The Bible Says
Psalm 106:34-39 Meaning

Israel fails to follow God’s specific directive when They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them (v. 34). Psalm 106:34-39 alludes to the inhabitants of Canaan, a land stretching along the eastern Mediterranean coast. Historically, these people engaged in idolatrous worship which God instructed His nation to remove completely (Deuteronomy 7:1-2). By disregarding the Lord’s command, Israel set the stage for destructive compromise that would ensnare them for generations. The implication is not merely about physical conquest but about spiritual purity — God intended His people to maintain wholehearted devotion to Him, avoiding entanglements with paganism.

When the psalmist explains that they mingled with the nations and learned their practices (v. 35), it highlights how Israel became entangled in the surrounding cultures. Rather than faithfully influencing their neighbors, they allowed foreign beliefs and customs to shape their own worship. Their hearts drifted from the exclusive love their covenant with God required, showing how powerful and subtle the pull of cultural assimilation can be (to see how Israel’s compromise with neighboring cultures violated the first commandment and led their hearts away from exclusive devotion to God, please read our commentary on Exodus 20:3 and Exodus 20:4–5). Instead of setting themselves apart, they adopted the habits of others and lost their distinct identity as God’s chosen people.

The psalm continues, saying Israel served their idols, which became a snare to them (v. 36). This underscores how their compromise led to full—blown idolatry. Instead of finding refuge and strength in the LORD, they turned to lifeless objects that offered no real help. In Scripture, an idol can be anything that takes precedence over God; for ancient Israel, this included the visible images of foreign deities, but it also hints at the deeper heart issue of misplaced trust. Jesus later taught that serving two masters is impossible (Matthew 6:24), reminding His followers that worship of God must be wholehearted and undivided.

In a shocking statement, the psalmist says They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons (v. 37). Ancient Canaanite worship sometimes included detestable practices involving child sacrifice, a horror that God vehemently condemned (Leviticus 20:2-5). By engaging in this, Israel reached a level of moral and spiritual corruption resembling the nations they were meant to purge from the land. Their adoption of such practices reveals how far they had wandered from God’s life-giving commands.

The text continues emphasizing the magnitude of their wrongdoing: they... shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters... the land was polluted with the blood (v. 38). This underscores the gravity of their sin. Not only did they defile themselves, but they also contaminated the land—God’s sacred gift to His people. In biblical thought, the shedding of innocent blood cries out for justice (Genesis 4:10). The moral and spiritual consequences of such actions ran deep, affecting both the community of Israel and the physical location of Canaan itself.

The psalmist concludes this section by stating, Thus they became unclean in their practices, and played the harlot in their deeds (v. 39). The imagery of marital unfaithfulness recurs throughout Scripture, equating idolatry with adultery. Israel was bound in covenant to God, and turning to other gods was akin to betraying a spouse. Despite God’s faithfulness, Israel’s repeated spiritual infidelity ultimately brought painful consequences. Yet even in this tragic description, a larger biblical theme emerges: God’s persistent willingness to forgive and restore those who come back to Him (please visit our commentary on Hosea 14 to learn more about the topic of God's constant forgiveness).