(= Psalm 106 in Hebrew numbering)
A psalm of national confession, mercy, and return.
Verses 1–20 with Word Notes
Verses 21–48 without notes
Versus 1
Confitemini Domino, quoniam bonus; quoniam in saeculum misericordia eius.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endures forever.
Word Notes:
- confiteor, -eri – to give thanks.
- bonus, -a, -um – good, beneficial.
- misericordia, -ae f. – mercy, steadfast love.
Versus 2
Quis loquetur potentias Domini? auditas faciet omnes laudes eius?
Who can tell the mighty acts of the Lord? Who can proclaim all his praise?
Word Notes:
- loquor, loqui – to speak.
- potentia, -ae f. – power, mighty act.
- auditas facere – to make heard.
Versus 3
Beati qui custodiunt iudicium, et faciunt iustitiam in omni tempore.
Blessed are those who keep justice and practice righteousness at all times.
Word Notes:
- custodio, -ire – to guard, keep.
- iudicium, -ii n. – judgment.
- iustitia, -ae f. – righteousness.
Versus 4
Memento nostri, Domine, in beneplacito populi tui; visita nos in salutari tuo.
Remember us, Lord, with the favour of your people; visit us with your salvation.
Word Notes:
- memento – imperative of memini.
- beneplacitum, -i n. – favour, good pleasure.
- visito, -are – to visit, attend.
Versus 5
Ad videndum in bonitate electorum tuorum, ad laetandum in laetitia gentis tuae, ut lauderis cum hereditate tua.
That we may behold the good of your chosen ones, rejoice in your nation, and glory with your inheritance.
Word Notes:
- electus, -a, -um – chosen.
- laetor, -ari – to rejoice.
- hereditas, -atis f. – inheritance, people belonging to God.
Versus 6
Peccavimus cum patribus nostris; iniuste egimus, iniquitatem fecimus.
We have sinned with our fathers; we have acted unjustly and committed iniquity.
Word Notes:
- pecco, -are – to sin.
- iniuste agere – to act unjustly.
- iniquitas, -atis f. – wrongdoing.
Versus 7
Patres nostri in Aegypto non intellexerunt mirabilia tua; non fuerunt memores multitudinis misericordiae tuae; et exacerbaverunt ascendentes in mare, mare Rubrum.
Our fathers in Egypt did not understand your wonders; they did not remember your abundant mercy; and they rebelled at the sea, the Red Sea.
Word Notes:
- intellego, -ere – to perceive, understand.
- multitudo, -inis f. – multitude.
- exacerbo, -are – to embitter, provoke.
Versus 8
Et salvavit eos propter nomen suum, ut notam faceret potentiam suam.
Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his power known.
Word Notes:
- propter nomen – for the sake of reputation/honour.
- notam facere – to make known.
Versus 9
Et increpuit mare Rubrum, et exsiccatum est; et deduxit eos in abyssis sicut in deserto.
He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up; he led them through the depths as through a desert.
Word Notes:
- increpo, -are – to rebuke.
- exsicco, -are – to dry up.
- abyssus, -i f. – deep waters.
Versus 10
Et salvavit eos de manu odientium, et redemit eos de manu inimici.
He saved them from the hand of their haters; he redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
Word Notes:
- redimo, -ere – to redeem, buy back.
Versus 11
Et operuit aqua tribulantes eos; unus ex eis non remansit.
The waters covered their adversaries; not one of them remained.
Word Notes:
- operio, -ire – to cover.
- tribulo, -are – to afflict.
Versus 12
Et crediderunt verbis eius, et laudaverunt laudem eius.
Then they believed his words and sang his praise.
Word Notes:
- credo, -ere – to believe.
- laudo, -are – to praise.
Versus 13
Cito obliti sunt operum eius; non sustinuerunt consilium eius.
They quickly forgot his works; they did not wait for his counsel.
Word Notes:
- cito – quickly.
- sustineo, -ere – to endure, wait for.
Versus 14
Et concupierunt concupiscentiam in deserto; et tentaverunt Deum in inaquoso.
They craved intensely in the desert and tested God in the wasteland.
Word Notes:
- concupisco, -ere – to desire strongly.
- tento, -are – to test.
- inaquosus, -a, -um – waterless place.
Versus 15
Et dedit eis petitionem ipsorum; et misit saturitatem in animas eorum.
He granted their request; but sent leanness into their souls.
Word Notes:
- petitio, -onis f. – request.
- saturitas, -atis f. – satiety, emptiness paradoxically.
Versus 16
Et irritaverunt Moysen in castris; Aaron sanctum Domini.
And they provoked Moses in the camp, and Aaron the holy one of the Lord.
Word Notes:
- irrito, -are – to provoke.
- sanctus, -i m. – holy one.
Versus 17
Aperta est terra, et deglutivit Dathan, et operuit super congregationem Abiron.
The earth opened and swallowed Dathan, and covered the assembly of Abiron.
Word Notes:
- deglutio, -ire – to swallow down.
- congregatio, -onis f. – assembly.
Versus 18
Et exarsit ignis in synagoga eorum; flamma combussit peccatores.
Fire blazed among their company; flame consumed the sinners.
Word Notes:
- exardesco, -ere – to blaze forth.
- comburo, -ere – to burn up.
Versus 19
Et fecerunt vitulum in Horeb, et adoraverunt sculptile.
They made a calf at Horeb and worshiped a graven image.
Word Notes:
- vitulus, -i m. – calf.
- sculptile, -is n. – carved idol.
Versus 20
Et mutaverunt gloriam suam in similitudinem vituli comedentis fenum.
And they exchanged their glory for the image of a calf that eats grass.
Word Notes:
- muto, -are – to exchange.
- similitudo, -inis f. – likeness.
- fenum, -i n. – grass, hay.
Versus 21–48 (Latin + literal English translation, no notes)
21 Obliti sunt Deum qui salvavit eos, qui fecit magnalia in Aegypto.
They forgot God who saved them, who did great things in Egypt.
22 Mirabilia in terra Cham; terribilia in mari Rubro.
Wonders in the land of Ham; terrors at the Red Sea.
23 Et dixit ut disperderet eos; si non Moyses, electus eius, stetisset in confractione in conspectu eius.
He said he would destroy them, had not Moses, his chosen, stood in the breach before him.
24 Et pro nihilo habuerunt terram desiderabilem; non crediderunt verbo eius.
They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his word.
25 Et murmuraverunt in tabernaculis suis; non exaudierunt vocem Domini.
They murmured in their tents; they did not heed the voice of the Lord.
26 Et elevavit manum suam super eos, ut deiceret eos in deserto.
He raised his hand against them to cast them down in the desert.
27 Et ut deiceret semen eorum in nationibus, et dispergeret eos in regionibus.
To cast down their seed among the nations and scatter them in the lands.
28 Et initiati sunt Beelphegor, et comederunt sacrificia mortuorum.
They joined themselves to Baal-peor and ate sacrifices of the dead.
29 Et irritaverunt eum in adinventionibus suis; et multiplicata est in eis ruina.
They provoked him with their inventions; and destruction increased among them.
30 Et stetit Phinees, et placavit; et cessavit quassatio.
Then Phinehas stood and atoned, and the plague was stopped.
31 Et reputatum est ei in iustitiam, in generationem et generationem usque in sempiternum.
And it was counted to him as righteousness to all generations forever.
32 Et irritaverunt eum ad aquas contradictionis, et vexatus est Moyses propter eos.
They provoked him at the waters of strife, and Moses was distressed because of them.
33 Quia exacerbaverunt spiritum eius; et distinxit in labiis suis.
For they embittered his spirit, and he spoke rashly with his lips.
34 Non disperdiderunt gentes, quas dixit Dominus illis.
They did not destroy the nations the Lord had commanded them.
35 Et commisti sunt nationibus, et didicerunt opera eorum.
They mingled with the nations and learned their works.
36 Et servierunt sculptilibus eorum; et factum est illis in scandalum.
They served their idols; which became a snare to them.
37 Et immolaverunt filios suos et filias suas daemonibus.
They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons.
38 Et effuderunt sanguinem innocentem, sanguinem filiorum et filiarum suarum.
They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters.
39 Et contaminata est terra in sanguinibus; et pollutus est in operibus eorum.
The land was defiled by blood; and they were polluted by their deeds.
40 Et iratus est furor Domini in populum suum; et abominatus est hereditatem suam.
So the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people; he abhorred his inheritance.
41 Et tradidit eos in manus nationum; et dominati sunt eorum qui oderunt eos.
He gave them into the hands of the nations; and those who hated them ruled over them.
42 Et tribulaverunt eos inimici eorum, et humiliati sunt sub manibus eorum.
Their enemies oppressed them, and they were humbled under their hand.
43 Saepe liberavit eos; ipsi autem exacerbaverunt eum in consilio suo.
Many times he rescued them; but they provoked him with their counsel.
44 Et vidit tribulationem eorum, et audivit orationem eorum.
He saw their distress and heard their cry.
45 Et memor fuit testamenti sui; et poenituit eum secundum multitudinem misericordiae suae.
He remembered his covenant and relented according to the abundance of his mercy.
46 Et dedit eos in misericordias coram omnibus qui ceperant eos.
He made them objects of mercy in the sight of all who held them captive.
47 Salvos nos fac, Domine Deus noster, et congrega nos de nationibus.
Save us, Lord our God, and gather us from the nations.
48 Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel a saeculo et usque in saeculum; et dicet omnis populus: Fiat, fiat.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. And all the people shall say: Amen, Amen.
Summary Commentary
Psalm 106/105 is a sweeping national confession, tracing Israel’s:
- forgetfulness → forgetting divine acts
- rebellion → testing, murmuring, idolatry
- judgment → oppression, scattering
- mercy → God remembers his covenant
- restoration → “Save us and gather us”
Psychologically:
- Israel’s wanderings map the inner wandering of the human soul.
- Forgetting God’s works corresponds to losing inner coherence.
- Idolatry represents false centres of meaning.
- Exile represents alienation from one’s true self.
- Restoration comes through remembering, through reconnecting with the deepest ground of being.
The psalm ends not in despair but in hope, grounded in divine constancy, not human fidelity.
Exercises
(a) English → Latin
- We have sinned with our fathers.
Peccavimus cum patribus nostris. - They forgot his works.
Cito obliti sunt operum eius. - Save us and gather us from the nations.
Salvos nos fac et congrega nos de nationibus. - They exchanged their glory for an image.
Mutaverunt gloriam suam in similitudinem.
(b) Verb Forms (present / imperfect / future)
- oblitus sum (perfect of obliviscor): obliviscebar / obliviscar
- irrito, -are: irritabam / irritabo
- muto, -are: mutabam / mutabo
- servo, -are: servabam / servabo
(c) Reflection Questions
- What does “forgetting God” correspond to in the modern psyche?
- What are today’s equivalents of “idols” and “false worship”?
- When has mercy “remembered you” despite your forgetting?
- What does it mean to be “gathered” inwardly—restored to unity?