Psalms 106:46
in Psalms 106He made them objects of compassion to all who held them captive.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He made them also to be pitied Of all those that carried them captive.
KJV
He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
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This verse in Psalms 106
Commentary
8 notes on this verseHe made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. Having the hearts of all men in his hands he produced compassion even in heathen bosoms. Even as he found Joseph friends in Egypt, so did he raise up sympathizers for his captive servants. In our very worst condition our God has ways and means for allaying the severity of our sorrows: he can find us helpers among those who have been our oppressors, and he will do so if we be indeed his people.
This site's exposition
the anger of the LORD burned
on Psalms 106:40-46
The anger of the LORD burned, and He abhorred His own inheritance. He handed them to the nations that hated them, and verse 43 puts the whole cycle in one line, many rescues and a people bent on rebellion. He heard their cry, remembered His covenant, and relented.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
So "He gave them unto compassions, in the sight of all that had taken them captive" [Psalm 106:46]. That they might not be vessels of wrath, but vessels of mercy. [Romans 9:22-23] The compassions unto which He gave them are named in the plural for this reason, I imagine, because each one has a gift of his own from God, one in one way, another in another. [1 Corinthians 7:7] Come then, whosoever readest this, and dost recognise the grace of God, by which we are redeemed unto eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ, by reading in the writings, and by searching in the Prophets, and see the Old Testament revealed in the New, the New veiled in the Old; remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, where, when He drives him out of the hearts of the faithful, He says, "Now is the prince of this world cast out:" [John 12:31] and again of the Apostle, when he says, "Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." [Colossians 1:13] Meditate on these and such like things, examine also the Old Testament, and see what is sung in that Psalm, the title of which is, When the temple was being built after the captivity: for there it is said, "Sing unto the Lord a new song." And, that you may not think it does refer to the Jewish people only, he says, "Sing unto the Lord, all the whole earth: sing unto the Lord, and praise His Name: declare," or rather, "give the good news of," or, to transfer the very word used in the Greek, "evangelize day from day, His salvation." Here the Gospel (Evangelium) is mentioned, in which is announced the Day that came from Day, our Lord Christ, the Light from Light, the Son from the Father. This also is the meaning of His salvation: for Christ is the Salvation of God, as we have shown above.. ..
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
They were chastened for their sins, but not destroyed, cast down, but not cast off. God appeared for them, [1.] As a God of mercy, who looked upon their grievances, regarded their affliction, beheld when distress was upon them (so some), who looked over their complaints, for he heard their cry with tender compassion ( Exod. iii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
made . . . pitied-- (1Ki 8:50; These tokens encourage the prayer and the promise of praise (Ps 30:4), which is well closed by a doxology.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase+unbalanced-parens
He made them also to be pitied - This was particularly true as to the Babylonish captivity; for Cyrus gave them their liberty; Darius favored them, and granted them several privileges; and Artaxerxes sent back Nehemiah, and helped him to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. See the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah; and see Calmet.
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives - That is, he exercised such control over the minds of the pagan that they were willing to show them mercy and to release them. It was not by any native tenderness on the part of the pagan; it was not because they were disposed of themselves to show them any favor; it was not because they had any “natural” relentings on the subject; but it was because God had access to their hearts, and “inclined” them to show compassion for their suffering prisoners. This is a remarkable instance of the power of God over even the hardened minds and hearts of pagan men; and it shows that he holds this power, and can exercise it when he pleases. If he could excite in their hard hearts feelings of compassion toward his own people in bondage, what should prevent his having such access to the hearts of the pagan now as to lead them to repentance toward himself? On the exercise of this power the salvation of the pagan world - as of all sinners - must depend; and for the putting forth of this power we should most fervently pray. The “literal” rendering of this verse would be, “And he gave them to compassions before all those that made them captive.” That is, he inclined them to show favor or compassion. Compare Dan 1:9; 1Ki 8:50.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתֵּ֣ן | vaiyiten | and he made | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| אוֹתָ֣ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְרַחֲמִ֑ים | lerachamim | into compassion<s> | H7356 → | 45 times |
| לִ֝פְנֵ֗י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שׁוֹבֵיהֶֽם׃ | shoeihem | captors their | H7617 → | 47 times |
וַיִּתֵּ֣ןand he made
vaiyitenH5414 →2011 times
אוֹתָ֣ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לְרַחֲמִ֑יםinto compassion<s>
lerachamimH7356 →45 times
לִ֝פְנֵ֗י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
שׁוֹבֵיהֶֽם׃captors their
shoeihemH7617 →47 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 15:11The LORD said: “Surely I will deliver you for a good purpose; surely I will intercede with your enemy in your time of trouble, in your time of distress.
it leads to
- Proverbs 16:7
When a man’s ways please the LORD, He makes even the man’s enemies live at peace with him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 29:11–14
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope.
- Proverbs 16:7
Through
Nehemiah 1:11O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him…
it leads to
- Nehemiah 1:6
let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that…
- Nehemiah 2:8
And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel to the temple, for the…
- Proverbs 21:1
The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.
- Nehemiah 2:1
Now in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad…
- Hebrews 13:18
Pray for us; we are convinced that we have a clear conscience and desire to live honorably in every way.
- Nehemiah 1:6
Through
Jeremiah 42:12And I will show you compassion, and he will have compassion on you and restore you to your own land.’
it leads to
- Nehemiah 1:11
O Lord, may Your ear be attentive to my prayer and to the prayers of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success this day, I pray, and grant him…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Nehemiah 1:11
About Psalms

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 106; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 5; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
