Psalms 106:11 · Bible study
Psalms 106:11 Commentary: Complete Salvation Remembered in Confession
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why does a confessional psalm recount the total destruction of the Egyptians at the Red Sea? Explore the meaning and pastoral purpose of Psalm 106:11.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse describes the total destruction of the Egyptian army when the Red Sea closed over them, leaving no survivors.
- Key words: “Covered” (H3680 kasah, overwhelm, conceal); “not one… left” (H0259 echad, H3498 yathar in Niphal, was left remaining).
- Main debate: How the complete destruction functions in a confessional psalm, as a type of final judgment (Gill) or as a reason to trust God's mercy (Calvin).
- Theological theme: God's complete salvation as the foundation for confession, his faithfulness stands even when ours fails.
- Best use: Teaching on assurance of salvation, the finality of Christ's victory, and the place of remembering God's mighty acts in repentance.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The waters covered their foes; not one of them remained.
WEB World English Bible 2000
The waters covered their adversaries. There was not one of them left.
KJV King James Version 1769
And the waters covered their enemies: there was not one of them left.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And the waters covered their adversaries; There was not one of them left.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And waters cover their adversaries, One of them hath not been left.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And the waters covered their oppressors: there was not one of them left.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Because they had exasperated the words of God: and provoked the counsel of the most High:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y cubrieron las aguas á sus enemigos: no quedó uno de ellos.
E as águas cobriram seus adversários; não sobrou nem um sequer deles.
Les eaux couvrirent leurs adversaires:
und die Wasser ersäuften ihre Widersacher, daß nicht einer übrig blieb.
En de wateren overdekten hun wederpartijders; niet een van hen bleef over.
E le acque copersero i loro avversari; non ne scampò neppur uno.
W tem okryły wody tych, którzy ich ciążyli; nie został ani jeden z nich.
ибо не покорялись словам Божиим и небрегли о воле Всевышнего.
水 淹沒 他們的敵人，沒有 一個 存留。
And the waters went over their haters; all of them came to an end.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 106:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse recounts the drowning of Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea, drawn directly from Exodus 14:28. Barnes and Gill cite the Exodus account, noting the waters covering the enemies and leaving not one survivor. Calvin places the verse within the psalm's confessional structure: Israel sinned at the sea (v.7), yet God saved them completely, underscoring that he acted for his name's sake. Gill goes further, reading the total destruction as an emblem of Christ's victory over sin, Satan, and death, and a precursor to the final judgment of the wicked. Keil and Delitzsch observe that verse 11 is a transposition of Exodus 14:28, emphasizing the historicity and the completeness of God's act. The shared point is that this verse displays God's saving power in its fullest extent, providing both a ground for confession and a reason for hope.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse describes the total destruction of the Egyptian army at the Red Sea as recorded in Exodus 14:28, emphasizing God's complete deliverance of Israel.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Historical reference | All commentators identify this verse with the drowning of Pharaoh's army at the Red Sea as recorded in Exodus 14:28. | None, the reference is universally accepted. |
| Complete destruction of enemies | The phrase 'not one of them left' is taken as literal and emphasizes the totality of God's judgment on that occasion. | Whether this total destruction serves primarily as a type of Christ's victory over spiritual enemies (Gill) or as a historical example of God's saving power that grounds confession (Calvin). Both views are held within orthodox Christianity. |
| Function in the psalm | The verse highlights God's mighty deliverance despite Israel's sin, setting up the confession that follows. | Some stress the judgment aspect (warning against opposing God), others the mercy aspect (God saves even when his people are faithless). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 106 is a penitential psalm that recounts Israel's long history of rebellion from the Exodus to the exile. The first episode of sin appears in verses 7, 12: Israel's unbelief and murmuring at the Red Sea (Exodus 14:11, 12). Despite their faithlessness, God saved them “for his name's sake” (v.8). He rebuked the sea, led them through on dry ground, and then, as verse 11 states, the waters covered their adversaries. The wording directly mirrors Exodus 14:28: “The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh's army… There remained not so much as one of them.”
The Hebrew verb kasah (cognate H3680) means “to cover” or “overwhelm,” conveying the image of the sea burying the Egyptian forces. The phrase “not one of them left” uses the Niphal form of yathar (H3498), indicating that no survivor remained behind to carry news back to Egypt. In the psalm's literary flow, this total deliverance sets the stage for Israel's brief faithfulness (v.12), which is followed by swift forgetfulness (v.13). The psalmist includes this account not to boast over the enemy's destruction but to show that God kept his promise even when his people did not. The memory of such complete salvation becomes a foundation for the confession that follows: if God could save despite Israel's rebellion, he can also forgive and restore.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 106:11. The verse is stable across the ancient manuscript traditions, matching the Exodus account closely. The minor differences in English translations (e.g., 'adversaries' vs. 'enemies') reflect synonym choices, not textual divergences.
Reception History
Psalm 106 has been used in both Jewish and Christian liturgies as a prayer of national confession. Verse 11, recalling the Red Sea miracle, has been sung in hymns celebrating God's deliverance. Early Christian tradition saw the crossing of the Red Sea as a type of baptism (1 Corinthians 10:1, 2) and the destruction of Pharaoh as a symbol of the defeat of evil powers. In the medieval period, the verse was often read during Lent as part of the penitential psalms. Reformed interpreters like Calvin stressed its role in teaching God's faithfulness. Modern readers continue to find assurance in the completeness of God's victory over all enemies.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God's deliverance is complete. The waters covered the adversaries; not one was left. When God saves, he finishes the work. There is no partial victory.
- Human faithlessness highlights divine faithfulness. Israel had just grumbled and disbelieved (v.7), yet God acted decisively. Salvation rests on his character, not our merit.
- Remembering past judgment fuels present confession. The psalmist recalls this total rescue as a reason to repent and seek mercy. Seeing God's power in history gives confidence for today.
Five-point outline
- The historical anchor: the Exodus event (Exodus 14:28).
- The complete destruction: “not one of them left”, God leaves no enemy threatening his people.
- The contrasting context: Israel's sin at the sea (v.7) vs. God's salvation (vv.8, 11).
- The immediate response: belief and praise (v.12).
- The ongoing significance: a foundation for confession and hope in a dark time.
Illustration hooks
- A flood covering a battlefield, leaving no trace of the invading army.
- A legal case where all charges are dropped without exception, leaving no lingering accusation.
- A clean whiteboard after every mark has been erased completely.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God's total destruction of enemies contradict his love? How do we hold judgment and mercy together?
- What are the “enemies” I face today, sin, guilt, fear? Does this verse assure me they can be completely defeated?
- How can I remember God's past victories when I am in a season of failure and confession?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 106 is a prayer of confession from a people who have failed repeatedly. In verse 11, the poet recalls God's total victory over Egypt at the Red Sea. Why does this memory belong in a confession? Open with a brief observation: the psalmist uses God's saving work as a reason to repent, not to make excuses. God's faithfulness exposes our sin and also assures us that he can restore.
Discussion questions
- Read Exodus 14:27, 28. How does that historical event appear in Psalm 106:11? What details are the same, and what is left out?
- The Hebrew says the waters “covered” the enemies. What does that word picture add to your understanding of the event?
- Look at verses 7, 12. What do the contrasts between Israel's response and God's action teach about God's character?
- Why do you think the psalmist remembers this act of judgment in the middle of a confessional prayer? What does it reveal about his purpose?
- How does the total destruction of the enemies connect to the hope of complete forgiveness and salvation?
- In what ways does Christ's victory over sin and death fulfill the picture of enemies being “covered” completely?
- How can remembering God's past faithfulness help you when you come to him in repentance?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 14:13 | Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today; for you will never again see the Egyptians whom you have seen today. |
| Exodus 14:27 | Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. |
| Exodus 14:28 | The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh’s army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them. |
| Exodus 15:5 | The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone. |
| Exodus 15:10 | You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. |
| Exodus 15:19 | For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea. |
| Psalms 78:53 | He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to how the same waters that delivered Israel became the instrument of judgment against their enemies, tying together the historical account in Exodus 14 with the poetic celebration in Exodus 15. For him, the phrase underlines God's total victory over those who opposed His people.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin observes that Psalm 106 is not primarily a reproof or complaint against Israel, but a confession of sins aimed at obtaining pardon. The psalm begins with praise to encourage hope, then acknowledges that God's people repeatedly abused his kindness, making them unworthy of continued blessing—so the writer asks forgiveness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The first instance of Israel ’s sin; their unbelief and murmuring at the Red Sea.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes stress the total destruction of Israel's oppressors: the waters covered them completely, not one was left. The emphasis falls on the thoroughness of God's judgment—every single pursuer perished, with no remnant remaining to continue their persecution.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the drowning of Pharaoh's army as a dual emblem: first, Christ's complete destruction of every spiritual enemy—sin, Satan, death itself—and second, the final judgment when no wicked person will escape. For him, not one left behind points to total victory in both instances.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch see the psalmist's confession of sin as the deliberate path to forgiveness and relief from punishment. They stress that Israel, like its forefathers, deserved abandonment, yet God saved them solely by unmerited mercy. The miracle at the sea briefly stirred faith, but ingratitude quickly followed.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that the penitents confess not only their own wickedness but also their solidarity with their fathers' sins, recognizing they have added to the inherited guilt. This humble acknowledgment justifies God in sending distress, yet the memory of His mercies past encourages hope that He will not utterly abandon them.