Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 78:38
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.
38. This verse describes the general attributes of God, in virtue of which ( Psa 78:39) He spared Israel in spite of their guilt. Render:
But he, being full of compassion, forgiveth iniquity and destroyeth not,
And offtimes turneth his anger away,
And stirreth not up all his wrath.
Cp. Exo 34:6-7; Exo 32:10; Exo 32:12; Num 14:18 ff.; Deu 4:31.
“ V. 38 is, according to Kiddushin 30 a, the middle of the 5896 lines ( ) of the Psalter. According to Maccoth 22 b, Psa 78:38 and Deu 28:58-59; Deu 29:8 were recited, when the forty stripes save one, which Paul five times suffered (2Co 11:24), were inflicted on the offender.” (Delitzsch).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
But he, being full of compassion – literally, But he, merciful, That is, he was ready to forgive them.
Forgave their iniquity – literally, Atoned for, expiated, covered over their iniquity. There is connected with the word the idea of expiation or atonement, as the ground of pardon.
And destroyed them not – Did not cut them off in their repeated acts of rebellion. He bore with them, and spared them.
Yea, many a time turned he his anger away – literally, He multiplied to turn his anger away. That is, he did it repeatedly. There were frequent occasions on their journey for doing this, and he did it.
And did not stir up all his wrath – literally, Did not excite, or arouse all his anger. His anger was stayed or mitigated, and they were suffered still to live.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 78:38
But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not.
All good rewarded
The whole Book of Judges may be said to be a commentary on these words, for it is a record of successive instances of idolatry and wickedness into which the people fell, of Divine judgments which in consequence overtook them, of partial and temporary repentance produced by those judgments, and of relapses into sin when the judgments were withdrawn. The people are said, in our text, to have flattered God with their mouth, and lied unto Him with their tongues. There was no sincerity in their repentance, for their heart was not right with Him. And nevertheless, the repentance, hollow and transient as it was, had its effect. Moved by their distress and their cry, God many a time turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath. Now, so far as the Israelites themselves were concerned, there is nothing in this dealing of God which is inconsistent with His character and government. If not spiritually excellent, and therefore not likely to have been recompensed with spiritual blessings, the humiliation of the Israelites had a natural or moral excellence; and, though it could do nothing towards securing a reward hereafter, it might do something like the humiliation of the Ninevites towards procuring a respite from a threatened visitation. We have no right to suppose that the Ninevites when preached to by Jonah, any more than the Israelites referred to in the text, repented in such a sense that they finally separated themselves from idols and joined themselves to the worship of the one true God. But they recognized in a very striking manner the supremacy of that Being who had rescued Jonah front the deep, and sent him among them with a prediction of woe; and, though their cry may have been wrung from them by the fear of punishment, yet was that cry as fine a witness as ever went up from this sinful creation to the awfulness and resistlessness of its Maker. And, seeing that we live beneath a retributive economy, we might almost affirm it a maxim in the Divine dealings with men, that they leave nothing of good without reward and recompense from God. You will remember that our Lord, when denouncing the hypocrisy of those who prayed and gave alms that they might be seen of men, says, Verily, they have their reward. There seems in this something more than a declaration that what they were in search of was the praise of men; it is rather a declaration that it was this praise on which they had fixed their desires, and that God permitted them to gain it, because outwardly, at least, they did Him reverence. It is the fixed end and decree of Gods government to reward every man according to his works, and therefore may He award temporary advantages to those who yield Him some temporary obedience. The greatest share of public approbation, and the most desirable portion in this world, certainly appear to be reserved for those who are signal in the duties and warm in the charities of life. And if this be true, how are we to explain it but by declaring that God is not unmindful of the least thing which may seem to be done in obedience to His will; and that, since the men who are merely earnest in curbing their passions and zealous in benefiting others are to have no future recompense, He resolves to reward them with a large measure of temporal good, and thus to allow nothing to be overlooked by His retributive government? Just as there are actions which God punishes, so are there also actions which God rewards in this life; and the reward will be more conspicuous, because the man who receives it is not one who will be accepted at the judgment. Tremble ye who are men of virtue but not of piety, whom the world is applauding, and upon whom fortune, as it is called, is continually smiling. We put no slight upon your virtues; we do not refuse to admit your integrity, your honour, your warm-heartedness, your liberality; nay, we will net even say that these virtues are without worth in Gods sight, and will not receive a recompense at Gods hands; rather we say unto you, Verily ye have your reward. You read in the Book of Psalms of men who have their portion in this life. Oh! think with yourselves whether this may not be your case. Is it not too possible, that whilst what is naturally excellent obtains for you a measure of happiness here, the want of what is spiritually excellent may cause you to be consigned to misery hereafter? You live beneath a retributive government; you shall not have to say you do well for nothing; but the retributions of good may last only for a few years, and then the retributions of evil will crowd upon you in eternity. But, on the other hand, though it may be indirectly that there is encouragement in the text for the contrite in heart, the true disciple of Christ may draw comfort from the ease of the Israelites. If God would not leave the show and semblance of contrition without a recompense, will He be unmindful of real penitences If many a time turned He His anger away from those who did but flatter Him with their mouths, and fled unto Him with their tongues, has He nothing in store for those who are humble in spirit and who come to Him with the sacrifice of a broken heart? (H. Melvill, B. D.)
The wondrous compassion and forbearance of God
The Israelites sinned in the face of abounding mercy. Their providences were special and peculiar. For them God clave the sea and rent the heavens. Angels food dropped daily round their tents, and the rocks ran with living streams. God rebuked kings for their sakes. The ancients said that Venus never looked so fair as when she sat beside Pluto. I suppose that Pluto never seemed so swarthy as when contrasted with the white-armed goddess. Sin looks its blackest when set against the lovingkindness and tender mercy of a long-suffering God. Yet even such enormities as black ingratitude and rank rebellion were forgiven hitherto. Here is the record–is it not wonderful? 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. (Thomas Spurgeon.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 38. But he, being full of compassion] Feeling for them as a father for his children.
Forgave their iniquity] yechapper, made an atonement for their iniquity.
And did not stir up all his wrath.] Though they often grieved his Spirit, and rebelled against him, yet he seldom punished them; and when he did chastise them, it was as a tender and merciful Father. He did not stir up all his wrath – the punishment was much less than the iniquity deserved.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Forgave their iniquity; not simply and absolutely, for so it is undeniably certain from the Holy Scriptures that God pardons none but true penitents, such as these were not; but respectively, and so far as not to destroy them at that time, which he threatened, and was about to do, as the next words limit and explain it. He remitted their punishment, for
iniquity is oft put for the punishment of it. Heb. he expiated their iniquity. He accepted of their atonement, or of their professed repentance, so far as to compensate it with a removal of this outward and present affliction; as he did also to wicked Ahab upon his hypocritical humiliation, 1Ki 21:29. And this God doth for the encouragement of all true penitents, who may hence learn how much greater and better recompences they may expect and shall receive from God.
Did not stir up all his wrath; but set bounds to it; and though he chastened them, yet he would not utterly destroy them, as they deserved.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
33-39. Though there were partialreformations after chastisement, and God, in pity, withdrew His handfor a time, yet their general conduct was rebellious, and He was thusprovoked to waste and destroy them, by long and fruitless wanderingin the desert.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
But he, being full of compassion,…. Or merciful; having bowels of mercy, as a tender mother to the son of her womb; a word from the same root as this signifies the womb: the mercies of God are tender and abundant; there is a multitude of them; he is rich and plenteous in mercy, and so ready to forgive; hence it follows,
forgave their iniquity; forgiveness of sin flows from the tender mercy of God; it is according to the multitude of his mercies, and the riches of his grace; yet is through the blood and attoning sacrifice of his Son; and the word c that is here used signifies to expiate or atone; God never intended to pardon sinners, but through the propitiation of his Son, whom he set forth in his purpose, and sent forth in the fulness of time to be the propitiatory sacrifice for sin; he forgave the sins of Old Testament saints with a view to that; and it is for Christ’s sake he forgives any; for without shedding of blood there is no remission; though perhaps, since these persons were impenitent, unbelievers and hypocrites, no more may be meant here by the forgiveness of their sins than averting a threatened judgment, or a removing of one, and putting a stop to the further execution of it, which is sometimes meant by forgiving sin; see Nu 14:19 1Ki 8:30 which sense the following words incline to:
and destroyed [them] not; though they deserved it, and he was able to do it, he did not destroy them immediately and at once, nor all of them, at least not their seed and posterity, who were preserved and brought into the land of Canaan:
yea, many a time turned he his anger away; he does not retain it for ever, or always carry on a resentment, or the appearance of it; though he causes grief, he has and shows compassion; he is said to turn away his anger from his own people when he forgives their sins, and comforts their souls, Ps 85:2, so when he causes the effects of his displeasure to cease, or stays a plague, or stops a judgment, by means of any of his servants; see Nu 25:8,
and did not stir up all his wrath; which their sins deserved, and was laid up among his treasures: the wrath of a temporal king is as the roaring of a lion, Pr 19:12 much more that of the King of kings; and the allusion here seems to be to the arousing of some fierce creature; the wrath of God is intolerable, and, even when it is kindled but a little, it cannot be endured; and much less should it be all stirred up; but here in wrath he remembered mercy.
c “propitiabitur”, Montanus; “propitiatus est”, Pagninus, Museulus; “propitius fuit”, Tigurine version; “expiabat”, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus, Michaelis.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The second part of the Psalm now begins. God, notwithstanding, in His compassion restrains His anger; but Israel’s God-tempting conduct was continued, even after the journey through the desert, in Canaan, and the miracles of judgment amidst which the deliverance out of Egypt had been effected were forgotten. With in Psa 78:38
(Note: According to B. Kiddushin 30 a, this Psa 78:38 is the middle one of the 5896 , , of the Psalter. According to B. Maccoth 22 b, Psa 78:38, and previously Deu 28:58-59; Deu 29:8 [9], were recited when the forty strokes of the lash save one, which according to 2Co 11:24 Paul received five times, were being counted out to the culprit.)
begins an adversative clause, which is of universal import as far as , and then becomes historical. Psa 78:38 expands what lies in : He expiates iniquity and, by letting mercy instead of right take its course, arrests the destruction of the sinner. With (Ges. 142, 2) this universal truth is supported out of the history of Israel. As this history shows, He has many a time called back His anger, i.e., checked it in its course, and not stirred up all His blowing anger (cf. Isa 42:13), i.e., His anger in all its fulness and intensity. We see that Psa 78:38 refers to His conduct towards Israel, then Psa 78:39 follows with the ground of the determination, and that in the form of an inference drawn from such conduct towards Israel. He moderated His anger against Israel, and consequently took human frailty and perishableness into consideration. The fact that man is flesh (which not merely affirms his physical fragility, but also his moral weakness, Gen 6:3, cf. Gen 8:21), and that, after a short life, he falls a prey to death, determines God to be long-suffering and kind; it was in fact sensuous desire and loathing by which Israel was beguiled time after time. The exclamation “how oft!” Psa 78:40, calls attention to the praiseworthiness of this undeserved forbearance.
But with Psa 78:41 the record of sins begins anew. There is nothing by which any reference of this Psa 78:41 to the last example of insubordination recorded in the Pentateuch, Num 35:1-9 (Hitzig), is indicated. The poet comes back one more to the provocations of God by the Israel of the wilderness in order to expose the impious ingratitude which revealed itself in this conduct. is the causative of = Syriac tewa’ , , to repent, to be grieved, lxx . The miracles of the tie of redemption are now brought before the mind in detail, ad exaggerandum crimen tentationis Deu cum summa ingratitudine conjunctum (Venema). The time of redemption is called , as in Gen 2:4 the hexahemeron. (synon. , ) is used as in Exo 10:2. We have already met with in Psa 44:11. The first of the plagues of Egypt (Exo 7:14-25), the turning of the waters into blood, forms the beginning in Psa 78:44. From this the poet takes a leap over to the fourth plague, the (lxx ), a grievous and destructive species of fly (Exo 8:20-32), and combines with it the frogs, the second plague (Exo 8:1-15). is the lesser Egyptian frog, Rana Mosaica , which is even now called Arab. dfd , dofda . Next in Psa 78:46 he comes to the eighth plague, the locusts, (a more select name of the migratory locusts than ), Ex 10:1-20; the third plague, the gnats and midges, , is left unmentioned in addition to the fourth, which is of a similar kind. For the chastisement by means of destructive living things is now closed, and in Psa 78:47 follows the smiting with hail, the seventh plague, Ex 9:13-35. (with pausal , not a , cf. in Eze 8:2 the similarly formed ) in the signification hoar-frost ( , lxx, Vulgate, Saadia, and Abulwald), or locusts (Targum = ), or ants (J. D. Michaelis), does not harmonize with the history; also the hoar-frost is called , the ant (collective in Arabic neml ). Although only conjecturing from the context, we understand it, with Parchon and Kimchi, of hailstones or hail. With thick lumpy pieces of ice He smote down vines and sycamore-trees ( Fayum was called in ancient Egyptian “the district of the sycamore”). proceeds from the Biblical conception that the plant has a life of its own. The description of this plague is continued in Psa 78:48. Two MSS present instead of ; but even supposing that might signify the fever-burnings of the pestilence (vid., on Hab 3:5), the mention of the pestilence follows in Psa 78:50, and the devastation which, according to Exo 9:19-22, the hail caused among the cattle of the Egyptians is in its right place here. Moreover it is expressly said in Exo 9:24 that there was conglomerate fire among the hail; are therefore flaming, blazing lightnings.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
38. Yet he, being merciful, expiated their iniquity. To show the more fully that no means had succeeded in bending the Israelites, and causing them to return to a sound state of mind, we are now informed that, although God bare with their multiplied transgressions, and exercised his mercy in forgiving them, they had no less manifested their wickedness in abusing his benignity in every instance in which it was displayed, than they had shown themselves refractory and obstinate when he treated them with severity. At the same time, the reason is assigned why they did not utterly perish. They no doubt deserved to be involved in one common destruction; but it is declared that God mitigated his anger, that some seed of them might remain. That none might infer, from these examples of vengeance which have been mentioned, that God had proceeded to punish them with undue severity, we are told that the punishments inflicted upon them were moderate — yea, mild, when compared with the aggravated nature of their wickedness. God kept back his hand, not looking so much to what they had deserved, as desiring to give place to his mercy. We are not, however, to imagine that he is changeable, when at one time he chastises us with a degree of severity, and at another time gently draws and allures us to himself; for in the exercise of his matchless wisdom, he has recourse to different means by which to try whether there is really any hope of our recovery. But the guilt of men becomes more aggravated, when neither his severity can reform them nor his mercy melt them. It is to be observed, that the mercy of God, which is an essential attribute of his nature, is here assigned as the reason why he spared his people, to teach us that he was not induced by any other cause but this, to show himself so much inclined and ready to pardon. Moreover, as he pardoned them not only in one instance, nor in one respect, it is affirmed that he expiated their iniquity, that he might not destroy them; and again, that although he had been oftentimes provoked, he yet ceased not to turn away his anger; and, finally, that he mitigated his chastisements, lest the people should be overwhelmed with the weight of them.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(38) The verbs in the first clause should be in the present, But he, the compassionate, forgives iniquity, and doth not destroy, and many a time he turned away, &c.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
What precious views are these of covenant love and covenant faithfulness: and how they all run up to the fountain-head of all our mercies, in the everlasting, free, spontaneous, and unchangeable love of God in Christ to a nature like ours, that is crushed before the moth!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 78:38 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.
Ver. 38. But he, being full of compassion ] Not standing upon terms nor taking advantages; a sin pardoning God, whose mercy rejoiceth against (or glorieth over) judgment, Jas 2:13 ; it is of his mercy that we are not consumed, Lam 3:22 , if he should deal with us in strict justice, Et delicta nostra ad calculos vocare, there were no abiding by it, Psal. cxxx. 1; clxiii 1.
Yea, many a time turned he his anger away
And did not stir up all his wrath
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
iniquity. Hebrew ‘avah. App-44.
destroyed = laid waste.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Signs in Egypt
Psa 78:38-48
God takes into account the frailty and infirmity of our natures. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities, Rom 8:26. In the words of Hosea, God teaches us to go; that is, He puts His hands under our armpits, that we may learn how to walk. In the process there are many failures, but He distinguishes between the willful breach of His commands, and the blunders that are due to the frailty of our natures. Being full of compassion, He forgives; He remembers that we are but flesh.
Let us not limit the Holy One, Psa 78:41. He waits to do marvelous things for us and by us; but how often we confine His power within the narrow channel of our own little faith. We do not like to trouble Him too often. We say in effect that as He has done this, we can hardly expect Him to do the other. We bring a limited number of vessels to be filled with the sacred oil. We strike but three times on the ground, and not until the seventh time of perfection. He cannot do many mighty things for us because our unbelief. Let us quicken our souls to larger thoughts of God, by recounting, as in this paragraph, His wonders of old.
Fuente: F.B. Meyer’s Through the Bible Commentary
But he: Psa 106:43-45, Exo 34:6-9, Num 14:18-20, Num 16:44-48, Isa 44:21, Isa 44:22
many: Isa 48:9, Eze 20:8, Eze 20:9, Eze 20:13, Eze 20:14, Eze 20:17, Eze 20:21, Eze 20:22
did not: 2Ki 21:20
Reciprocal: Exo 32:12 – Turn from Num 14:19 – and as thou Deu 13:17 – the Lord 2Sa 24:16 – repented 1Ch 21:15 – repented him Ezr 10:14 – the fierce Neh 9:17 – gracious Psa 80:2 – stir up Psa 85:4 – cause Psa 103:14 – he knoweth Psa 111:4 – full Isa 5:25 – For all Isa 27:8 – his rough Isa 57:16 – I will not Isa 63:9 – in his Jer 15:6 – I am Lam 3:22 – of Lam 3:32 – General Hos 11:9 – not execute Hos 14:4 – for Jon 4:2 – thou art Hab 3:2 – in wrath Mal 3:6 – therefore Mat 18:27 – moved Joh 20:27 – Reach hither thy finger Rom 2:4 – forbearance Jam 5:11 – the Lord is
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 78:38. But he, being full of compassion Of pity for them amidst their sins and miseries; forgave their iniquity Not simply and absolutely, for in that sense it is undeniably certain from the Holy Scriptures, God pardons none but true penitents, such as these were not; but respectively, and so far as not to destroy them at that time, (which he had threatened to do,) as the next words limit and explain the expression. He remitted their punishment, for iniquity is often put for the punishment of iniquity. Hebrew, , jechapper gnavon, he expiated their iniquity. He accepted their atonement, or their professed repentance, so far as to compensate it with a removal of this outward and present affliction, as he did also to wicked Ahab upon his humiliation. And this God does for the encouragement of true penitents, who may hence learn how much greater and better recompenses they may expect and shall receive from God. And did not stir up all his wrath But set bounds to it; and though he chastened them, yet he would not utterly destroy them, as they deserved.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
78:38 But he, [being] full of compassion, {x} forgave [their] iniquity, and destroyed [them] not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.
(x) Because he would always have some remnant of a Church to praise his Name in earth, he did not permit their sins to overcome his mercy.