Psalms 105:33
Because they exasperated his spirit. And he distinguished with his lips.
The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- quia exacerbaverunt spiritum ejus, et distinxit in labiis suis.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- ὅτι παρεπίκραναν τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ διέστειλεν τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτοῦ.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 106:33
- כִּֽי הִמְר֥וּ אֶת רוּח֑וֹ וַ֝יְבַטֵּ֗א בִּשְׂפָתָֽיו
Haydock's commentary
He distinguished with his lips. Moses, by occasion of the people's rebellion and incredulity, was guilty of distinguishing with his lips; when, instead of speaking to the rock, as God had commanded, he said to the people, with a certain hesitation in his faith, Hear ye rebellious and incredulous: Can we from this rock bring out water for you? Numbers xx. 10. (Challoner)
For thus doubting of God's will, he was temporarily punished, Deuteronomy i. 37. (Worthington)
The death of his sister, and the ingratitude and rebellion of the people disturbed him. (Theodoret) See Isaias lxiii. 10. Houbigant follows the Arabic, "he delayed or hesitated." Yebatte means, "he spoke rashly." Some refer this, (Berthier) to God. "He reproached....that they," &c., (Menochius) which is not necessary, (Berthier) or he sentenced Moses to die. (Kimchi)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CVI
26. “And they angered Him at the waters of strife: so that Moses was vexed for their sakes” ( ver. 32 ); “because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake doubtfully with his lips” ( ver. 33 ). What is spake doubtfully? As if God, who had done so great wonders before, could not cause water to flow from a rock. For he touched the rock with his rod with doubt, and thus distinguished this miracle from the rest, in which he had not doubted. He thus offended, thus deserved to hear that he should die, without entering into the land of promise. For being disturbed by the murmurs of an unbelieving people, he held not fast that confidence which he ought to have held. …