Psalms 78:31 · Bible study
Psalms 78:31 Commentary: Why God Struck the Strongest
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore why God’s judgment in Psalm 78:31 targeted Israel’s strongest young men and what this reveals about His holy anger.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s anger rose against Israel and killed their strongest young men as judgment for their lust.
- Key words: אַף (anger), עָלָה (went up), מִשְׁמַנֵּי (vigorous ones), בָּחוּר (young men), הִכְרִיעַ (made bow down).
- Main debate: Whether the judgment came through natural gluttony or direct miracle (Barnes notes both possibilities).
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty and justice in punishing rebellion, especially against pride.
- Best use: Warning against lust and self-reliance; a call to trust God’s provision.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel.
WEB World English Bible 2000
when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
KJV King James Version 1769
The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the fattest of them, And smote down the young men of Israel.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
When the anger of God went up against them; and he slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Cuando vino sobre ellos el furor de Dios, y mató los más robustos de ellos, y derribó los escogidos de Israel.
a ira de Deus subiu contra eles; matou os mais robustos deles e abateu os jovens de Israel.
Lorsque la colère de Dieu s’ éleva contre eux;
da kam der Zorn Gottes über sie und erwürgte die Vornehmsten unter ihnen und schlug darnieder die Besten in Israel.
Als Gods toorn tegen hen opging, dat Hij van hun vetsten doodde, en de uitgelezenen van Israel nedervelde.
quando l’ira di Dio si levò contro loro, e ne uccise tra i più fiorenti, e abbatté i giovani d’Israele.
Tedy zapalczywość Boża przypadła na nich, i pobił tłustych ich, a przedniejszych z Izraela poraził.
神 的怒氣 就向他們 上騰，殺 了他們內中的肥壯人，打倒 以色列 的少年人。
The wrath of God came on them, and put to death the fattest of them, and put an end to the young men of Israel.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 78:31
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse describes God’s direct judgment on Israel after their lust for meat (Numbers 11:33). The targets were not the weak or old, but the strongest, healthiest, and most vigorous. Barnes notes that by striking these, God showed the judgment came directly from His hand, no natural cause could account for such selective death. Gill points out the Hebrew phrase “among their fat ones” may indicate the most guilty of gluttony, or the mighty. Wesley adds these were the most healthy, probably most desirous of the food. All agree the purpose was to display God’s displeasure against their rebellion and pride, and to warn future generations that no human strength can withstand His anger.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God struck the strongest men of Israel because of their rebellion in lusting for meat, showing that no human strength can withstand His holy anger.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the judgment | God directly judged Israel for their rebellion in the wilderness. | Some commentators (Wesley) emphasize natural consequences of overeating; others (Barnes) consider a direct miracle. Both see divine displeasure. |
| Target group identity | The strongest, healthiest, and most youthful men were struck. | The Hebrew “fattest” (מִשְׁמַנֵּי) is interpreted literally as the physically well-fed (Gill) or figuratively as the mighty/strong (Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown). |
| Theology of God’s anger | God’s anger is justified and aimed at those who rebel after experiencing His care. | Some stress punitive justice (Wesley, Gill), others see disciplinary purpose, God punishes by answering their prayers (Cambridge). |
| Relation to Numbers 11 | The verse alludes to the quail event at Kibroth-hattaavah. | The psalm may add interpretive emphasis (e.g., highlighting the young men) not explicit in the historical account. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse recalls the wilderness event at Kibroth-hattaavah (“graves of craving,” Numbers 11). Israel had complained bitterly for meat, rejecting the manna God provided daily. In response, God sent an enormous flock of quail, but while the meat was still in their mouths, a plague struck them (v.30,33). The psalmist recasts this disaster to teach the next generation (Ps 78:4, 6).
The verb “went up” (עָלָה) pictures anger rising like smoke from an altar, a deliberate, controlled response, not a burst of rage. The targets “their strongest” (מִשְׁמַנֵּי) and “young men” (בָּחוּר) were the elite of the camp: warriors, leaders, the most vigorous. In ancient culture, losing the young and strong was catastrophic; it stripped the community of its future and defense. The verb “struck down” (הִכְרִיעַ) literally means “made to bow”, a picture of the proud bending in death before God’s power.
God’s judgment was both just and pedagogical: it showed that Israel’s strength came from Him alone, and that their rebellion was a direct challenge to His provision.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts.
Reception History
In Jewish tradition, this verse has been read as a sober warning against lust and ingratitude, reminding the community that God’s gifts can become judgments. Early Christian Fathers such as Augustine saw the plague as a disciplinary act meant to humble the people and teach reliance on God. Reformation commentators (Calvin, Geneva Bible) emphasized God’s sovereignty: He uses even human strength to display His power by cutting down the mighty. The verse has been cited in hymns and sermons on the dangers of forgetting God’s provision, especially in seasons of prosperity.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Surprising Target, God strikes the strong, not the weak, to show that no human security can protect against His judgment.
- The Root Cause, Lust and ingratitude provoked God. Israel had His daily provision but demanded more; their craving became their downfall.
- The Divine Purpose, The judgment was a warning to the community: remember who provides, and fear the Lord who can humble the proud.
Five-point outline
- God’s generous provision (quail in abundance)
- Israel’s ungrateful craving (they ate but still sinned)
- The sudden judgment (while food was in their mouths)
- The specific targets (the strongest and young men)
- The lasting lesson (that future generations would learn)
Illustration hooks
- A young athlete who believes his physical fitness makes him immune to consequences, only to discover that health can fail in a moment.
- A family that receives unexpected wealth but then grows bitter because the neighbour has more, losing even what they had.
- A congregation that prays for revival but then refuses to repent of small, hidden sins, not seeing that God takes rebellion seriously.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still judge people today for complaining about their circumstances?
- If God provides for us, why does it sometimes feel like He is holding out on us?
- How do we know if our desires have become sinful lust?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows the tragic consequence of Israel’s lust for meat after God had faithfully provided manna. It challenges us to examine how our own desires can lead us away from gratitude and toward rebellion. Use these questions in your group.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 78:27, 31. What was Israel’s sin? How did God respond?
- Why do you think the judgment targeted the strongest and youngest men rather than the whole camp equally?
- Barnes notes that God’s anger “went up” against them. What does this image tell you about the nature of divine anger?
- How does this event connect to the warning in verse 32: “For all this they still sinned . . .”?
- In what ways do Christians today repeat Israel’s pattern of craving and complaining?
- How does this verse challenge your view of God’s goodness and severity (Romans 11:22)?
- What safeguards can we put in place to keep our desires from becoming demands that provoke God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 10:16 | Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, will send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory a burning will be kindled like the burning of fire. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that God did not strike the weak or the old but the strongest, most vigorous men of Israel—those distinguished by rank or influence. This shows the judgment came directly from his hand, since these were the people least expected to fall to ordinary disease.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees this psalm as a deliberate two-sided contrast: God's tender adoption and constant care for His chosen people, and their repeated, treacherous rebellion against such a generous Father. He also highlights a distinct act of renewed grace—God's second election in choosing David to rule, showing God's goodness persisting despite human faithlessness.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible School notes that the psalmist arranges these events in logical rather than chronological order, merging two separate stories into one. It observes a sobering truth: God sometimes punishes by giving people what they ask for, as when the plague struck the Israelites while they were still eating the quail they had demanded.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note emphasizes that God's wrath singled out the strongest and most elite men in Israel for destruction. No rank, strength, or status could shield them when the Lord's judgment came.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees God's judgment targeting those who indulged most in the lusted-for food — the "fattest" likely meaning the chief gluttons or nobles. He notes the chosen men, the strong and fit, were struck down in their prime while feasting on the rich quail, showing that no one is safe from wrath when giving in to sinful craving.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB clarifies that "the fattest" means among the fattest — not all but some choice animals. The word "chosen" refers to the young and strong, indicating these select ones were so powerful that no one could resist them.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that the psalm does not presuppose the later split between Israel and Judah, because the rivalry between Ephraim and Judah existed long before. He sees Ephraim's sin as representing the unfaithfulness of the whole people, not a veiled attack on the northern kingdom. This view allows him to defend the possibility of early Davidic authorship.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that the word "mightiest" refers to the most healthy and strong individuals. These were the ones who most eagerly desired and fed upon this food, suggesting their physical strength made them especially ravenous for it.