John Calvin Commentary Psalms 106:33

"Because they were rebellious against his spirit, And he spake unadvisedly with his lips." — Psalms 106:33 (ASV)

For they grieved his spirit. The verb מרה, marah, properly signifies to vex or irritate. However, as it is used here in what the Hebrews call the Hiphil conjugation, some are of the opinion that it should be understood passively, indicating that it was the people who were the cause of the rebellion. This interpretation does not seem very objectionable to me.

I cannot, however, agree with those who would consider the particle את, eth, to be a sign of what is called the dative case, as if Moses could be said to have rebelled against the Spirit of God. If he had done so, then certainly the prophet would not have spoken so severely of the sin and folly into which he had inadvertently fallen.

The meaning I have already given fits very well: namely, that the prime movers of the rebellion must have committed a very heinous offense, given that Moses, who was urged on to sin by the people's impetuosity, was so severely dealt with by God. But while the prophet informs us that Moses was punished on account of the people, this should not be understood to mean that he was altogether blameless.

For even admitting that his spirit was agitated by the tumult of the people, this should have made him more careful to remain steadfast in his adherence to the Law of God. He adds that he spoke with his lips; and I take this to refer to Moses, as there is no basis for the conjecture that it refers to the punishment God expressly pronounced against Moses.

It is more likely that these words were intended by the prophet to express how greatly Moses' spirit was agitated when he openly murmured against God. The prophet, therefore, informs us that the submissive and gentle spirit of Moses was fanned, as it were, into a breeze by the perverseness of the people, so that even he spake unadvisedly, saying, Can God give you water out of the rock? (Numbers 20:10). For the indignation burning within him was so great that he could not calmly wait for God's command to strike the rock.