Psalm 78 38

Psalm 78:38 kjv

But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.

Psalm 78:38 nkjv

But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, And did not destroy them. Yes, many a time He turned His anger away, And did not stir up all His wrath;

Psalm 78:38 niv

Yet he was merciful; he forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time he restrained his anger and did not stir up his full wrath.

Psalm 78:38 esv

Yet he, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; he restrained his anger often and did not stir up all his wrath.

Psalm 78:38 nlt

Yet he was merciful and forgave their sins
and did not destroy them all.
Many times he held back his anger
and did not unleash his fury!

Psalm 78 verses

Psalm 78 38 Meaning

Psalm 78:38 powerfully articulates God's profound compassion and unwavering patience towards His often rebellious people, Israel. Despite their persistent sin and provocation, He consistently chose to forgive their iniquity and refrain from destroying them. The verse emphasizes that God frequently held back His full anger and wrath, demonstrating His character as a God abounding in mercy rather than acting purely according to their deserved judgment.

Psalm 78 38 Context

Psalm 78 is a Maskil, a wisdom or didactic psalm, instructing the people on their history, especially the cycles of rebellion and God's consistent faithfulness. Verses 32-39 are crucial for understanding verse 38. The preceding verses lament Israel's repeated sin (e.g., v. 32, "Yet they sinned still more and did not believe in his wondrous works"), followed by periods of divine judgment that caused them temporary, insincere repentance (vv. 34-37, "when he killed them, they sought him... but they flattered him with their mouths... their heart was not steadfast toward him"). Verse 38 stands in stark contrast to this human fickleness, revealing God's enduring and profound character. Despite their hypocritical return to Him, God's nature—being full of compassion—led Him to pardon them repeatedly, averting the deserved judgment and demonstrating His covenant patience. The Psalm portrays God's enduring commitment to His people, even when their commitment to Him was wavering.

Psalm 78 38 Word analysis

• But he (וְהוּא, wəhūʾ):

  • Significance: The initial "But" serves as a powerful contrast. It pivots from the described faithlessness and hypocrisy of Israel (vv. 36-37) directly to God's unchanging character. It highlights God's agency and decision in the face of human provocation.
  • Linguistic Note: The simple conjunction "and" (waw) with the pronoun "he" can convey a strong adversative sense in context.

• being full of compassion (רַחוּם, raḥūm):

  • Meaning: Derived from the root racham, associated with the "womb" (רֶחֶם, reḥem), denoting deep, visceral, maternal affection and pity. It's not just sympathy but a tender, inner stirring of mercy and steadfast love.
  • Significance: This attribute is a cornerstone of God's self-revelation (Ex 34:6). It explains the divine motivation for holding back judgment. This profound, innate tenderness underpins God's persistent grace.

• forgave (יְכַפֵּר, yəḵapêr):

  • Meaning: From the verb kapar, "to cover," "to make atonement," "to purge," "to pardon." In the context of sin, it implies covering over, neutralizing, or expiating the sin, making reconciliation possible.
  • Significance: God actively removed the guilt and consequences of their sin, rather than merely overlooking it. This act points to the divine initiative in overcoming the barrier of sin.

• their iniquity (עָוֹן, ʿāwōn):

  • Meaning: Refers to moral perversity, distortion, guilt, or the punishment incurred by guilt. It describes sin as a twisting or bending from God's righteous standard.
  • Significance: God forgave their inherent spiritual and moral corruption, not just specific acts of rebellion, emphasizing the depth of His pardon.

• and destroyed them not (וְלֹא יַשְׁחִית, wə lōʾ yašḥîṯ):

  • Meaning: From shachat, "to ruin," "to spoil," "to corrupt," "to destroy." It signifies God refraining from utter devastation or annihilation, which their sin justly warranted.
  • Significance: This phrase emphasizes divine restraint and covenant faithfulness. Despite Israel deserving complete destruction for their persistent rebellion, God held back, preserving them as His people. It speaks to a divine boundary to judgment.

• yea, many a time turned he his anger away (וְהִרְבָּה לְהָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ, wəhirbâ ləhāšîḇ ʾappô):

  • Meaning: Lit. "and he multiplied to turn back his nose/anger." Harbah (multiplied) implies frequently, habitually, and often. Appo (nose/face) often represents intense anger, literally the flaring of the nostrils in rage. He returned/turned back means He repeatedly averted it.
  • Significance: Highlights the ongoing nature and repetition of God's patience. It was not a single instance but a consistent pattern of choosing mercy over deserved retribution.

• and did not stir up all his wrath (וְלֹא הֵעִיר כָּל חֲמָתוֹ, wə lōʾ hêʿîr kol ḥamātô):

  • Meaning: Heʿîr means "to awaken," "to arouse," "to rouse up." Ḥamātô (his wrath/fierce anger/hot displeasure) refers to a strong, intense indignation. "All his wrath" suggests the full measure or unmitigated extent of His indignation.
  • Significance: This phrase indicates a conscious, volitional choice by God not to unleash the full extent of His just anger. He had the power and the justification, yet He deliberately held back, showcasing supreme self-control and mercy. It suggests there's a limit to human provocation before all His wrath would be "stirred up," but consistently, He did not reach that point with Israel.

Psalm 78 38 Bonus section

The concept of God "turning away" His anger and "not stirring up all His wrath" has profound implications for understanding divine justice and sovereignty. It indicates that God is not a cosmic reactor whose anger is uncontrollable. Rather, His anger, though righteous and real, is entirely under His benevolent control. He possesses a reserved capacity for judgment that He deliberately chooses not to unleash fully. This intentional withholding of deserved punishment is an act of sovereign grace. Ancient Near Eastern gods were often portrayed as capricious and easily provoked, requiring appeasement through rituals and sacrifices simply to avert their destructive wrath. Psalm 78:38 provides a powerful polemic against such views, revealing Yahweh as fundamentally different: His character is defined by a deep, enduring, self-sacrificial love and a measured, controlled response to human sin, consistently leaning towards mercy as long as the covenant or redemptive plan allows. This "restraint" is also linked to the prophetic understanding of "the day of the Lord," suggesting that there is a full, final outpouring of wrath yet to come, which, for Israel, was perpetually deferred in their historical narrative.

Psalm 78 38 Commentary

Psalm 78:38 encapsulates a profound truth about God's character that stands in stark relief against humanity's ongoing rebellion. The Psalmist presents Israel's history as a repeated cycle of sin, judgment, superficial repentance, and fresh apostasy. Yet, remarkably, this verse focuses not on Israel's failing, but on God's unchanging compassion. He is depicted as inherently merciful, driven by His own tender nature ("full of compassion") to forgive sins rather than deliver proportionate judgment. The text emphasizes not only His general willingness to forgive ("forgave their iniquity") but His active restraint from utter destruction ("destroyed them not"). The repeated, habitual nature of this divine mercy is underscored: "many a time he turned away his anger." It's not a momentary lapse but a consistent disposition, an active choice not to "stir up all his wrath." This reflects God's patient long-suffering and covenant faithfulness. Even when human response was disingenuous (as implied in the surrounding verses), God's character remained true, demonstrating that His mercy flows from His own nature, not from human merit or even perfect repentance. This verse provides hope, affirming that God delights in mercy, delaying judgment to offer chances for true reconciliation. For example, when faced with personal shortcomings or widespread societal failures, this verse encourages trust in God's abundant compassion, understanding that He offers forgiveness and patience even when justice might seem to demand immediate, full retribution.