Bible Strands
Psalms 106:34
They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them,
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses the gathered community of Israel, recording the failures of the conquest generation immediately after noting Moses' rash speech. The words — The Hebrew verb הִשְׁמִידוּ (hishmiḏû) translates literally as "they destroyed," paired with עַמִּים ('ammîm), "peoples," to form the exact action the text reports as omitted. The thread — This recorded omission directly contrasts the commands in Deuteronomy 7:2 and Deuteronomy 7:16 to completely devote the nations to destruction, and aligns with the partial obedience noted in Judges 1:21. Why it lands — The text states that the people failed to execute a direct divine command, which precedes the immediate consequence of adopting foreign customs; it requires readers to identify where they retain what God explicitly instructed them to remove.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the Lord commanded them:
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 7:2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
- Deuteronomy 7:16 You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
- Judges 1:21 The Benjamites, however, failed to drive out the Jebusites living in Jerusalem. So to this day the Jebusites live there among the Benjamites.
- Joshua 23:12 For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them,
- Numbers 33:55 But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle.
- 1 Samuel 15:22 But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.
- Matthew 17:19 Afterward the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
- Numbers 33:52 you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places.
- Deuteronomy 7:23 But the LORD your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed.
- Deuteronomy 20:16 However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.