Psalms 78:59 · Bible study
Psalms 78:59 Commentary: God's Anger and the Question of Rejection
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does God's abhorrence of Israel in Psalm 78:59 mean permanent rejection?
Research Summary
- Meaning: God’s anger and rejection of Israel are a direct, judicial response to persistent idolatry, but the covenant is not permanently broken.
- Key words: Shama’ (heard), God perceives fully; ma’as (abhorred, rejected), intense repudiation, but not eternal reprobation; me’od (exceedingly), extreme degree.
- Main debate: Does abhorrence mean total rejection? Commentators split: some emphasize anthropopathic language for intense displeasure; others see judicial rejection that does not nullify covenant (as the rest of the psalm shows).
- Theological theme: Divine wrath and covenant faithfulness, God’s anger is real and serves discipline, not final abandonment.
- Best use: A warning against idolatry and a comfort that God’s discipline is always restorative, not damning, for His people.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
On hearing it, God was furious and rejected Israel completely.
WEB World English Bible 2000
When God heard this, he was angry, and greatly abhorred Israel,
KJV King James Version 1769
When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
When God heardthis, he was wroth, And greatly abhorred Israel;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
God hath heard, and sheweth Himself wroth. And kicketh exceedingly against Israel.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
God heard, and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Oyólo Dios, y enojóse, y en gran manera aborreció á Israel.
Deus ouviu isto , e se indignou; e rejeitou gravemente a Israel.
Dieu entendit, et il fut irrité;
Und da das Gott hörte, entbrannte er und verwarf Israel ganz,
God hoorde het en werd verbolgen, en versmaadde Israel zeer.
Dio udì questo, e si adirò, prese Israele in grande avversione,
Co słysząc Bóg rozgniewał się, i zbrzydził sobie bardzo Izraela,
神 聽見 就發怒，極其 憎惡 以色列人。
When this came to God's ears he was very angry, and gave up Israel completely;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 78:59
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that God's anger in this verse is a direct response to Israel's persistent idolatry, particularly their high places and engraved images (v. 58). Barnes describes the language as anthropopathic, human terms used to convey the intensity of God’s displeasure, not that God experiences emotional volatility. Gill is careful to note that God’s abhorrence targets the sin, not the believing remnant among Israel, and that it is a judicial act of rejection in providence, not an eternal decree. Calvin and Matthew Henry read this as part of the psalm’s larger pattern: God’s stern discipline serves to highlight both the people’s rebellion and His continued faithfulness, since the psalm moves from the abandonment of Shiloh to the choice of David and Zion. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown add that the word “abhorred” implies rejection but not utter finality, the context of covenant renewal (vv. 65, 72) prevents reading this as a permanent divorce. The consensus is that this is severe, temporary discipline, not covenant annulment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Anthropomorphic intensity: Barnes, Wesley, and Poole argue that the language (anger, abhorrence) describes God’s actions in human terms; God does not experience volatile emotions but acts justly in response to sin.
- Judicial rejection (not eternal): Gill and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown hold that God truly rejects the rebellious generation, but not the elect remnant or the covenant; the punishment is real but temporary (cf. Lev. 26:44; the psalm’s turn to David).
- Covenant discipline leading to restoration: Calvin and Matthew Henry read the verse as part of a pattern where God’s anger serves to purify and ultimately restore His people, as demonstrated by the choice of Zion and David in verses 67–72.
What is clear: God’s anger is a direct, just response to Israel’s idolatry (high places and images), and the larger psalm context proves that this judgment does not constitute a final breach of the covenant.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of God's abhorrence | God's anger is a genuine response to Israel's sin, expressed in severe judgment. | Some interpreters (Barnes, Wesley) view the language as purely anthropomorphic, describing the effect of God’s actions, not literal emotion. Others (Gill, Calvin) hold that God does indeed feel wrath, but it is always restrained and purposeful within the covenant. |
| Scope of rejection | The rejection is not a final, eternal abandonment of Israel as God’s people. | Gill limits the abhorrence to the rebellious majority, not the elect remnant. Cambridge Bible argues it cannot be limited to Ephraim but refers to all Israel corporately. The psalm shows restoration, so the rejection is temporary and disciplinary. |
| Relationship to covenant | God remains faithful to His covenant promises despite this judgment. | Calvin and Matthew Henry see the judgment as a means of purifying the covenant community. Some early Reformed interpreters emphasize that this does not negate the unconditional aspects of the Abrahamic covenant, while others caution against assuming God’s covenant protection guarantees immunity from severe discipline. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 78 is a long historical retrospect, likely composed in the early monarchy, that rehearses Israel’s story from the exodus to David’s rise. Verses 56, 58 recount the people’s pattern of rebellion after entering Canaan: they “tempted and rebelled,” “turned back,” and “provoked him to anger with their high places and moved him to jealousy with their engraved images.” The high places were local cult sites often associated with Canaanite fertility worship, and engraved images violated the second commandment. God’s response in verse 59 is the pivot, He “heard” their idolatrous prayers and chants (Barnes) and acted as a righteous judge.
Historically, the judgment that follows, abandoning the tent of Shiloh (v. 60) and delivering the ark into captivity (v. 61), corresponds to the events of 1 Samuel 4: the battle of Aphek, the capture of the ark by the Philistines, and the destruction of Shiloh. Archaeological evidence at Khirbet Seilun shows destruction layers from around 1050 BC, supporting the biblical account. Yet the psalm does not end in judgment; verses 65, 72 describe God’s awakening, the crushing of enemies, and the choice of Judah, Mount Zion, and David as shepherd-king. This flow shows that God’s anger was real and severe, but it was neither capricious nor final. It was the covenant Lord judging His people to refine and reestablish them. The “hearing” language (Hebrew shama’) is used of God perceiving a situation (Genesis 11:7; 18:20, 21), underscoring that divine judgment follows full knowledge, not impulse.
Textual Notes
None of the supplied sources note any significant textual variants for Psalm 78:59. The Hebrew text is stable across the Masoretic tradition, and the ancient versions (Septuagint, Vulgate) agree with the received reading. Syntactically, the verse forms a clear parallel with the preceding line (v. 58), using two verbs of volition (וַיִּתְעַבָּר, וַיִּמְאַס) to heighten the intensity of God’s response.
Reception History
Jewish commentators such as Rashi and Ibn Ezra read this verse as anthropopathy, God revealing His attitude toward sin in terms humans can understand. The Talmud (b. Bava Batra 14b) associates the abandonment of Shiloh with the death of Eli and the capture of the ark, reinforcing that this judgment was severe but not the end of Israel’s story. In the Christian tradition, the verse was cited by Augustine to illustrate that God’s anger is just and directed at sin, yet His mercy always follows for those who repent (e.g., City of God 16.43). Reformers like Calvin and Matthew Henry used it to warn against idolatry while celebrating God’s faithfulness in the Davidic covenant. Modern evangelical preaching often uses the verse to affirm both the reality of God’s wrath and the hope of restoration through Christ, echoing the psalm’s movement from judgment to grace.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God hears what we think He does not. The verb “heard” means God perceived every prayer at a high place, every chant to an idol. Nothing escapes Him, not as a threat, but as a fact of His intimate knowledge.
- God’s anger is real, relational, and not the last word. The Hebrew word for “abhorred” (ma’as) conveys rejection with revulsion, but the psalm immediately shows God acting for His people’s ultimate good (v. 65 ff.). Anger can coexist with enduring covenant love.
- Rejection is discipline, not final divorce. Gill and Calvin agree: God abhors the sin, not the elect; He disciplines to restore. The story does not end at Shiloh, it moves to David and Zion.
Five-point outline
- The setting: Israel’s idolatry in the land (vv. 56, 58)
- God’s response: hearing, anger, abhorrence (v. 59)
- The judgment: Shiloh abandoned, ark captured (vv. 60, 64)
- The reversal: God awakens and defeats enemies (vv. 65, 66)
- The new beginning: Judah chosen, David appointed (vv. 67, 72)
Illustration hooks
- A parent who grounds a teenager for lying: the restriction hurts both, but it aims at restoration, not expulsion.
- A coach who benches a star player for violating team rules: the benching is real discipline, but the coach still expects the player back.
- A nation that fights bitterly with its allies over treaty violations, yet later renews the alliance with stronger terms.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Can God love me and still be angry at my sin at the same time?
- Does God ever give up on His people entirely, or is His discipline always corrective?
- How do I know whether the hard things in my life are consequences of sin or just ordinary trouble?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at a painful turning point in Israel’s history. Read Psalm 78:59 together, then glance at verses 60, 72 to see where the story goes. The Bible is honest about God’s anger, but it never leaves us there. Let these questions guide your group as you explore what it means to be loved by a God who will not overlook sin.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think the psalmist says God “heard” Israel’s idolatry? What does that imply about God’s awareness of our choices?
- What does the word “abhorred” communicate about the seriousness of idolatry? How does that challenge modern forms of idolatry (money, comfort, reputation)?
- Gill says God abhors the sin but not the persons of the elect. How does that distinction help you understand divine judgment?
- How does the larger context of the psalm (vv. 65, 72, God choosing David) shape the way you read verse 59?
- Can you think of a time when you experienced something that felt like rejection from God, only later to see it as loving discipline? Share without pushing others to share if it is too personal.
- What does this passage teach you about the connection between God’s holiness and His mercy?
- If someone asked you “Is God angry with me right now?” how would you answer them in light of the whole psalm?
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)
| Genesis 18:20 | Yahweh said, “Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous, |
| Genesis 18:21 | I will go down now, and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reports which have come to me. If not, I will know.” |
| Leviticus 20:23 | You shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they did all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. |
| Leviticus 26:44 | Yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them; for I am Yahweh their God. |
| Deuteronomy 32:19 | Yahweh saw and abhorred, because of the provocation of his sons and his daughters. |
| Psalms 11:4 | Yahweh is in his holy temple. Yahweh is on his throne in heaven. His eyes observe. His eyes examine the children of men. |
| Psalms 14:2 | Yahweh looked down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who understood, who sought after God. |
| Psalms 14:5 | There they were in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous. |
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
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes stresses that the language about God's anger and abhorrence is taken from human ways of speaking and cannot be taken literally. The real point is that God's actions toward Israel were the same as a person who is deeply displeased: he rejected them decisively, treating them as no longer his own.
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 commentator insists that when God abandoned Israel, the nation means all Israel, not just Ephraim. He argues this because both sin and punishment affected the whole people, and the sanctuary at Shiloh belonged to every tribe. God’s judgment included allowing even the Ark to be taken.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill distinguishes between God's anger toward Israel as a nation and His enduring love for the elect remnant among them. God's wrath was against their idolatry, not against the persons of His chosen people, whom He never truly abhors. This judgment was temporal and visible in their history, not a rejection of His everlasting covenant.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
59, 60. heard —perceived ( Ge 11:7 ). abhorred —but not utterly.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the "angels of evil" in this verse are not wicked angels but messengers of misfortune, a grammatical construction meaning calamity-bringing angels. They see the plagues described as streams of fire, death personified as an executioner, and pestilence as a personal foe that forced Pharaoh to release Israel.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the psalm as presenting Israel's history in the form of a parable or riddle, with hidden spiritual instruction beneath the surface events. He sees biblical history as prophecy turned backward, designed to warn later generations through the pattern of God's judgments and mercy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes that Israel's sin in the wilderness was not ordinary forgetfulness but a deliberate limiting of the Holy One, provoked Him despite witnessing His mighty signs in Egypt. They turned back
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley notes that when Scripture says God hears, the word is used in a human way to describe divine understanding. God does not hear with ears as we do; rather, He perceives and knows all things. This is language accommodated to our limited human understanding.