Psalms 106:27
To overthrow their seed also among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
Original Language Analysis
וּלְהַפִּ֣יל
To overthrow
H5307
וּלְהַפִּ֣יל
To overthrow
Strong's:
H5307
Word #:
1 of 5
to fall, in a great variety of applications (intransitive or causative, literal or figurative)
זַ֭רְעָם
their seed
H2233
זַ֭רְעָם
their seed
Strong's:
H2233
Word #:
2 of 5
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם
also among the nations
H1471
בַּגּוֹיִ֑ם
also among the nations
Strong's:
H1471
Word #:
3 of 5
a foreign nation; hence, a gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts
Cross References
Psalms 44:11Thou hast given us like sheep appointed for meat; and hast scattered us among the heathen.Leviticus 26:33And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste.Ezekiel 20:23I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
Historical Context
While the immediate context is the wilderness generation's judgment, this verse prophetically extends to future exile as covenant curse. Deuteronomy 28:64-68 and Leviticus 26:33 warned of scattering among nations if Israel broke covenant. These warnings were fulfilled through Assyrian and Babylonian conquests. For post-exilic Israel reciting this psalm, it explained their recent exile as God fulfilling His oath of covenant curse for persistent idolatry and rebellion.
Questions for Reflection
- How do the sins of one generation affect subsequent generations?
- What does scattering among nations teach about the consequences of covenant-breaking?
- How should understanding generational covenant consequences affect our obedience today?
Analysis & Commentary
This verse expands God's oath of judgment beyond the wilderness generation. 'To overthrow their seed also among the nations' prophesies exile—Israel's descendants would be scattered among pagan nations. 'To scatter them in the lands' uses zarah (זָרָה), meaning to winnow, disperse, or scatter like chaff. This was fulfilled in the Assyrian exile (722 BC) and Babylonian captivity (586 BC), and later diaspora. God's covenant included generational blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28-30). The sins of one generation bring consequences on descendants, demonstrating the corporate nature of covenant and the seriousness of covenant-breaking.