Psalms 106:45
And he remembered for them his covenant, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
Study Note
Study Note
The retrospective affirmation — 'for their sake he remembered his covenant and relented according to the abundance of his steadfast love' — concludes Psalm 106's sustained rehearsal of Israel's wilderness rebellions with the theological key that explains why the covenant relationship survived despite repeated failures. The verb 'relented' (yinnachem — to change course, to have compassion) is applied to God in the context of judgment averted by covenantal memory, a pattern also seen in Exodus 32:14 after the golden calf and Amos 7:3, 6 after prophetic intercession. The grounding of relenting in 'the abundance of his steadfast love' (rov chasadav) identifies divine compassion as the driving force rather than mere divine flexibility or arbitrariness. The verse provides the theological framework for Psalm 106's use in the Diaspora context as a prayer for current exile: past relenting grounds hope for future compassion (verse 47).
Other Translations
And he remembered for them his covenant, And repented according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
And remembereth for them His covenant, And is comforted, According to the abundance of His kindness.
And kept in mind his agreement with them, and in his great mercy gave them forgiveness.
Cross References
And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, …
Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham …
For the Lord shall judge his people, and repent himself for his servants, when he seeth that their power is …
And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of …
And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, …
And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his …
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out …
Hear me, O Lord; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
Return, O Lord, how long? and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.