Psalm 78 11

Psalm 78:11 kjv

And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

Psalm 78:11 nkjv

And forgot His works And His wonders that He had shown them.

Psalm 78:11 niv

They forgot what he had done, the wonders he had shown them.

Psalm 78:11 esv

They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them.

Psalm 78:11 nlt

They forgot what he had done ?
the great wonders he had shown them,

Psalm 78 verses

Psalm 78 11 Meaning

Psalm 78:11 states that the people of Israel, despite personally witnessing God's powerful interventions and astonishing miracles on their behalf, neglected or willfully chose to disregard these divine acts. Their "forgetting" was not a simple lapse of memory, but a failure to retain, internalize, and respond appropriately to the truth of God's manifested character and power, which led to subsequent disobedience.

Psalm 78 11 Context

Psalm 78 is a "maskil," an instructional psalm by Asaph. It serves as a historical review of Israel's journey from the Exodus through the time of King David, emphasizing God's steadfast love and faithfulness in contrast to Israel's repeated rebellion and disobedience. The Psalm aims to instruct the current generation by highlighting the failures of their ancestors, particularly their propensity to forget God's covenant and His mighty deeds.

Verse 11 is embedded within an account of Ephraim's military failure (v. 9-10), which the psalmist attributes to their breaking of the covenant and refusal to walk according to God's law. This failure is directly linked in verse 11 to their forgetting of God's past "works" and "wonders." The verse underscores a central theme of the Psalm: a critical spiritual lesson regarding the perpetual danger of spiritual amnesia. It sets the stage for the following detailed recounting of God's miraculous provisions and Israel's concurrent complaints, testing, and unbelief in the wilderness.

Historically and culturally, the original audience was a covenant people who inherited stories of divine deliverance from Egypt and miraculous provision in the wilderness. The Psalm confronts their complacency and tendencies towards idolatry or self-reliance, which were direct departures from the exclusive worship of YHWH. It indirectly polemicizes against any contemporary beliefs that minimized YHWH's active role in their history or suggested human might could replace divine power, clearly asserting God's sovereignty and Israel's culpability for their recurring unfaithfulness.

Psalm 78 11 Word analysis

• forgot (שָׁכְחוּ - shakhechu):

  • Hebrew root: shakach.
  • Meaning: To forget, neglect, ignore, disregard, cease to care about or remember.
  • Significance: This is not passive amnesia, but an active or willful spiritual and moral failure. It implies a conscious disregard or a failure to internalize and apply what was remembered. It reflects a turning away from the implications of God's acts.

• his works (מַעֲשָׂיו - ma'asav):

  • Hebrew root: ma'aseh.
  • Meaning: Deeds, actions, accomplishments, undertakings. Here, specifically God's powerful and decisive interventions.
  • Significance: Refers to the tangible things God performed, such as leading Israel out of Egypt, providing Manna, bringing water from the rock, and other deliverances. These were not hidden acts but public, undeniable demonstrations of God's character and power.

• his wonders (וְנִפְלְאֹתָיו - ve'nifle'otaiv):

  • Hebrew root: nifla'ot.
  • Meaning: Miracles, marvelous deeds, astonishing acts, extraordinary events. Often associated with God's awe-inspiring supernatural interventions.
  • Significance: Highlights the supernatural and amazing nature of God's deeds. These were not just great acts but miraculous events designed to inspire awe, faith, and trust in the One true God.

• that he had showed them (הֶרְאָם - her'am):

  • Hebrew root: ra'ah (in Hiphil causative).
  • Meaning: Caused them to see, made visible to them, showed them demonstrably.
  • Significance: Emphasizes that God was not passive; He actively displayed these works and wonders. The people were direct witnesses. This underscores their inexcusability in forgetting, as the evidence was clear and undeniable.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "and forgot his works, and his wonders": This phrase details the content of their forgetting. It highlights that they failed to acknowledge both God's consistent, purposeful actions ("works") and His extraordinary, miraculous interventions ("wonders"). This implies a comprehensive failure to grasp or retain the entirety of God's revealed character through His deeds.
• "that he had showed them": This part emphasizes the witness aspect. The generation in question had personally and directly seen these things. Their forgetting was not due to a lack of exposure but a willful dismissal or neglect of vivid, personal experience. It elevates their failure from a simple lapse to a deliberate choice against remembrance and loyalty.

Psalm 78 11 Bonus section

The "forgetting" mentioned in Ps 78:11 speaks to a chronic issue for humanity: the tendency to allow immediate circumstances and desires to overshadow the eternal truths revealed by God's character and past interventions. This spiritual forgetfulness can manifest as a hardening of the heart, a return to idols, or a preference for human ingenuity over divine guidance. The Psalm implicitly teaches that active, intentional remembrance is a vital spiritual discipline, counteracting the drift toward apostasy. This isn't just about avoiding a past mistake; it's about actively cultivating faith and reliance on God for the future. The very purpose of a covenant relationship requires remembering the covenant maker's character and promises, which are concretely displayed in His works and wonders. The persistent cycle of sin and deliverance in Israel's history underscores that this memory lapse is a deep spiritual issue requiring a heart continually turned towards God.

Psalm 78 11 Commentary

Psalm 78:11 is a poignant statement on spiritual amnesia, revealing a deep-seated problem in the human heart that plagues generations, not just ancient Israel. The verse's brevity belies its profound significance: Israel's repeated cycles of disobedience stemmed from a fundamental failure to truly "remember" God's acts. This remembering is not merely intellectual recall, but a vibrant, lived acknowledgment that shapes behavior, cultivates gratitude, and strengthens trust. The "works" and "wonders" refer to everything from the Exodus and parting of the Red Sea to daily provision like manna and water, all undeniable proof of God's faithfulness and power. Their forgetting, therefore, implies a rejection of God's manifested goodness, leading to ingratitude and faithlessness. This verse serves as a sober warning that knowledge of God's mighty deeds, even if personally witnessed, does not automatically translate into sustained faith and obedience. The heart must actively remember and internalize.

• Examples:
  • Failing to trust God for financial provision despite countless past blessings, implying "forgetting His works" in meeting needs.
  • Giving into anxiety over health despite God's previous healing, indicative of forgetting His wonders of restoration.
  • Complaining about current challenges instead of recounting how God has consistently delivered in the past, showing a similar "forgetting His works."