Psalms 106:15He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~500 BC. A psalmist warns returning exiles that getting what you demand from God can be more dangerous than not getting it.
The emotion here: warning future generations with urgent sorrow
The original word
razon (רָזוֹן) — extreme thinness, wasting away; literally 'leanness' but implies spiritual starvation despite physical satisfaction
Why it matters
The place where Israelites gorged on quail was renamed Kibroth-hattaavah meaning 'graves of craving'
Read with care
What most readers miss in Psalms 106:15
God gave them exactly what they asked for as judgment, not blessing - sometimes getting your way IS the punishment
Common misconceptionPeople think this means we shouldn't ask God for things, but it's actually about the danger of demanding things that will ultimately harm our souls - God sometimes gives us our destructive desires as discipline.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Psalms 106:15
Bible Genome reading
Psalms 106:15 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Psalms 106:15 comes from the book of Psalms, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to unknown. The dominant emotion in this verse is grieving, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is lamenting. It belongs to the psalm genre of biblical literature. Key themes include answered prayer, spiritual consequences, soul emptiness. Notable phrases: gave them their request; sent leanness into their soul.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same grieving
“By the sweat of your face will you eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For you are dust, and to dust you…”
— Genesis 3:19
“Jesus wept.”
— John 11:35
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?”
— Psalms 22:1
“They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.”
— Psalms 22:18
“for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;”
— Romans 3:23
Your reflection
What does Psalms 106:15 mean to you, today?
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