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Psalm 106:20
Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass.
18A fire was kindled in their company. The flame burned up the wicked.
19They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped a molten image.
20Thus they exchanged their glory for an image of a bull that eats grass.
21They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,
22wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome things by the Red Sea.
Notice
A bull that eats grass makes Israel’s exchange look as small as it was: they worshiped an animal’s image while forgetting the God who saved them.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What does the detail “that eats grass” expose about the exchange Israel made?
Write on thisWhere, if anywhere, are you tempted to give something created the trust that belongs to God?
Write on thisWhat do you notice when you read “their glory” alongside “God, their Savior” in the next verse?
Write on thisConnect
Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Romans 1:23and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things.Both describe an exchange of glory for images of creatures, with Romans naming the glory as that of the incorruptible God.
Jeremiah 2:11Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doesn’t profit.Both describe God’s people exchanging their glory for something unworthy, an animal’s image in the psalm and something without profit in Jeremiah.
Psalm 4:2You sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor? Will you love vanity and seek after falsehood? Selah.Both speak of glory being degraded, through an animal’s image in Psalm 106 and dishonor in Psalm 4.
Exodus 20:4–5“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water …Exodus forbids making an idol resembling earthly creatures; the psalm recounts Israel exchanging their glory for just such an image.
Romans 1:22–23Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,Romans names folly beneath claims of wisdom; the psalm portrays the folly of exchanging glory for a grass-eating animal’s image.
Daniel 4:25You will be driven from men and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass as oxen, and will be wet with the dew of …Both mention cattle eating grass, a creature’s dependence set against God’s glory in the psalm and the Most High’s rule in Daniel.
1 Samuel 4:21She named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because God’s ark was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.Both associate Israel with lost glory, though Samuel describes the ark’s capture and the psalm describes an exchange for an image.
Isaiah 40:18–25To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare to him?Isaiah questions what likeness could compare with God; the psalm exposes Israel’s exchange of their glory for an animal’s image.
Psalm 89:17For you are the glory of their strength. In your favor, our horn will be exalted.Psalm 89 names God as his people’s glory, clarifying the loss described when Psalm 106 says they exchanged their glory.
Acts 17:29Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold, or silver, or stone, engraved by art and design of man.Acts rejects treating the Divine Nature as a human-made image; the psalm recounts Israel worshiping a molten image of a bull.
2 Kings 14:24He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.Both concern Israel’s wrongdoing before God, though the supplied Kings verse names Jeroboam’s sins without describing an animal image.
Ezekiel 5:6She has rebelled against my ordinances in doing wickedness more than the nations, and against my statutes more than the countries that are around her; for they …Both recount rejection of God: the psalm through an exchange for an image, Ezekiel through rejection of his ordinances.
Where this verse fits
Guilt and confession. temptation. sermon or Bible study notes.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
The bull eats grass; God had saved his people and done great things in Egypt. Their exchange did nothing to lessen their Savior’s glory or make the image worthy of worship.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).