Psalm 78 33

Psalm 78:33 kjv

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

Psalm 78:33 nkjv

Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear.

Psalm 78:33 niv

So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.

Psalm 78:33 esv

So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.

Psalm 78:33 nlt

So he ended their lives in failure,
their years in terror.

Psalm 78 verses

Psalm 78 33 Meaning

Psalm 78:33 states that as a consequence of their repeated unbelief and rebellion against God, He caused the days of the wilderness generation to quickly vanish like an insubstantial breath or vapor, and their years to end abruptly in terror. This depicts God's righteous judgment, shortening their lives due to their persistent disobedience, illustrating the swift and terrifying culmination of His wrath.

Psalm 78 33 Context

Psalm 78 is a Maskil (a didactic psalm), recounting Israel's history from the Exodus to the reign of David. It serves as a historical and theological narrative, emphasizing God's enduring faithfulness despite Israel's repeated and profound unfaithfulness. The psalm's central purpose is to teach the lessons of the past to future generations (Psa 78:6-8), warning against the perils of unbelief, disobedience, and rebellion.

Verse 33 specifically relates to the period of the wilderness wanderings, following the account of God providing manna and quails (Psa 78:23-29). Despite God's abundant provision, the people gave in to their cravings (Psa 78:30) and immediately provoked Him through their unbelief and lack of trust (Psa 78:31-32). The judgment described in verse 33 – the shortening of their lives in the wilderness – is a direct consequence of this persistent rebellion and refusal to believe, preventing the entry of that generation into the Promised Land. This judgment demonstrated God's justice and sovereignty, while setting a powerful precedent for subsequent generations regarding the seriousness of a covenant relationship with the Living God.

Psalm 78 33 Word analysis

• So he made...vanish (וַיְכַל - vayekal): Derived from the Hebrew root kalah (כָּלָה), meaning "to complete, finish, bring to an end, consume, perish, fail." The causative form ("he made...vanish") underscores God's active agency and sovereign power in bringing about this judgment. It was not a natural fading but a divinely appointed termination of their lives. This verb emphasizes finality and decisive action.

• their days (יְמֵיהֶם - yemeihem): Refers to the duration of their lives, their lifespans. It denotes the limited time they were allotted on earth.

• like a breath (בַהֶבֶל - ba'hevel): The Hebrew word hevel (הֶבֶל) means "breath," "vapor," "vanity," "futility," or "emptiness." This metaphor emphasizes the extreme swiftness, insubstantiality, and ephemerality of their lives under divine judgment. Just as a breath or mist quickly disappears without a trace, so too did their days. It is the same word often translated as "vanity" in Ecclesiastes, pointing to the ultimate meaninglessness and transience of human endeavors when disconnected from God. In this context, it highlights how quickly life can be extinguished by divine decree.

• and their years (וּשְׁנוֹתָם - ush'notam): Parallel to "their days," this reinforces the totality of their life experiences. The inclusion of both "days" and "years" covers the entire span of life, showing that their entire allotted time was cut short.

• in sudden terror (בִּבְהָלָה - bivhalah): Derived from the root bahal (בָּהַל), meaning "to be in haste," "to be disturbed," "to be terrified," or "to be in alarm." Bivhalah conveys the manner of their end: not a peaceful, natural decline, but one marked by fear, distress, suddenness, and alarm, brought about by divine visitation and judgment. It signifies an abrupt and terrifying conclusion, perhaps from pestilences, natural disasters, or the immediate hand of God (as seen in Numbers during the plagues and revolts).

• Words-group: So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in sudden terror: This phrase powerfully conveys the destructive power of God's judgment upon a rebellious people. The swiftness ("vanish like a breath") combined with the terrifying end ("in sudden terror") underscores the absolute sovereignty of God over life and death and the dire consequences of persistent unbelief and disobedience. It is a sharp contrast to the peaceful end promised to those who trust and obey God.

Psalm 78 33 Bonus section

Psalm 78 functions as a significant cautionary tale, drawing heavily from the Pentateuchal accounts of the wilderness period. This particular verse, Ps 78:33, serves as a direct summary of God's covenant consequences for a rebellious generation, providing an anchor point for understanding divine discipline throughout biblical history. The emphasis on "unbelief" (Ps 78:32) is crucial, linking the specific historical event to the underlying spiritual condition that provoked God's wrath. This pattern of God's long-suffering followed by just judgment for persistent rebellion is a recurring motif not only in the Old Testament but is also explicitly drawn upon in the New Testament (e.g., Hebrews chapters 3 and 4; 1 Corinthians 10) to admonish New Covenant believers against similar failures of faith. The terrifying end reflects not God's capricious nature, but His holiness, which cannot condone persistent sin and unfaithfulness within His covenant people.

Psalm 78 33 Commentary

Psalm 78:33 succinctly captures the tragic culmination of the wilderness generation's rebellion and God's righteous judgment. Despite God's incredible provisions and patient leadership, their faithless hearts consistently hardened against Him. The "vanishing like a breath" highlights the fleeting and inconsequential nature of human life when severed from God's sustaining grace due to disobedience. It points to a divine action that curtailed their physical existence, preventing their entry into the Promised Land, serving as a powerful warning against ingratitude and unbelief. The end in "sudden terror" signifies not a quiet, natural passing, but a hastened, fearful, and abrupt cessation of life, likely through plagues or divine destruction as recorded in the Book of Numbers. This verse acts as a theological summation of why the vast majority of those who left Egypt never reached Canaan—their choices invoked divine wrath, consuming their years and transforming their future into a swift, dreadful end. The purpose of this revelation is not merely historical recounting, but to teach reverence for God and obedience to His commands.