Deut 32:17), which are inanimate objects.
2. Demonic Entities: The term can refer to demonic beings (often associated with ancient Near Eastern ancestor worship or necromancy) masquerading as deities or spirits of the dead. In 1 Cor 10:20, Paul states that pagan sacrifices are offered "to demons and not to God."
3. Necromancy/Ancestor Worship: In ancient Near Eastern cultures, cults often involved divination and veneration of the deceased. Sacrificing to "the dead" could refer to attempts to commune with or propitiate spirits of the deceased, practices strictly forbidden in Israel (Deut 18:11).