Psalms 78:62

Psa 78:62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.

Ver. 62. He gave his people also unto the sword] sc. Of the Philistines, who slew thirty thousand of them in one battle, 1Sa 4:10, they lost him and themselves too; the ark having been a far better defence to them than the Palladium to the Trojans.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 78:62-64. He gave his people over unto the sword — To the sword of his own justice, and of the enemies’ rage, for he was wroth with his inheritance; and that wrath of his was the fire which consumed their young men in the prime of their time, by the sword or sickness, and made such devastation of them, that their maidens were not given in marriage — Because the young men, who should have married them, were slain, and there were few or none left to whom they could be given, and because the distresses and calamities of Israel were so great, that the joys of marriage solemnities were judged unseasonable; and it was said, Blessed is the womb that beareth not. Hebrew, בתולתיו לא הוללו, their maidens were not praised; namely, with marriage songs, which was usual at marriage solemnities among the Jews: see Jer 7:34; Jer 16:9; Jer 25:10. Their priests fell by the sword — Hophni and Phinehas, and others. And their widows made no lamentation — No funeral solemnities; either because they were prevented by their own death, as the wife of Phinehas was, who, instead of lamenting her husband’s death, died herself, when she had called her son Ichabod; or because they were so overwhelmed with a sense of public calamities, that the resentment of their private losses was swallowed up by it, and all the ceremonies of mourning were lost and buried in substantial grief.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

62. (Psa 78:62) And abandoned to the sword his people, and at his heritage was wroth. For the meaning of the first verb, see above on Psa 78:48, and for that of the second, on Psa 78:21. To the sword, to defeat and destruction in war, with particular reference to 1Sa 4:10. The severity of these judgments is enhanced by their having been inflicted on his people and his heritage.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

62. And he shut up his people to the sword. Other parts of the calamity which befell Israel in the time of the high priest Eli are here mentioned. God, in permitting the ark to be carried away, showed that he had withdrawn his favor from them. This was also demonstrated from the fact, that all the flower of the people — those who were in the prime and blush of manhood — were consumed by the wrath of God: which is expressed by the fire devouring them. But this language is metaphorical, as is evident from the history of the event referred to, which informs us, that those that perished who were of the chosen of Israel, to the number of thirty thousand men, fell by the sword of the enemy, and not by fire, (1 Samuel 4:10.) This figure points out the suddenness of the dreadful calamity. It is as if it had been said, They were destroyed in a moment, even as fire quickly consumes chaff and the dry leaves of trees.

The great extent of this slaughter is heightened by another figure, which is, that for want of men, the maidens continued unmarried. This is the meaning of the clause, Their virgins were not applauded; the reference being to the nuptial songs which were wont to be sung at marriages in praise of the bride. To aggravate still more the unwonted and appalling nature of the calamity, it is added, that even the priests, whom God had taken under his special protection, perished indiscriminately with others. When it is said, that the widows made no lamentation, I would explain it as denoting, either that they themselves died first for sorrow, so that they had no opportunity of mourning for others, or else, that when led captive by their enemies, they were prohibited to mourn. By all these expressions, the object is to show, in a few words, that all kinds of calamities were heaped upon them.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

62. See 1Sa_4:2; 1Sa_4:10; 1Sa_4:17.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The fire consumed their young men,.... Not Nadab and Abihu, as some of the Jewish Rabbins interpret it, of which Jarchi makes mention; but the young men, the choice, the flower, of the Israelitish army, which engaged with the Philistines in the times of Eli; and the fire that consumed them is not to be understood of material fire, or of extraordinary fire from heaven, but either of the wrath of God, as Jarchi, or of the flaming glittering sword of the enemy, which consumed them like fire; see Num 21:28.

and their maidens were not given to marriage; the young men to whom they should have been married, and to whom they might have been espoused, being slain in battle: or, "were not honoured" (a); that with marriage, which is honourable to all, Heb 13:4, or "were not praised" (b); were not attended with epithalamies and nuptial songs, such as used to be sung at the time of marriage; hence, as Kimchi observes, the nuptial chamber is called , "the house of praise"; and so frequently, when a great calamity is threatened or described, it is said, the voice of the bride and bridegroom is not heard; see Jer 16:9.

(a) "honoratae", Munster; so some in Vatablus. (b) "Celebratae epithalamio", Montanus; "laudatae", Tigurine version, Amama, so Ainsworth; "laudarentur", Junius & Tremellius, Michaelis; "laudabantur", Piscator; "commendabantur", Gejerus.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

He gave his people over also unto the sword - When the ark was taken, 1Sa 4:10. Thirty thousand of the children of Israel fell on that occasion.

And was wroth with his inheritance - Was angry with his people, considered as his inheritance; that is, considered as his own special people, or his possession.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 62. He gave his people over also unto the sword. They fell in battle because they were no longer aided by the divine strength. Sharp was the sword, but sharper still the cause of its being unsheathed.

And was wroth with his inheritance. They were his still, and twice in this verse they are called so; yet his regard for them did not prevent his chastening them, even with a rod of steel. Where the love is most fervent, the jealousy is most cruel. Sin cannot be tolerated in those who are a people near unto God.

None.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

62. He gave his people… unto the sword—Thirty thousand fell in the battle. 1Sa_4:10

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He gave his people over also unto the sword. Thirty thousand Israelites were slain in the battle in which the ark was captured. (see 1Sa_4:10) And was wroth with his inheritance. (comp. Psa_28:9 Psa_33:12 Psa_106:5, Psa_106:40)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

The writer continues to describe what God did for the people of Israel.

He handed his people over to the sword

Asaph speaks of God's people as if they were a small object God would give as a gift, and of the sword, a metonym for death in war, as if it were a person who could receive a gift. AT: "He allowed people to kill all his people in war" (See: Metaphor and Personification and Metonymy)

he was angry with his heritage

"he was angry with the people he had said would be his forever"

Fire devoured their young men

Possible meanings are 1) "The enemy used fire to kill all their young men" or 2) "Their young men died quickly in battle like a fire burns dry grass." Do not communicate that these people used guns. (See: Metaphor)

devoured

To "devour" is to eat everything very quickly.

wedding

the celebration when people marry

translationWords

sword

inherit

fire

devour

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.