Psalm 106:6
New International Version
We have sinned, even as our ancestors did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

New Living Translation
Like our ancestors, we have sinned. We have done wrong! We have acted wickedly!

English Standard Version
Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have committed iniquity; we have done wickedness.

Berean Standard Bible
We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

Berean Literal Bible
We have sinned, with our fathers; we have been perverse; we have acted wickedly.

King James Bible
We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

New King James Version
We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, We have done wickedly.

New American Standard Bible
We have sinned like our fathers, We have gone astray, we have behaved wickedly.

NASB 1995
We have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly.

NASB 1977
We have sinned like our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly.

Legacy Standard Bible
We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have acted wickedly.

Amplified Bible
We have sinned like our fathers; We have committed iniquity, we have behaved wickedly.

Berean Annotated Bible
We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

Christian Standard Bible
Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have done wrong and have acted wickedly.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Both we and our fathers have sinned; we have done wrong and have acted wickedly.

American Standard Version
We have sinned with our fathers, We have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

Contemporary English Version
We and our ancestors have sinned terribly.

English Revised Version
We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We have sinned, and so did our ancestors. We have done wrong. We are guilty.

Good News Translation
We have sinned as our ancestors did; we have been wicked and evil.

International Standard Version
We have sinned, along with our ancestors; we have committed iniquity and wickedness.

NET Bible
We have sinned like our ancestors; we have done wrong, we have done evil.

New Heart English Bible
We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly.

Webster's Bible Translation
We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

World English Bible
We have sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
We have sinned with our fathers, "" We have done perversely, we have done wickedly.

Berean Literal Bible
We have sinned, with our fathers; we have been perverse; we have acted wickedly.

Young's Literal Translation
We have sinned with our fathers, We have done perversely, we have done wickedly.

Smith's Literal Translation
We sinned with our fathers, we acted perversely, we did evil.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
We have sinned with our fathers: we have acted unjustly, we have wrought iniquity.

Catholic Public Domain Version
We have sinned, as have our fathers. We have acted unjustly; we have wrought iniquity.

New American Bible
We have sinned like our ancestors; we have done wrong and are guilty.

New Revised Standard Version
Both we and our ancestors have sinned; we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
We have sinned with our fathers; we have gone astray and we have done wickedness.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
We have sinned with our fathers, We have done iniquitously, we have dealt wickedly.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
We have sinned with our fathers, we have transgressed, we have done unrighteously.

Additional Translations ...



Context
Give Thanks to the LORD, for He is Good
5that I may see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, and rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, and give glory with Your inheritance. 6We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. 7Our fathers in Egypt did not grasp Your wonders or remember Your abundant kindness; but they rebelled by the sea, there at the Red Sea.…

Cross References
We have sinned like our fathers;

Jeremiah 3:25
Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

Jeremiah 14:20
We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the guilt of our fathers; indeed, we have sinned against You.

Daniel 9:16
O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, I pray that Your anger and wrath may turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all around us.
we have done wrong

1 Kings 8:47
and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’

2 Chronicles 6:37
and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’

Daniel 9:5
we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly and rebelled. We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances.
and acted wickedly.

Nehemiah 9:33
You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.

Ezra 9:13
After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this),

Ezekiel 20:43
There you will remember your ways and all the deeds with which you have defiled yourselves, and you will loathe yourselves for all the evils you have done.
Nehemiah 9:16-17
But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments. / They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.

Ezekiel 20:8
But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

Isaiah 64:5-6
You welcome those who gladly do right, who remember Your ways. Surely You were angry, for we sinned. How can we be saved if we remain in our sins? / Each of us has become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

Leviticus 26:40
But if they will confess their iniquity and that of their fathers in the unfaithfulness that they practiced against Me, by which they have also walked in hostility toward Me—

Numbers 14:18-19
‘The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion, forgiving iniquity and transgression. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to the third and fourth generation.’ / Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of Your loving devotion, just as You have forgiven them ever since they left Egypt.”

Judges 10:10
Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.”

2 Chronicles 30:7
Do not be like your fathers and brothers who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that He made them an object of horror, as you can see.


Treasury of Scripture

We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

Psalm 78:8
And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

Leviticus 26:40
If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;

Numbers 32:14
And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

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Acted Acts Behaved Committed Dealt Evil Fathers Iniquitously Iniquity Perversely Sinned Sinners Wickedly Wrong
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Psalm 106
1. The psalmist exhorts to praise God
4. He prays for pardon of sin, as God pardoned the fathers
7. The story of the people's rebellion, and God's mercy
47. He concludes with prayer and praise












We have sinned like our fathers;

Israel admits that its rebellion continued the pattern established by earlier generations, from the wilderness unbelief to later idolatry and covenant unfaithfulness. The people do not excuse themselves by blaming their ancestors but recognize their shared history of disobedience.

Jer 3:25 Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us.…
Jer 14:20 We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the guilt…
Dan 9:16 O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts,…

we have done wrong

They confess their own guilt before God, acknowledging that they have failed to live according to His covenant and commands.

1Ki 8:47 We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly…
2Ch 6:37 We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly…
Dan 9:5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have acted wickedly.…

and acted wickedly.

Their sin was not merely weakness or error but rebellion expressed in corrupt actions, including idolatry, injustice, and disregard for God’s rule. The confession prepares the way for an appeal to God’s mercy and faithfulness.

Neh 9:33 You are just in all that has befallen us…
Ezr 9:13 After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds…
Ezk 20:43 There you will remember your ways and all the deeds…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Psalmist
The author of Psalm 106, traditionally attributed to David, who reflects on the history of Israel and their repeated failures to follow God.

2. The Fathers/Ancestors
Refers to the Israelites' forefathers who sinned against God, particularly during the Exodus and wilderness wanderings.

3. Israel
The nation chosen by God, whose history of rebellion and repentance is recounted in this Psalm.

4. Exodus
The event of Israel's liberation from Egypt, during which they frequently sinned against God.

5. Wilderness Wanderings
The period when the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years, marked by repeated disobedience and rebellion against God.
Teaching Points
Acknowledgment of Sin
Recognize the importance of confessing our sins and the sins of our community, understanding that we are part of a larger account of human fallibility.

Generational Patterns
Reflect on how the sins of our ancestors can influence us today and the importance of breaking negative cycles through repentance and obedience to God.

God's Faithfulness
Despite repeated failures, God remains faithful. This should encourage us to return to Him in repentance, trusting in His mercy and grace.

Learning from History
Use the history of Israel as a lesson to avoid similar pitfalls in our spiritual journey, understanding that history can repeat itself if we are not vigilant.

Corporate Responsibility
Emphasize the role of community in confession and repentance, recognizing that we are part of a collective body that must seek God together.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Psalm 106:6?

2. How does Psalm 106:6 highlight the importance of confessing our sins today?

3. What lessons can we learn from our ancestors' sins mentioned in Psalm 106:6?

4. How does Psalm 106:6 connect with 1 John 1:9 on confession?

5. In what ways can we avoid repeating the sins of our ancestors?

6. How can acknowledging our sins lead to spiritual growth and transformation?

7. How does Psalm 106:6 relate to the concept of inherited sin or collective guilt?

8. What historical events might Psalm 106:6 be referencing regarding the Israelites' sins?

9. How does Psalm 106:6 challenge the idea of personal versus communal responsibility for sin?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 106?


(6) We.--Regard must be paid to the fact that the confession includes the speaker and his generation, as well as the ancestors of the race. The psalm proceeds from the period of the Captivity, when the national conscience, or at all events that of the nobler part of the nation, was thoroughly alive to the sinfulness of idolatry.

Verses 6-46. - The psalmist now enters on his main subject - the transgressions of Israel in the past, and God's manifold mercies vouchsafed to them. These he traces from the time of the Exodus (ver. 7) to that of the Babylonish captivity (ver. 46). Verse 6. - We have sinned with our fathers (comp. Leviticus 26:40; 1 Kings 8:47; Ezra 9:6, 7; Nehemiah 1:6, 7; Nehemiah 9:16-18, 26; Daniel 9:5-8). We have committed iniquity; or, "dealt perversely" (Kay). We have done wickedly. The confession is as broad and general as possible, including all under sin - the "fathers" from Moses downwards, the whole nation from the time of its settlement in Canaan, and even the afflicted exiles in Babylon. Their guilt is emphaized by the use of three verbs, each more forcible than the last.

Psalm 106:6 is a collective, candid confession:

• “We have sinned” — no excuses, only ownership.

• “like our fathers” — recognizing patterns so they can be broken.

• “we have done wrong” — naming specific disobedience.

• “and acted wickedly” — facing the depth of willful rebellion.

The verse invites us to stand humbly with God’s people across generations, acknowledge our personal and corporate guilt, and experience the mercy He delights to give.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
We have sinned
חָטָ֥אנוּ (ḥā·ṭā·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn

like
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

our fathers;
אֲבוֹתֵ֗ינוּ (’ă·ḇō·w·ṯê·nū)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common plural
Strong's 1: Father

we have done wrong
הֶעֱוִ֥ינוּ (he·‘ĕ·wî·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 5753: To bend, twist

[and] acted wickedly.
הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ (hir·šā·‘ə·nū)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 7561: To be, wrong, to disturb, violate


Additonal Resources
Psalm 106:6 Blue Letter Bible
Psalm 106:6 Bible Gateway
Psalm 106:6 Bible.com

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OT Poetry: Psalm 106:6 We have sinned with our fathers (Psalm Ps Psa.)

Psalm 106:5
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