Psalms 106:21 (KJV)

What does Psalms 106:21 mean?

Psalms 106:21 describes how the people of Israel forgot God, who had saved them and performed great wonders for them in Egypt. The verse highlights their failure to remember the one who delivered them from slavery and did mighty acts on their behalf.

The psalm is written as a reflection on Israel’s history, with the psalmist speaking about the nation’s repeated forgetfulness and unfaithfulness to God. This verse comes in a section where the writer is recounting the ways Israel turned away from God after being rescued from Egypt, emphasizing how quickly they lost sight of what God had done for them.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 106:21

• "forgat" (שָׁכַח, shakach): This word means to forget, ignore, or neglect. It often carries the sense of willful neglect, not just a lapse in memory, which deepens the seriousness of Israel's response.
• "God" (אֵל, El): This is a common Hebrew word for God, emphasizing His power and might, which fits with the mention of “great things.”
• "saviour" (יָשַׁע, yasha): This word means one who saves or delivers. Here, it highlights God’s role as the rescuer of Israel, not just a distant deity.
• "done" (עָשָׂה, asah): This verb means to do, make, or accomplish. It points to God’s active involvement in history, not just passive observation.
• "things" (גָּדוֹל, gadol): This word means great or mighty. It stresses the extraordinary nature of what God did in Egypt.
• "Egypt" (מִצְרַיִם, Mitzrayim): This is the Hebrew name for Egypt, reminding the reader of the specific place where God’s saving acts took place.

Why Psalms 106:21 matters

• This verse clarifies that forgetting God is not just about memory, but about neglecting and ignoring the relationship and the acts God performed.
• The verse connects the people’s forgetfulness directly to the miracles in Egypt, underlining how significant those events were in Israel’s history.
• By placing this verse in a psalm of confession, the writer helps the reader see the pattern of human unfaithfulness and the importance of remembering what God has done.