Psalms 78:34
Psalms 78:34 in Multiple Translations
When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
When he slew them, then they inquired after him; And they returned and sought God earnestly.
When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
When he began killing them, the rest came back to God in repentance, praying to him.
And when hee slewe them, they sought him and they returned, and sought God earely.
If He slew them, then they sought Him, And turned back, and sought God earnestly,
When he killed them, then they inquired after him. They returned and sought God earnestly.
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.
When God caused some of them to die, the others turned to God; they repented and earnestly asked God to save them.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 78:34
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 78:34 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
אִם
הֲרָגָ֥/ם
וּ/דְרָשׁ֑וּ/הוּ
וְ֝/שָׁ֗בוּ
וְ/שִֽׁחֲרוּ
אֵֽל
אִם
ʼim
H518
if
Conj
הֲרָגָ֥/ם
hârag
H2026
to kill
V-Qal-Perf-3ms | Suff
וּ/דְרָשׁ֑וּ/הוּ
dârash
H1875
to seek
Conj | V-Qal-3cp | Suff
וְ֝/שָׁ֗בוּ
shûwb
H7725
to return
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
וְ/שִֽׁחֲרוּ
shâchar
H7836
to seek
Conj | V-Piel-3cp
אֵֽל
ʼêl
H410
god
N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 78:34
אִם
ʼim
H518
"if"
Conj
This Hebrew word is used to express conditions or questions, like if or whether. It can also be used to make oaths or express wishes, as in Oh that! It appears in various forms in the KJV, including if, though, and when.
Definition: : if/whether_or/though 1) if 1a) conditional clauses 1a1) of possible situations 1a2) of impossible situations 1b) oath contexts 1b1) no, not 1c) if...if, whether...or, whether...or...or 1d) when, whenever 1e) since 1f) interrogative particle 1g) but rather
Usage: Occurs in 931 OT verses. KJV: (and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), though, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] unless, [phrase] verily, when, whereas, whether, while, [phrase] yet. See also: Genesis 4:7; Exodus 22:3; Leviticus 27:27.
הֲרָגָ֥/ם
hârag
H2026
"to kill"
V-Qal-Perf-3ms | Suff
To kill or slay with intent, as seen in the Bible when God instructs the Israelites to destroy certain nations. This word is used in various forms, including to murder or destroy. It appears in books like Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Definition: 1) to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to kill, slay 1a2) to destroy, ruin 1b) (Niphal) to be killed 1c) (Pual) to be killed, be slain
Usage: Occurs in 158 OT verses. KJV: destroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely. See also: Genesis 4:8; 2 Kings 8:12; Psalms 10:8.
וּ/דְרָשׁ֑וּ/הוּ
dârash
H1875
"to seek"
Conj | V-Qal-3cp | Suff
To seek or ask is the meaning of this Hebrew word, often used to describe seeking God or worshiping him. It can also mean to investigate or enquire about something.
Definition: 1) to resort to, seek, seek with care, enquire, require 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to resort to, frequent (a place), (tread a place) 1a2) to consult, enquire of, seek 1a2a) of God 1a2b) of heathen gods, necromancers 1a3) to seek deity in prayer and worship 1a3a) God 1a3b) heathen deities 1a4) to seek (with a demand), demand, require 1a5) to investigate, enquire 1a6) to ask for, require, demand 1a7) to practice, study, follow, seek with application 1a8) to seek with care, care for 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to allow oneself to be enquired of, consulted (only of God) 1b2) to be sought, be sought out 1b3) to be required (of blood)
Usage: Occurs in 152 OT verses. KJV: ask, [idiom] at all, care for, [idiom] diligently, inquire, make inquisition, (necro-) mancer, question, require, search, seek (for, out), [idiom] surely. See also: Genesis 9:5; Ezra 10:16; Psalms 9:11.
וְ֝/שָׁ֗בוּ
shûwb
H7725
"to return"
Conj | V-Qal-3cp
This Hebrew word means to return or turn back, and can be used literally or figuratively. It is often used to describe someone returning to God or repenting from sin, as seen in the book of Psalms and the prophets.
Definition: : return 1) to return, turn back 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to turn back, return 1a1a) to turn back 1a1b) to return, come or go back 1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back 1a1d) of dying 1a1e) of human relations (fig) 1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig) 1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise 1a1f2) to turn away (of God) 1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent 1a1f4) turn back (from evil) 1a1g) of inanimate things 1a1h) in repetition 1b) (Polel) 1b1) to bring back 1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig) 1b3) to lead away (enticingly) 1b4) to show turning, apostatise 1c) (Pual) restored (participle) 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back 1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment 1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore 1d3) to bring back, report to, answer 1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense) 1d5) to turn back or backward, repel, defeat, repulse, hinder, reject, refuse 1d6) to turn away (face), turn toward 1d7) to turn against 1d8) to bring back to mind 1d9) to show a turning away 1d10) to reverse, revoke 1e) (Hophal) to be returned, be restored, be brought back 1f) (Pulal) brought back
Usage: Occurs in 953 OT verses. KJV: ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. See also: Genesis 3:19; Numbers 8:25; Judges 8:13.
וְ/שִֽׁחֲרוּ
shâchar
H7836
"to seek"
Conj | V-Piel-3cp
This verb means to seek or search for something early and earnestly, like in Psalm 63:1 where David seeks God diligently. It can also mean to rise early, as in Proverbs 8:17 where wisdom is found by those who seek it early. The word appears about 15 times in the Bible.
Definition: 1) to seek, seek early or earnestly, look early or diligently for 1a) (Qal) to look for diligently, seek 1b) (Piel) to seek, seek early
Usage: Occurs in 12 OT verses. KJV: (do something) betimes, enquire early, rise (seek) betimes, seek diligently) early, in the morning). See also: Job 7:21; Proverbs 7:15; Psalms 63:2.
אֵֽל
ʼêl
H410
"god"
N-ms
In the Bible, 'el means strength or power, and is often used to refer to God or false gods. It describes something or someone as mighty or powerful, like the Almighty. This concept is central to understanding the Bible's view of God.
Definition: : god 1) god, god-like one, mighty one 1a) mighty men, men of rank, mighty heroes 1b) angels 1c) god, false god, (demons, imaginations) 1d) God, the one true God, Jehovah 2) mighty things in nature 3) strength, power Also means: ": power" (el אֵל H0410L)
Usage: Occurs in 235 OT verses. KJV: God (god), [idiom] goodly, [idiom] great, idol, might(-y one), power, strong. Compare names in '-el.' See also: Genesis 14:18; Job 33:14; Psalms 5:5.
Study Notes — Psalms 78:34
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 78:34 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 78:34
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 78:34
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 78:34
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 78:34
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 78:34
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 78:34
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 78:34
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 78:34
- Sermons on Psalms 78:34
Context — I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
32In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.
33So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror.
34When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.
35And they remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. 36But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hosea 5:15 | Then I will return to My place until they admit their guilt and seek My face; in their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” |
| 2 | Numbers 21:7 | Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you. Intercede with the LORD so He will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses interceded for the people. |
| 3 | Judges 3:12–15 | Once again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. So He gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD. After enlisting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join forces with him, Eglon attacked and defeated Israel, taking possession of the City of Palms. The Israelites served Eglon king of Moab eighteen years. And again they cried out to the LORD, and He raised up Ehud son of Gera, a left-handed Benjamite, as their deliverer. So they sent him with tribute to Eglon king of Moab. |
| 4 | Judges 4:3 | Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, because Jabin had nine hundred chariots of iron, and he had harshly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years. |
| 5 | Hosea 7:14 | They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me. |
| 6 | Judges 3:8–9 | Then the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Cushan-rishathaim king of Aram-naharaim, and the Israelites served him eight years. But when the Israelites cried out to the LORD, He raised up Othniel son of Caleb’s younger brother Kenaz as a deliverer to save them. |
| 7 | Judges 10:7–10 | So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites, who that very year harassed and oppressed the Israelites, and did so for eighteen years to all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites. The Ammonites also crossed the Jordan to fight against Judah, Benjamin, and the house of Ephraim, and Israel was in deep distress. Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD, saying, “We have sinned against You, for we have indeed forsaken our God and served the Baals.” |
| 8 | Isaiah 26:6 | Feet trample it down— the feet of the oppressed, the steps of the poor. |
| 9 | Jeremiah 22:23 | O inhabitant of Lebanon, nestled in the cedars, how you will groan when pangs of anguish come upon you, agony like a woman in labor.” |
Psalms 78:34 Summary
Psalms 78:34 shows us that when the Israelites faced God's judgment, they would turn to Him and repent, seeking His mercy and love. This verse reminds us that God is a loving and merciful God, who desires a personal relationship with us, as seen in Psalms 103:8. Just like the Israelites, we can learn to depend on God and seek Him in all circumstances, not just in times of trouble, and trust in His sovereignty over our lives, as encouraged in Romans 8:28. By doing so, we can experience His love and mercy, and cultivate a deeper relationship with Him, as we pray without ceasing, as encouraged in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean that God slew them in Psalms 78:34?
This refers to God's judgment on the Israelites for their disobedience, as seen in other passages like Deuteronomy 28:15, where God warns of the consequences of not following His commands.
How can we understand the Israelites' pattern of sin and repentance in this verse?
The Israelites' actions are a classic example of the human condition, as described in Romans 3:23, where it says 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God', and their repentance is a demonstration of God's mercy and love, as seen in 1 John 1:9.
What is the significance of seeking God in times of trouble?
Seeking God in times of trouble is a theme throughout the Bible, as seen in Psalms 119:71, where the psalmist says 'it was good for me to be afflicted so that I could learn your decrees', and it demonstrates our dependence on Him and our recognition of His sovereignty over our lives.
How does this verse relate to our lives today?
This verse reminds us that God is a loving and merciful God, as seen in Psalms 103:8, and that He desires a personal relationship with us, and that we should seek Him in all circumstances, not just in times of trouble, as encouraged in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to 'pray without ceasing'.
Reflection Questions
- What are some areas in my life where I have been seeking God only in times of trouble, and how can I cultivate a deeper relationship with Him in all circumstances?
- How have I experienced God's mercy and love in my own life, and how can I share that with others who may be struggling?
- What are some ways that I can 'remember that God is my Rock' in my daily life, as the Israelites did in Psalms 78:35?
- In what ways am I deceiving God with my words or actions, as the Israelites did in Psalms 78:36, and how can I align my heart and actions with His will?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 78:34
When he slew them,.... Some of them, the spies particularly; or when he threatened to slay them, or was about to do it: then they sought him; that is, those who either survived the slain, or were
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 78:34
Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 78:34
They sought him; they prayed to him to deliver them from their deadly dangers; which even Pharaoh frequently did. They returned, to wit, from their idols, unto the outward worship of God; or being moved with fear, they ceased for the present from their grossly wicked courses, which they might easily do without a dram of true repentance or hearty conversion to God. Inquired early after God; speedily and earnestly sought to God for ease, and safety, and comfort, as wicked men in such cases frequently do.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 78:34
Psalms 78:34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.Ver. 34. When he slew them, then they sought him] Fictis scilicet, quibusdam et fucatis pollicitationabus, with a few dissembled devotions. So many now, when deadly, sick, will be wondrous good. Nuper me amici cuiusdam languor admonuit, optimos esse nos dum infirmi sumus (Plin. Ephesians 26, 1. 7). As iron is very soft and malleable while in the fire, but soon after returneth to its former hardness; so many, while afflicted, seem very well affected, but afterwards soon show what they are. William Rufus, in a fit of sickness at Gloucester, vowed upon his recovery to see all vacancies in the Church furnished; which he did, but with so great ado as showed that, having escaped the danger, he would willingly have deceived the saint, saith the chronicler. In the sweating sickness here in England, so long as the ferventness of the plague lasted there was crying, Peccavi, peccavi, I have sinned, I have sinned, the ministers were sought for in every corner, You must come to my lord, you must come to my lady, &c.; but this lasted with many little longer than the disease; so deceitful is man’ s heart, and desperately wicked. Most men are nailed to the earth (saith one well), as Sisera was by Jael; and will not so much as lift up their eyes to heaven, unless it be as hogs do, who go noddling down and rooting in the earth all their life, and never look upward till, being ready to be killed, they are laid flat upon their backs and forced; so these, till wrestling with the pangs of death, they are fastened to their sick-beds, &c. And they returned] But they gave but the half turn, they turned not even unto God with all their heart, as Joe 2:12.
And inquired early after God] Heb. Manicabant sive aurorizabant Deum, aurora velut anticipata; they were up and at it by peep of day.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 78:34
Verse 34. When he slew them] While his judgments were upon them, then they began to humble themselves, and deprecate his wrath. When they saw some fall, the rest began to tremble.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 78:34
34. When he slew them, then they would inquire after him: And return and seek God earnestly. The tenses denote the repeated alternations of punishment and repentance. Cp. Judges 2:11 ff.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 78:34
When he slew them - When he came forth in his wrath and cut them down by the plague, by fiery serpents, or by their enemies. Then they sought him - Their calamities had the effect of producing temporary reformation.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 78:34
34. When he slew them, then—The “when” and “then” are emphatic words.
Sermons on Psalms 78:34
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
True vs. False Conversions by C.J. Cutrone | In this sermon, the preacher discusses the repetitive cycle of the Israelites in the Bible. He highlights how the people would turn to God when they needed deliverance, but would q |
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Xl. to Robert Stewart, on His Decision for Christ by Samuel Rutherford | Samuel Rutherford preaches a heartfelt message welcoming a brother to the world of suffering and to God's house, encouraging him to grow in faith and trust in Christ. He emphasizes |
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Homily 41 on the Acts of the Apostles by St. John Chrysostom | John Chrysostom preaches about the importance of not giving in to anger and seeking revenge, highlighting the detrimental effects of holding onto grudges and the need to forgive ot |
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Hosea #3 Ch. 4-5 Israel's Willful Ignorance by Chuck Missler | In this sermon on the book of Hosea, the speaker begins by highlighting the broken home of Israel as a result of their adulterous relationship with God. The focus then shifts to ch |
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Dvd 16 the Time of Jacobs Trouble by Art Katz | This sermon delves into the prophetic insights regarding God's dealings with the Jewish people in the last days, focusing on the time of Jacob's trouble as foretold in Jeremiah 30. |
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Our Need of Personal Revival by Denny Kenaston | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of pacing oneself in the Christian journey, comparing it to running a marathon rather than a short sprint. He highlights the n |
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Busyness Leads to God Hiding Himself? Ask Pastor Tim by Tim Conway | This sermon addresses the struggle of feeling distant from God, especially in the busyness of life, where priorities like school, work, and personal goals can overshadow seeking Go |