Psalms 106:36 · Bible study
Psalms 106:36 Commentary: Idols That Become a Snare
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study page on Psalm 106:36. Examine how serving idols becomes a trap, with historical context, lexical insights, and pastoral application.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel’s service to Canaanite idols turned into a trap that led to further sin and judgment, but God hears the cry of the repentant.
- Key words: עָצָב (atsav, “idol”, also “grief/labor”); מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”, bait trap).
- Main debate: Whether the snare refers to the idols themselves, the act of worship, or the Canaanites left in the land (commentators allow all three).
- Theological theme: Idolatry enslaves and destroys, but God’s covenant mercy opens the door to restoration.
- Best use: A warning against small compromises and a call to exclusive loyalty to God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They served their idols, which became a snare to them.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And served their idols, Which became a snare unto them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And serve their idols, And they are to them for a snare.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they served their idols; and they were a snare unto them:
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And hath placed there the hungry; and they made a city for their habitation.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y sirvieron á sus ídolos; los cuales les fueron por ruina.
E serviram a seus ídolos; e vieram a lhes ser por laço de armadilha.
Ils servirent leurs idoles,
und dienten ihren Götzen; die wurden ihnen zum Fallstrick.
En zij dienden hun afgoden, en zij werden hun tot een strik.
e servirono ai loro idoli, i quali divennero per essi un laccio;
I służyli bałwanom ich, które im były sidłem.
и поселяет там алчущих, и они строят город для обитания;
事奉 他們的偶像，這就成了 自己的 網羅，
And they gave worship to images; which were a danger to them:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 106:36
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentators agree that this verse captures a tragic progression: Israel served the Canaanite idols, and those very idols became a snare, a trap that led to further sin and ultimately judgment. Adam Clarke notes that the Hebrew term for idols, עֲצַבִּים (atsabbeyhem), means “labors” or “griefs,” referencing the effort in making them and the sorrow they bring. Barnes compares the snare to a bird trap: the danger is unseen until too late. Gill, Calvin, and Keil & Delitzsch connect this snare to the Canaanites themselves (per Exodus 23:33, Deuteronomy 7:16) as instruments of both temptation and judgment. The consensus is that the snare is both the allure of idolatry and its catastrophic consequences, a pattern that ensnares God’s people when they compromise with the world.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Serving idols always results in becoming ensnared, and the only rescue comes through God’s merciful intervention when his people cry out to him.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the snare | Idolatry leads to being trapped in sin and judgment. | Barnes emphasizes the gradual, deceptive entrapment (like a bird trap); Keil and others focus on the Canaanites as the snare; Clarke sees the idols' inherent grief as the trap. |
| The command to destroy the nations | Israel failed to obey God's command, leading to compromise. | Some interpret the command as literal extermination; others see it as removal from the land to prevent influence. Both views agree on the danger of coexistence with idolatrous cultures. |
| Severity of consequences | Idolatry escalated to child sacrifice and national judgment. | Whether these consequences were directly sent by God or were the natural outcome of abandoning his protection, though the psalm presents both as intertwined. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 106 recounts Israel’s history from Egypt through the wilderness to life in Canaan, framed as a national confession of sin (Calvin). Verses 34, 39 describe what happened after Israel entered the land: they failed to destroy the nations as Yahweh commanded (v.34; compare Joshua 23:13, Judges 2:3). Instead they mixed with the peoples, learned their practices, and served their idols (vv.35, 36). The word for “snare” (מוֹקֵשׁ, moqesh) echoes earlier warnings: “Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods… for it will be a snare (מוֹקֵשׁ) to you” (Exodus 23:33; also Deuteronomy 7:16). What was meant to be a protective command was disregarded, so the Canaanite presence became exactly that snare.
The passage then descends further: idolatry led to child sacrifice “to demons” (v.37), polluting the land with blood (v.38). This reflects the abominable Canaanite practice God had warned against (Deuteronomy 12:31). The poet then summarizes the cycles of apostasy, oppression, deliverance, and relapse that characterized the period of the judges (vv.40, 43), followed by God’s mercy when the people cried out (vv.44, 46). This historical context shows that idolatry is never an isolated act, it draws a person into a web of sin that traps and destroys, yet the psalm ends with a petition for gathering and salvation (v.47), proving that hope remains for the repentant.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentators note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
Psalm 106 has served as a prayer of national confession in both Jewish and Christian practice. Early church writings (e.g., the Apostolic Constitutions) cited this verse to warn against participation in pagan festivals. During the Reformation, Calvin and Luther saw it as a testament to God’s covenant faithfulness despite human unfaithfulness. In many Protestant traditions, verses 34, 46 are read during Lent or penitential services, reminding believers of the danger of worldliness and the hope found in repentance. The verse has also inspired hymns that emphasize the brevity of sin’s pleasure and the enduring mercy of the Lord. Throughout history, Psalm 106:36 has been a sobering call to examine any allegiance that competes with God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Idol’s Deception. Israel served objects of their own hands, thinking to gain prosperity or security. But service to false gods always binds the worshiper, not the god. Clarke observes that the very name for idols (‘labors, griefs’) reveals their true nature, they yield only sorrow.
- The Snare’s Working. The trap is set unseen. Barnes notes that a bird approaches the snare unaware; so the people of God drift into sin without sensing the danger. What begins as a small compromise becomes an inescapable bond that leads to greater evils (child sacrifice, v.37).
- The Way Out. The psalm does not end in despair. God heard the people’s cry, remembered his covenant, and relented according to his mercy (vv.44, 45). The snare is powerful, but the Lord’s deliverance is more powerful still.
Five-point outline
- God’s clear command: destroy the nations (v.34).
- The people’s compromise: they mixed with the nations (v.35).
- The inevitable service: they served the idols (v.36a).
- The self-made trap: the idols became a snare (v.36b).
- The spiral downward: from idolatry to bloodshed (vv.37, 39).
Illustration hooks
- A person who makes one small ethical compromise at work, rounding numbers, taking credit, and within months is entangled in a web of deception that damages their career and character.
- A believer who begins to crave the approval of a certain group, and gradually reshapes their beliefs to fit in, only to realize they have lost their integrity and peace.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know if something has become a snare in my life?
- Why does God allow the consequences of idolatry to become so severe before stepping in?
- What does it mean that the idols themselves become the trap, is it the object, the act, or both?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 106 is a confessional psalm that recounts Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness. Verse 36 describes a turning point: serving idols leads to being trapped. As you read, consider how good things become snares when they replace God.
Discussion questions
- Read Exodus 23:33 and Deuteronomy 7:16. How do these warnings relate to what actually happened in Psalm 106:36?
- The Hebrew word for idols (עֲצַבִּים) can mean “labors” or “griefs” (Clarke). How does this nuance add to your understanding of the verse?
- In what ways can something that seems beneficial, like security, wealth, or relationships, become a trap?
- Barnes describes the snare as a bird trap: the danger is hidden until it is too late. How does sin often hide its potential harm from us?
- Verse 37 mentions child sacrifice. How does one act of idolatry naturally lead to worse sins?
- Look at verses 44, 46. How does God respond to the people’s cry? What does this teach about hope in the middle of failure?
- What “idols” in your own life might be becoming a snare? What practical steps can you take to turn back to God?
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 23:33 | They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.” |
| Exodus 34:15 | “Don’t make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, lest they play the prostitute after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and one call you and you eat of his sacrifice; |
| Exodus 34:16 | and you take of their daughters to your sons, and their daughters play the prostitute after their gods, and make your sons play the prostitute after their gods. |
| Deuteronomy 7:16 | You shall consume all the peoples whom Yahweh your God shall deliver to you. Your eye shall not pity them. You shall not serve their gods; for that would be a snare to you. |
| Joshua 23:13 | know for a certainty that Yahweh your God will no longer drive these nations from out of your sight; but they shall be a snare and a trap to you, a scourge in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you. |
| Judges 2:3 | Therefore I also said, ‘I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.’” |
| Judges 2:12 | They abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed themselves down to them; and they provoked Yahweh to anger. |
| Judges 2:15 | Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the Hebrew word for idols, noting it literally means labors or griefs. The term captures the effort spent making them, the toil of worshipping them, and the sorrow God's judgment brought on Israel for their idolatry.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes focuses on the image of a snare, showing that idols catch God's people the way a trap catches an unsuspecting bird or animal. The danger is hidden, and the victim falls before realizing the threat. This captures how temptation leads believers into sin suddenly and without warning.
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 Cambridge Bible notes that Israel's failure to fully drive out the Canaanites as commanded led directly to their own ruin. The Canaanites became a snare, infecting the Israelites with their abominable practices and bringing about their decay, just as they had been warned.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
And serued their idoles, which were their ruine.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses the bitter irony that Israel, knowing the true God and called to destroy Canaanite idols, instead worshiped them. These lifeless idols became a snare, trapping the people in distress they could not escape. The very sin that dispossessed the Canaanites now ensnared God's own servants.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlight the poet's deliberate change of the Hebrew word for "sink down" instead of the usual "rot" in the primary passage, a conscious choice rather than a scribal error. They also emphasize that Israel's failure to destroy the Canaanites led directly to the worst abomination, human sacrifice, which God detests but demons delight in.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry observes that Israel's conduct in Canaan was exactly like their behavior in the wilderness: they provoked God, yet He repeatedly delivered them. God's dealings with them consistently displayed both justice and mercy, punishing their rebellion but relenting when they cried out because He remembered His covenant.