Psalms 106:35 Meaning: When We Learn Their Works

The Hebrew verb behind “mixed themselves” is ‘arav (עָרַב). In its stronger form, it means to exchange pledges or to share in fellowship. Israel did not just live near the Canaanites; they entered into binding relationships with them, through trade, treaties, and marriages. The word suggests a deliberate blending, not just accidental proximity.

The second verb, lamad (לָמַד), is the ordinary word for learning. But here it has a dark edge: Israel learned the deeds of people who worshipped idols. They picked up new habits, new ways of thinking. And the object of their learning was ma‘aseh (מַעֲשֶׂה), a word that means a deed, a product, a work. These were not neutral skills, they were the very practices that turned hearts from God, such as child sacrifice mentioned in the following verses. What began as mingling ended in sharing the worst of their neighbours’ lives.

Christians across traditions read this verse as a caution. Protestant commentators such as Barnes and Matthew Henry emphasise the progression from association to imitation: first they mingled, then they learned, then they served idols. Calvin sees the psalm as a corporate confession, acknowledging that God’s people repeatedly chose disobedience over holiness. The Cambridge Bible notes that Israel neglected the command to exterminate the Canaanites and “became infected by their abominations.” Across the board, the warning is that we must be aware of how ordinary contact, when left unchecked, can lead to adopting what is contrary to God’s will.

Some read this verse as a command to avoid all contact with non-Christians. They think the lesson is total isolation. In fact, the problem was not that Israel lived among other peoples; God had called them to be a light there. The sin was that they adopted the practices of those around them, they learned and began to live by values that opposed God’s commands. The danger is not proximity but absorption: when we start to share the values and habits of a world that does not know God.

This week, think about one area where you are surrounded by voices that are not shaped by faith, at work, online, among friends. Ask yourself: what have I started to accept as normal that once troubled me? The psalm does not call you to flee from the world, but to stay awake to what you are picking up. You might need to unlearn a habit, or to speak a quiet “no” to something that has become routine. Keep reading Scripture and let it retrain your instincts. Small steps of attention make a difference.