Psalms 106:39

They defiled themselves by their actions and prostituted themselves by their deeds.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The psalmist addresses the gathered community while reciting Israel’s historical rebellion during a corporate confession. The declaration is placed directly after the description of child sacrifice to Canaanite idols and directly before the note that God’s anger burned against His people.

The words — The Hebrew verbs וַיִּטְמְאוּ (va.yitme'u) and וַיִּזְנוּ (va.yiznu) literally render "they became unclean" and "they played the prostitute." Both are explicitly tied to בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם (be.ma'asehem) and בְּמַעַלְלֵיהֶם (be.ma'allehem), meaning "by their works/deeds."

The thread — The text associates ritual defilement and spiritual prostitution with idolatrous sacrifices in Leviticus 17:7 and wilderness warnings in Ezekiel 20:18. It parallels the directive in Numbers 15:39 to use physical reminders to prevent wandering from divine statutes.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that outward actions produce direct spiritual defilement, demanding deliberate adherence to commanded boundaries. It calls for immediate self-examination of how personal conduct generates moral corruption.

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

וַיִּטְמְא֥וּva/i.yit.me.'Uand/ they became unclean בְמַעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑םve./ma.'a.sei./Hemby/ works/ their וַ֝יִּזְנוּ֗va/i.yiZ.nuand/ they played [the] prostitute בְּמַֽעַלְלֵיהֶֽם׃be./Ma.'a.lei./Hemby/ deeds/ their

King James Version

Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions.

Cross-references

Ezekiel 20:18 In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols.
Leviticus 17:7 They must no longer offer their sacrifices to the goat demons to which they have prostituted themselves. This will be a permanent statute for them for the generations to come.’
Numbers 15:39 These will serve as tassels for you to look at, so that you may remember all the commandments of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by following your own heart and your own eyes.
Isaiah 24:5 The earth is defiled by its people; they have transgressed the laws; they have overstepped the decrees and broken the everlasting covenant.
Isaiah 59:3 For your hands are stained with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters injustice.
Ezekiel 20:30 Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: Will you defile yourselves the way your fathers did, prostituting yourselves with their abominations?
Ezekiel 20:43 There you will remember your ways and all the deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you have done.
Hosea 9:1 Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation like the nations, for you have played the harlot against your God; you have made love for hire on every threshing floor.
Revelation 17:1 Then one of the seven angels with the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters.
Exodus 34:16 And when you take some of their daughters as brides for your sons, their daughters will prostitute themselves to their gods and cause your sons to do the same.