Psalms 106:13 — Word Study
WLCמִֽ֭הֲרוּ שָׁכְח֣וּ מַעֲשָׂ֑יו לֹֽא־ חִ֝כּ֗וּ לַעֲצָתֽוֹ׃
BSA[Yet] they soonmâhar■ [quickly, in a hurry] forgotshâkach■ [to mislay, be oblivious to] His worksmaʻăseh [deeds, actions] and failedlôʼ [did not] to waitchâkâh■ [be patient, wait patiently] for His counselʻêtsâh [advice, plan, purpose]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| מִֽ֭הֲרוּ | they made haste | Verb, Piel, perfect third person common plural |
| שָׁכְח֣וּ | they forgot | Verb, Qal, perfect third person common plural |
| מַעֲשָׂ֑יו | works his | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| לֹֽא־ | not | Particle |
| חִ֝כּ֗וּ | they waited | Verb, Piel, perfect third person common plural |
| לַעֲצָתֽוֹ׃ | for counsel his | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel. |
| KJV | They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: |
| ASV | They soon forgat his works; They waited not for his counsel, |
| YLT | They have hasted — forgotten His works, They have not waited for His counsel. |
| WEB | They soon forgot his works. They didn’t wait for his counsel, |
| BBE | But their memory of his works was short; not waiting to be guided by him, |
Where they part company is שָׁכְח֣וּ — see How Translations Differ.
The main action is clear, with supporting phrases elaborating on the manner and consequences of their forgetfulness.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbמָהַר
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 106:13
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Israel's Forgetfulnessgenerated
Psalms 106:13 reflects on how quickly the Israelites forgot the mighty acts of God after they had witnessed His miracles. This forgetfulness led to a failure to wait for His counsel, demonstrating a lack of trust in God's timing and guidance. The psalmist uses this moment to remind the readers of the importance of remembering God's deeds and being patient in seeking His direction.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 78:11 | They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them. |
| 2 | Exodus 15:17–24 | You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance— the place, O LORD, You have prepared for Your dwelling, the sanctuary, O Lord, Your hands have established. |
| 3 | Exodus 16:2 | And there in the desert they all grumbled against Moses and Aaron. |
| 4 | Exodus 17:7 | He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled, and because they tested the LORD, saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?” |
| 5 | Proverbs 1:25–30 | because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction, |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — מִֽ֭הֲרוּ, Mi.ha.rugenerated
The Hebrew word מָהַר (mahar) is a Piel perfect verb meaning to hasten or hurry. It conveys a sense of urgency and quickness, often associated with anxious or impetuous actions. The parsing indicates that it is in the third person common plural, referring to the collective actions of the people. This word illustrates their impulsive nature in forgetting God's works.
In this context, מִֽ֭הֲרוּ emphasizes the hurriedness with which the Israelites acted, leading to their forgetfulness. The lexicons highlight its primary meaning of hastening, which aligns with the narrative of the Israelites' impatience and lack of trust in God's plans.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse is structured around two main verbs: מִֽ֭הֲרוּ and שָׁכְח֣וּ, both in the perfect tense, indicating completed actions. The first verb introduces the hurried action of the people, while the second verb describes their forgetfulness. The sentence flows with a clear cause-and-effect relationship, showing how their haste led to forgetting God's works.
The additional phrases, including the negation לֹֽא־ and the verb חִ֝כּ֗וּ, further clarify that not only did they forget, but they also failed to wait for His counsel, highlighting their impatience and lack of faith.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates מִֽ֭הֲרוּ as ἐτάξυναν, which suggests a similar urgency but may imply a more organized action than mere hastiness. This choice reflects a slightly different interpretation, emphasizing their hurried actions as more deliberate.
The translation of שָׁכְח֣וּ as ἐπελάθοντο aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning of forgetting, maintaining the essence of the original text while adapting it to the Greek context.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalms 106:13 describes how quickly the Israelites forgot the works of God and did not wait for His guidance. This reflects their lack of trust and patience, which led to negative consequences in their journey.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Forgetting His works implies that the Israelites became oblivious to the miracles and deeds God performed for them, leading to a lack of faith.
Waiting for God's counsel is crucial as it reflects trust in His timing and guidance, which can lead to better decisions.
This verse connects with other biblical accounts where Israel forgets God's commands, highlighting a recurring theme of disobedience.
We can learn the importance of patience and remembering God's past deeds to guide our present actions.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life am I acting hastily and forgetting God's guidance?
- How can I cultivate a habit of remembering God's works in my daily life?
- What steps can I take to be more patient and wait for God's counsel?
- How does this verse challenge me to reflect on my own faith and trust in God?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators like Augustine of Hippo reference this verse to discuss the consequences of hasty actions and forgetfulness regarding God's works.
Three days after our father Theodore died, when all the brothers were in deep mourning, our father Horsiesi became ill from grief over the death of our father Theodore of happy memory.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 106 →
"They acted hastily: they forgot His works" [Psalms 106:13]: other copies read more intelligibly, "They hastened, they forgot His works,Early Church Fathers on Psalms 106 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 106:13 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThey soon forgat his works,.... The miracles he wrought in Egypt, the deliverance of them from thence with a mighty hand and outstretched arm, and the leading them through the Red sea as on dry land,
Read John Gill on Psalms 106 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThey soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel: -Three transgressions of Israel in the wilderness are detailed, rising in gradation of moral guilt, without respect to time: (1) Their
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 106 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleSoon; even within three days, ,23. They waited not for his counsel; they did not wait patiently and believingly upon God for supplies from his hand, in such manner and time as he in his own counsel had appointed and thought fit.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 106 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 106:13 They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:Ver. 13. They soon forgat his works] Heb. They made haste, they forgat. This is an aggravating circumstance. See Galatians 1:6 Exodus 32:8 Deuteronomy 9:16. They waited not for his counsel] For the performance of what he had purposed and promised; they were short-spirited and impatient.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 106 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(13-33) These twenty verses cover the desert wanderings, beginning with the discontented spirit mentioned in Exodus 15:23.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 106 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 13. They soon forgat his works] Three days afterwards, at the waters of Marah, Exodus 15:24. They waited not for his counsel] They were impatient, and would not wait till God should in his own way fulfil his own designs.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 106 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges13–15. A second instance of Israel’s sin, in murmuring for flesh.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 106 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThey soon forgat his works - On Psalms 106:13-15, see the notes at Psalms 78:17-22. Literally, here, as in the margin, “They made haste, they forgat.” They did it soon; did it without any delay.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 106 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel.
They soon forgot his works. They didn’t wait for his counsel,
Yet they soon forgot His works and failed to wait for His counsel.
They quickly forgot what he had done; they did not wait for his instructions.
Tyndale line
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
They soon forgat his works; They waited not for his counsel,
They soon forgat his works; they waited not for his counsel:
They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel:
But incontinently they forgate his workes: they wayted not for his counsell,
Strictly literal
They soon forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel:
They have hasted — forgotten His works, They have not waited for His counsel.
They have hurried—forgotten His works, || They have not waited for His counsel.
Speedily they forgot his works, they waited not for his counsel;
But they quickly forgot what he had done; they did not wait for his instructions.
From the Latin
Then they cried to the Lord in their affliction: and he delivered them out of their distresses.
Simplified
But they quickly forgot what he had done for them, and they didn't listen to his advice.
But their memory of his works was short; not waiting to be guided by him,
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree closely in their wording, with all six words matched. This agreement indicates a consistent understanding of the verse across these traditions, affirming the message of Israel's forgetfulness and impatience.
מִֽ֭הֲרוּ שָׁכְח֣וּ מַעֲשָׂ֑יו לֹֽא־ חִ֝כּ֗וּ לַעֲצָתֽוֹ׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 106:13
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
מָהַר (mahar) primarily means to hasten or hurry, conveying a sense of urgency or quickness. It can describe being anxious or impetuous, as well as the act of preparing or bringing something quickly. Additionally, it has a secondary meaning related to acquiring something by payment. The lexicons agree on these definitions without notable disagreement.
[מָהַר] vb. hasten
Niph. be hurried = anxious, disturbed; hasty, precipitate; impetuous
Pi.
hasten, make haste = go or come quickly
hasten vb.
trans. hasten, = prepare quickly; = bring quickly; = do quickly
base
מָהַר vb. denom. acquire by paying purchase-price
base
H4116a [מָהַר] hasten . be hurried = anxious, disturbed; hasty, precipitate; impetuous
. . hasten, make haste = go or come quickly
. hasten vb.
. trans. hasten, = prepare quickly; = bring quickly; = do quickly
H4116b מָהַר vb. denom. acquire by paying purchase-price
4116 mahar maw-har'
a primitive root; properly, to be liquid or flow easily, i.e.
(by implication); to hurry (in a good or a bad sense); often
used (with another verb) adverbially, promptly:--be carried
headlong, fearful, (cause to make, in, make) haste(-n, -ily),
(be) hasty, (fetch, make ready) X quickly, rash, X shortly,
(be so) X soon, make speed, X speedily, X straightway, X
suddenly, swift.
מָהַר (ma.har) — to hasten.
1)(Qal) to hasten
1a) (Niphal) to be hurried, be anxious
1a) hasty, precipitate, impetuous
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to hasten, make haste
1b2) hasten (used as adverb with another verb)
1b3) to hasten, prepare quickly, do quickly, bring quickly
מָהַר (ma.har) — to buy.
acquire by paying purchase-price
V-Piel-Perf-3cp — Verb · Piel · perfect third person common pluralHVpp3cp
hast (chaphaz, chush, mahar; speudo): "Haste" (from a root meaning "to pursue") implies "celerity of motion."
(1) The noun occurs as translation of mahar, "to hasten," etc. (Ex 10:16; 12:33, "in haste"); of chapaz, "to make haste" (2Ki 7:15; Ps 31:22; 116:11, "I said in my haste (the Revised Version margin "alarm"), All men are liars"); of chippazon, a "hasty flight" (Ex 12:11; De 16:3; Isa 52:12); of nachats, "to be urgent" (1Sa 21:8, "The king's business required haste").
→ In judgment, by Moses and the Israelites Nu 32:1-19; Jos 22:10-34
→ See RASHNESS
The Hebrew word שָׁכַח (shakach) means 'to forget' and encompasses various nuances such as ignoring or ceasing to care. It can appear in different forms, including Qal (to forget), Niphal (to be forgotten), and Hiphil (to cause to forget). The entries highlight its primitive root nature and its usage in contexts where memory or attention is lacking.
שָׁכַח 102 vb. forget
Qal 86 forget
Niph. be forgotten
Pi. י׳ hath caused to forget
Hiph. to make my people forget my name
Hithp. they were forgotten in the city.
base
H7911 שָׁכַח forget
7911 shakach shaw-kakh'
or shakeach {shaw-kay'-akh}; a primitive root; to mislay,
i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention:--X
at all, (cause to) forget.
שָׁכַח (sha.khach) — to forget.
1) to forget, ignore, wither
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to forget
1a2) to cease to care
1b) (Niphal) to be forgotten
1c) (Piel) to cause to forget
1d) (Hiphil) to make or cause to forget
1e) (Hithpael) to be forgotten
Aramaic equivalent: she.khach (שְׁכַח "to find" H7912)
V-Qal-Perf-3cp — Verb · Qal · perfect third person common pluralHVqp3cp
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma`aseh) means deed or work, encompassing a range of actions from good to bad, and includes concepts like business, labor, and products made. It can refer to specific achievements, works of God, or even customs. The entries suggest a broad application in various contexts, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
מַעֲשֶׂה 233 n.m. deed, work
base
H4639 מַעֲשֶׂה deed, work
4639 ma`aseh mah-as-eh'
from 6213; an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction;
abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically,
a poem) or (generally) property:--act, art, + bakemeat,
business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making,
occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, X well,
((handy-, needle-, net-))work(ing, - manship), wrought.
see HEBREW for 06213
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: work.
: work/product
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: justice.
: justice/right/righteousness
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: judgement.
: judgement/punishment
1) deed, work
1a) deed, thing done, act
1b) work, labour
1c) business, pursuit
1d) undertaking, enterprise
1e) achievement
1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment)
1g) work, thing made
1h) work (of God)
1i) product
מַעֲשֶׂה (ma.a.seh) — deed: custom.
: custom/manner
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp3ms
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Part — ParticleHTn
חָכָה (chakah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to wait or await. It encompasses various nuances, including waiting in ambush or longing for something. The root suggests an idea of adhering or tarrying, and it appears in different forms, such as Qal and Piel, indicating different aspects of waiting.
[חָכָה] vb. wait, await
Qal waiting for him
Pi.
wait, tarry
wait (in ambush)
wait for, long for
base
H2442 [חָכָה] wait, await
2442 chakah khaw-kaw'
a primitive root (apparently akin to 2707 through the idea of
piercing); properly, to adhere to; hence, to await:--long,
tarry, wait.
see HEBREW for 02707
חָכָה (cha.khah) — to wait.
1) to wait, wait for, await
1a) (Qal) to wait for
1b) (Piel)
1b1) to wait, tarry
1b2) to wait (in ambush)
1b3) to wait for, long for
V-Piel-Perf-3cp — Verb · Piel · perfect third person common pluralHVpp3cp
עֵצָה (`etsah) refers to counsel or advice, and can also imply a plan or purpose. It is derived from a root meaning to advise or provide guidance. The entries consistently emphasize its use in contexts related to providing counsel or making decisions.
עֵצָה n.f. counsel, advice
base
H6098 עֵצָה counsel, advice
6098 `etsah ay-tsaw'
from 3289; advice; by implication, plan; also
prudence:--advice, advisement, counsel(l-(or)), purpose.
see HEBREW for 03289
עֵצָה (e.tsah) — counsel.
counsel, advice, purpose
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp3ms