Psalm 106:31 kjv
And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
Psalm 106:31 nkjv
And that was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore.
Psalm 106:31 niv
This was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come.
Psalm 106:31 esv
And that was counted to him as righteousness from generation to generation forever.
Psalm 106:31 nlt
So he has been regarded as a righteous man
ever since that time.
Psalm 106 31 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 25:7-8 | ...Phinehas...rose up from the midst of the congregation and took a spear in his hand. He went after the man of Israel into the tent... | Phinehas's decisive act against sin. |
| Num 25:11 | "Phinehas...turned back My wrath from the people of Israel...because he was jealous with My jealousy among them." | God commends Phinehas's zeal, linking it to divine jealousy. |
| Num 25:12-13 | "Behold, I give him My covenant of peace...and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood..." | God's eternal promise of priesthood for Phinehas's zeal. |
| Ps 106:30 | Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, and the plague was stayed. | Direct preceding context; Phinehas's immediate action. |
| Gen 15:6 | And he believed the LORD, and He counted it to him for righteousness. | Abraham's faith is counted as righteousness, linguistic parallel. |
| Rom 4:3 | For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness." | Paul reinforces Gen 15:6; imputation of righteousness. |
| Jas 2:21-22 | Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac...? You see that faith was working with his works, and by works faith was made perfect. | Faith is perfected and demonstrated by works; Phinehas's act as "work". |
| Jas 2:23 | And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. | Connection between faith, works, and credited righteousness. |
| Dt 6:25 | And it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God... | Obedience to God's law credited as righteousness. |
| Eze 18:5-9 | "If a man is righteous and does what is just and right..." | Describes a righteous person by their actions and adherence to God's law. |
| Ps 15:1-2 | O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? ... He who walks blamelessly and does what is right... | Associates dwelling with God with living a righteous life. |
| 1 Jn 3:7 | Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous... | Practice of righteousness as evidence of true righteousness. |
| Mal 2:5-6 | My covenant with him [Levi] was one of life and peace... He walked with me in peace and uprightness and turned many from iniquity. | Example of priestly righteousness and turning from sin. |
| Rom 3:21-22 | But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law... the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ... | Contrast Phinehas's specific "deed" with the broader concept of divine righteousness given by grace. |
| Php 3:9 | ...and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ... | Heavenly righteousness by faith vs. human effort. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Ultimate source of righteousness for believers in Christ. |
| Jer 33:16 | ...And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The LORD is Our Righteousness.’ | Emphasizes God as the source and standard of righteousness. |
| Ps 112:3 | Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. | Righteousness has lasting effects; echoes "for evermore". |
| Ps 119:160 | The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever. | God's word and decrees endure perpetually, reinforcing "for evermore." |
| Ecc 3:14 | I perceived that whatever God does endures forever... | Reinforces the enduring nature of divine actions and reckoning. |
| Jn 2:17 | His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for Your house has consumed me." | Jesus's zeal; an echo of zealous action for God's holiness. |
| 2 Cor 7:11 | For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you... what zeal... | Godly sorrow leading to zealous action against wrong. |
| Rev 19:8 | ...for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. | Righteousness often involves outward actions. |
Psalm 106 verses
Psalm 106 31 Meaning
Psalm 106:31 states that the zealous act of Phinehas was credited to him as "righteousness," a divine imputation that was not fleeting but was to be recognized "unto all generations for evermore." This means his singular deed of upholding God's holiness and justice against severe sin was so pleasing to God that it established a lasting legacy of divine favor and secured his priestly lineage eternally. It highlights that certain actions, born of true zeal for God, are considered acts of righteousness with perpetual significance in God's reckoning.
Psalm 106 31 Context
Psalm 106 is a penitential psalm that recounts the history of Israel's rebellions against the Lord, emphasizing their chronic unfaithfulness despite God's steadfast love and miraculous interventions. Within this historical review of Israel's apostasies—from the Exodus to their dispersion—the psalm briefly highlights a singular moment of obedience and zeal. Specifically, verses 28-31 address the incident at Baal-Peor (Numbers 25), where Israel committed idolatry and sexual immorality with Moabite women. A plague ensued due to God's wrath. In this context of widespread sin, Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron, acted decisively to execute judgment on an Israelite man and a Midianite woman, thereby stopping the plague. Verse 31 directly speaks of this righteous act amidst a background of profound national sin, setting it apart as a deed credited positively by God, signifying its exceptional nature.
Psalm 106 31 Word analysis
- And: waw (וְ). A conjunctive particle linking Phinehas's action (Ps 106:30) with God's favorable response or recognition of that action. It indicates sequence and consequence.
- it was counted unto him: Heb. vaTTēHāshēḇ lō (וַתֵּחָשֶׁב־ל֖וֹ). From the root ḥāšav (חָשַׁב), meaning to reckon, account, consider, impute, devise. It's a divine declaration of credit. God explicitly determined that Phinehas's deed held the value of righteousness. This is not about human assessment but divine pronouncement.
- for righteousness: Heb. liTsədāqāh (לִצְדָקָה). The prefix li- means "for" or "as." Tsədāqāh refers to a state of being in conformity with divine standards, ethical integrity, justice, and right conduct. Here, it is the divine evaluation of an action as being just, right, and zealous for God's holiness, thereby satisfying divine requirements and averting judgment.
- unto all generations: Heb. lədōr vādor (לְדֹר וָדֹר). Signifies continuous, successive generations. It means the recognition and the benefit (specifically the perpetual priesthood, Num 25:13) attached to Phinehas's act would endure throughout all future descendants and for the community's memory. It highlights the lasting impact of the deed.
- for evermore: Heb. ʿad ʿôlām (עַד־עוֹלָם). Expresses perpetuity, eternity, to unending time. This phrase underscores the enduring, perpetual, and immutable nature of God's declaration regarding Phinehas's righteousness and the covenant established with him.
Words-group analysis:
- it was counted unto him for righteousness: This phrase powerfully echoes Genesis 15:6 concerning Abraham's faith being "counted...for righteousness." While Abraham's instance relates to his belief/faith, Phinehas's relates to a zealous, decisive action. This parallelism highlights that God recognizes and attributes "righteousness" not only through faith (trust and belief in Him) but also through specific, obedient acts born of that faith and zeal for His holy name, especially in the face of widespread rebellion. It is a divine imputation, a legal declaration of value on a deed.
- unto all generations for evermore: This emphasizes the eternal validity and significance of God's verdict concerning Phinehas. It secured his priestly lineage (Numbers 25:12-13) and established a permanent theological truth: zealous adherence to God's standards and proactive defense of His holiness brings lasting divine favor and an enduring legacy, extending across time without cessation.
Psalm 106 31 Bonus section
- The "counting" or imputation (Hebrew ḥāšav) is a key biblical concept where God graciously credits something (like faith or a zealous action) as righteousness. It does not imply earning, but rather a divine reckoning of value.
- Phinehas's act served an atoning function in the immediate context (Num 25:13, "made atonement for the people of Israel"). While not a blood sacrifice, his fervent defense of God's holiness averted further divine wrath, thus acting as a form of "covering" or pacification of divine judgment.
- The placement of this single righteous act in Psalm 106, amidst a litany of Israel's failings, highlights its unique nature and God's particular favor shown to Phinehas. It underscores that even in widespread corruption, individual zeal for God can stand out and receive extraordinary commendation.
- The verse sets a precedent for understanding that zeal for God's honor and the righteous application of His laws can be considered a profound act of loyalty and conformity to His divine will, with far-reaching positive consequences.
Psalm 106 31 Commentary
Psalm 106:31 distills a profound theological principle from Phinehas's zealous act at Baal-Peor. In a moment of severe national apostasy and plague, Phinehas, without divine command but impelled by zeal for God's honor, executed summary justice. God recognized this act not as mere human violence, but as an expression of His own jealousy for holiness and justice. Therefore, it was "counted unto him for righteousness." This credit for righteousness was not a transient acknowledgement but was affixed "unto all generations for evermore," establishing a perpetual priestly covenant for his descendants (Num 25:13). This verse serves as a crucial biblical example where active, zealous obedience is divinely reckoned as righteousness, illustrating that true faith and devotion can manifest in tangible deeds that are highly valued by God. While humanity cannot earn righteousness, this highlights God's unique ways of honoring profound dedication to His holiness, which stems from a righteous heart.