Psalm 78:38

Psalm 78:38, in plain English

Yet God didn't destroy them. Despite everything—their lies, their disloyalty, their repeated rebellion—God kept restraining His anger and showing compassion.

Why it's here

This is the shocking turn. You'd expect God to wipe them out. But instead, He showed mercy. He forgave them repeatedly, not because they deserved it, but because of who He is. This verse reveals the mercy that holds the whole Bible together.

Who's speaking

Asaph, marveling at God's patience and grace.

Where it sits in the story

This is grace in the purest sense—undeserved favor, repeated forgiveness, compassion that doesn't make logical sense but flows from God's nature.

The scholarly reading

Yet God, despite being fully justified in destruction, showed compassion instead—He forgave their iniquity repeatedly and refused to unleash His full and final wrath upon them.

Language and setting

The conjunction וְהוּא־רַחוּם (v'hu-rachmum, 'and He, compassionate') pivots the narrative entirely with a single word: וְהוּא (v'hu, 'and He'). The term רַחוּם (rachmum) derives from רַחַם (rechem, 'womb'), suggesting a compassion rooted in maternal/parental instinct rather than judicial necessity. The verb יְכַפְּרֵ (y'kappe, 'atoned' or 'covered') carries sacrificial resonance—it's the term used for the priestly atonement on Yom Kippur. The construction וְלֹא־עֵירֵד (v'lo-ered, 'and He did not awaken/stir') suggests God deliberately restraining His wrath, choosing not to activate His destructive potential. The phrase וְהִשְׁמַר מֵהַעֲלוֹת־כָּל־חֲמָתוֹ (v'hishmor me-halo-t khamo-t, literally 'He restrained Himself from raising all His wrath') employs military language—חָמָה (chama) denotes the devastating force of God's anger.

Voice

The psalmist executes a theological reversal, moving from Israel's persistent unfaithfulness to God's persistent mercy.

Significance

This verse represents the theological climax of Psalm 78's argument: God's covenant commitment transcends His justice. The restraint of wrath becomes the defining characteristic of covenant relationship. This theological principle—that God's mercy triumphs over judgment—appears throughout Scripture (Exodus 34:6-7, Jonah 4:2, James 2:13). Medieval theological tradition, particularly Anselm and later Aquinas, grappled extensively with how divine mercy and justice coexist; this verse suggests they coexist through God's voluntary self-restraint. The Reformation added layers of meaning: God's restraint becomes the precondition for any ongoing relationship with humanity.

36But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.

37Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.

38And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.

39He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.

40How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!

Read all of Psalm 78 — The longest historical psalm — a retelling of Israel's journey from Egypt to David. Remember, so the next generation won't forget.