Psalms 78:35 Meaning: When Memory Doesn't Reach the Heart
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their rock, And the Most High God their redeemer.
And they remember that God is their rock, And God Most High their redeemer.
And they remembered that God was their rock, and God, the Most High, their redeemer.
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 78:35 says Israel remembered God as their Rock and Redeemer, but verse 36 reveals it was only flattery.
Context
Psalm 78 is a long history lesson set to music. Asaph retells Israel’s story from Egypt to David, showing a repeating pattern: God saves, the people rebel, God judges, the people cry out, God forgives, and then they rebel again. This verse comes near the middle of the psalm, right after a moment of severe discipline. When God struck down some of their strongest men, the survivors turned and reached for Him. They remembered something true: God was their Rock, the Most High, their Redeemer. But the next verse reveals what that remembering really looked like. They flattered Him with their mouths and lied with their tongues. Their hearts never moved. The same memory that should have broken them only brushed the surface.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for remembered is zakhar, more than a mental note, it means to call something to mind with attention and purpose. But here that attention didn’t reach the heart. It was like a flash of light in a dark room, gone before anything could change. The word rock (tsur) comes from Israel’s oldest songs. In Deuteronomy 32, Moses calls God the Rock whose work is perfect, the faithful God who never does wrong. A rock means stability, shelter, something you can lean your whole weight on. And redeemer (go’el) is the warmest word in the verse. It means a kinsman, the nearest relative who buys back a family member sold into debt or slavery. To call God their Redeemer was to say: You are family. You paid the price to bring us home. The tragedy is that they spoke these family words but didn’t live as family.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators notice the tension in this verse. Matthew Henry and Barnes point out that affliction did bring them to seek God, they weren’t completely indifferent. But the seeking was shallow, more about relief than relationship. Calvin emphasizes the hard-heartedness that could be moved by terror yet not transformed by love. He sees the people treating God like a fire escape, not a Father. The Masoretes, ancient Jewish scribes, marked this verse as the exact middle of the book of Psalms. That placement may hint that everything hinges on what kind of remembering we do, the kind that flatters, or the kind that changes a life.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that this verse celebrates a faithful moment: the people finally remembered God, so everything was fine. In fact, the very next sentences show the opposite. They used the right words, Rock, Most High, Redeemer, but their hearts stayed far off. Memory alone didn’t produce repentance. It only produced flattery. The mistake is thinking that saying the right things about God is the same as trusting Him.
Living This Out
You may find yourself in a hard week and turn to God. You know the right language: He is your refuge, your provider, your Savior. You pray the words. But watch what happens when the crisis eases. Do you keep turning toward Him, or do you drift back to the same patterns, the same self-reliance? This week, before you name God your Rock and Redeemer in prayer, pause. Ask Him to take that truth from your lips into the place where your real choices live. A remembered God is a trusted God, or He isn’t really remembered at all.
Main takeaway: Remembering that God is our Rock and Redeemer only changes us when our hearts turn to trust Him, not just when our mouths find the right words.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
The people said, “God is our strong rock and the One who saves us.” But they only said it, they didn’t really mean it. We can ask God to help us mean what we say to Him.
For ages 9, 12
This verse sounds like a good moment, the people remembered God. But the next verse shows they were faking it. They said nice things about God but kept on sinning. It’s like telling a parent you’re sorry while already planning to do the same thing again. God doesn’t want your words; He wants your heart. Real remembering means actually turning around and following Him.
Questions People Ask
Why does verse 35 say they remembered, but verse 36 says they flattered and lied?
Their memory was real, but it didn't go deep enough to change their hearts. They recalled that God was their Rock and Redeemer, and they said the right words out loud. But in their hearts, they were still distant, treating God like a last resort rather than their true inheritance.
What does it mean that God is a 'Rock' in the Bible?
In the Old Testament, 'Rock' is a picture of God as solid, unchanging, and able to protect. The word appears in Moses' song in Deuteronomy 32, where God is called 'the Rock, his work is perfect.' Calling God a Rock means He is someone you can trust completely, steady when everything else shifts.
What does 'Redeemer' mean in this verse?
The Hebrew word is go’el, which means a kinsman-redeemer, the closest relative who had the right and responsibility to buy back a family member who had lost their freedom or property. By calling God their Redeemer, Israel was saying He is the One who rescued them from slavery in Egypt, and He is family.
Is this verse the middle of the book of Psalms?
Yes. The Masoretic notes in the Hebrew text mark Psalm 78:35 as the exact center of the Psalter. That doesn’t change its meaning, but it may underline how central the theme of remembrance is to the whole book, and how dangerous shallow memory can be.
How can I tell if my memory of God is genuine or just flattery?
Genuine remembrance leads to action, turning from sin, trusting God with decisions, obeying His Word. If you call God your Rock but still lean on your own strength, or if you call Him Redeemer but live as if you must save yourself, your words may be true but your heart needs to catch up. Ask God to test your heart and make it real.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study