Psalm 78:31
New International Version
God’s anger rose against them; he put to death the sturdiest among them, cutting down the young men of Israel.

New Living Translation
the anger of God rose against them, and he killed their strongest men. He struck down the finest of Israel’s young men.

English Standard Version
the anger of God rose against them, and he killed the strongest of them and laid low the young men of Israel.

Berean Standard Bible
God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel.

King James Bible
The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

New King James Version
The wrath of God came against them, And slew the stoutest of them, And struck down the choice men of Israel.

New American Standard Bible
The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their strongest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

NASB 1995
The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

NASB 1977
The anger of God rose against them, And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

Legacy Standard Bible
The anger of God rose against them And killed some of their stoutest ones, And subdued the choice men of Israel.

Amplified Bible
The wrath of God rose against them And killed some of the strongest of them, And subdued the choice young men of Israel.

Christian Standard Bible
God’s anger flared up against them, and he killed some of their best men. He struck down Israel’s fit young men.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
God’s anger flared up against them, and He killed some of their best men. He struck down Israel’s choice young men.

American Standard Version
When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the fattest of them, And smote down the young men of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
God became angry and killed the strongest and best from the families of Israel.

English Revised Version
When the anger of God went up against them, and slew of the fattest of them, and smote down the young men of Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
the anger of God flared up against them. He killed their strongest men and slaughtered the best young men in Israel.

Good News Translation
when God became angry with them and killed their strongest men, the best young men of Israel.

International Standard Version
the anger of God flared against them, and he killed the strongest men and humbled Israel's young men.

Majority Standard Bible
God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel.

NET Bible
when the anger of God flared up against them. He killed some of the strongest of them; he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.

New Heart English Bible
when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of the fattest of them, and struck down the young men of Israel.

Webster's Bible Translation
The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

World English Bible
when the anger of God went up against them, killed some of their strongest, and struck down the young men of Israel.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And the anger of God has gone up against them, "" And He slays among their fat ones, "" And He caused youths of Israel to bend.

Young's Literal Translation
And the anger of God hath gone up against them, And He slayeth among their fat ones, And youths of Israel He caused to bend.

Smith's Literal Translation
And the anger of God came up upon them, and he will slay among their fat ones and he bowed down the chosen of Israel.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
and the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones amongst them, and brought down the chosen men of Israel.

Catholic Public Domain Version
and then the wrath of God came upon them. And he slew the fat ones among them, and he impeded the elect of Israel.

New American Bible
God’s anger flared up against them, and he made a slaughter of their strongest, laying low the youth of Israel.

New Revised Standard Version
the anger of God rose against them and he killed the strongest of them, and laid low the flower of Israel.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The anger of God came upon them and slew the richest of them, and made to bow the chosen men of Israel.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The wrath of God went up among them and he killed some of their rich and he prostrated the Elect Ones of Israel.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the lustieth among them, And smote down the young men of Israel.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
then the indignation of God rose up against them, and slew the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
30Yet before they had filled their desire, with the food still in their mouths, 31God’s anger flared against them, and He put to death their strongest and subdued the young men of Israel. 32In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.…

Cross References
Numbers 11:33-34
But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and the LORD struck them with a severe plague. / So they called that place Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had craved other food.

1 Corinthians 10:5-11
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. / These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did. / Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” ...

Exodus 16:12-15
“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” / That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. / When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground. ...

Numbers 11:1-3
Soon the people began to complain about their hardship in the hearing of the LORD, and when He heard them, His anger was kindled, and fire from the LORD blazed among them and consumed the outskirts of the camp. / And the people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. / So that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD had burned among them.

Numbers 14:29-37
Your bodies will fall in this wilderness—all who were numbered in the census, everyone twenty years of age or older—because you have grumbled against Me. / Surely none of you will enter the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. / But I will bring your children, whom you said would become plunder, into the land you have rejected—and they will enjoy it. ...

Deuteronomy 32:15-20
But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation. / They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods; they enraged Him with abominations. / They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they had not known, to newly arrived gods, which your fathers did not fear. ...

1 Samuel 2:25
If a man sins against another man, God can intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, since the LORD intended to put them to death.

2 Kings 17:18-20
So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence. Only the tribe of Judah remained, / and even Judah did not keep the commandments of the LORD their God, but lived according to the customs Israel had introduced. / So the LORD rejected all the descendants of Israel. He afflicted them and delivered them into the hands of plunderers, until He had banished them from His presence.

Isaiah 10:16-19
Therefore the Lord GOD of Hosts will send a wasting disease among Assyria’s stout warriors, and under his pomp will be kindled a fire like a burning flame. / And the Light of Israel will become a fire, and its Holy One a flame. In a single day it will burn and devour Assyria’s thorns and thistles. / The splendor of its forests and orchards, both soul and body, it will completely destroy, as a sickness consumes a man. ...

Jeremiah 9:15-16
Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink. / I will scatter them among the nations that neither they nor their fathers have known, and I will send a sword after them until I have finished them off.”

Ezekiel 20:21-24
But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness. / But I withheld My hand and acted for the sake of My name, so that it would not be profaned in the eyes of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. / However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands. ...

Hosea 13:6-8
When they had pasture, they became satisfied; when they were satisfied, their hearts became proud, and as a result they forgot Me. / So like a lion I will pounce on them; like a leopard I will lurk by the path. / Like a bear robbed of her cubs I will attack them, and I will tear open their chests. There I will devour them like a lion, like a wild beast tearing them apart.

Matthew 24:28
Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.

Luke 17:37
“Where, Lord?” they asked. Jesus answered, “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.”

Romans 1:18-32
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. / For what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. / For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse. ...


Treasury of Scripture

The wrath of God came on them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

smote down.

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Anger Choice Chosen Cutting Death End Fat Fattest God's Israel Killed Ones Picked Rose Slayeth Slew Smote Strongest Struck Subdued Wrath Young
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Anger Choice Chosen Cutting Death End Fat Fattest God's Israel Killed Ones Picked Rose Slayeth Slew Smote Strongest Struck Subdued Wrath Young
Psalm 78
1. An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9. The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67. The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David.














God's anger flared
This phrase captures the intensity of divine displeasure. The Hebrew root for "anger" here is "אַף" (aph), which often conveys the image of nostrils flaring in anger, a vivid anthropomorphic expression. In the context of Israel's history, this anger is not arbitrary but a response to persistent disobedience and rebellion. God's anger is a reflection of His holiness and justice, reminding us that sin has serious consequences. Historically, this serves as a warning to the Israelites and to us today, emphasizing the importance of obedience and reverence towards God.

against them
The pronoun "them" refers to the Israelites, God's chosen people, who despite witnessing His miracles and receiving His provision, repeatedly turned away from Him. This highlights the covenant relationship between God and Israel, where Israel's unfaithfulness stands in stark contrast to God's faithfulness. The historical context of the wilderness wanderings and the subsequent generations serves as a backdrop, illustrating the recurring cycle of sin, judgment, repentance, and deliverance.

and He put to death
The phrase underscores the severity of God's judgment. The Hebrew verb "מוּת" (muth) means "to die" or "to kill," indicating a decisive action taken by God. This is not merely punitive but serves as a corrective measure intended to bring the people back to a right relationship with Him. It reflects the seriousness with which God views sin and the lengths to which He will go to uphold His righteousness and justice.

their strongest
This term refers to the most capable and robust individuals among the Israelites. The Hebrew word "בַּחוּר" (bachur) often denotes young men in their prime, those who are expected to be the leaders and protectors of the community. The death of these individuals would have been a significant blow to the nation, both practically and morally, serving as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God.

and subdued the young men
The word "subdued" comes from the Hebrew "כָּנַע" (kana), meaning to humble or bring low. This indicates not just a physical defeat but a humbling of spirit. The "young men" represent the future and strength of the nation, and their subduing signifies a loss of potential and hope. This humbling serves as a call to repentance, urging the people to recognize their dependence on God and to return to Him with humility and contrition.

(31) Slew the fattest.--This may mean either the strongest or the noblest.

Verse 31. - The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them (comp. Numbers 11:33, "While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague"). By "the fattest of them," we are to understand the strongest and healthiest. And smote down the chosen men of Israel; rather, the young men, as in the margin, "the ripened youths" (Cheyne). Here, again, the author adds touches which he has not obtained from the Pentateuch.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
God’s
אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀ (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

anger
וְאַ֤ף (wə·’ap̄)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

flared against them,
עָ֘לָ֤ה (‘ā·lāh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5927: To ascend, in, actively

and He put to death
וַֽ֭יַּהֲרֹג (way·ya·hă·rōḡ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

their strongest
בְּמִשְׁמַנֵּיהֶ֑ם (bə·miš·man·nê·hem)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4924: Fat, fatness, a rich dish, a fertile field, a robust man

and subdued
הִכְרִֽיעַ׃ (hiḵ·rî·a‘)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3766: To bend the knee, to sink, to prostrate

the young men
וּבַחוּרֵ֖י (ū·ḇa·ḥū·rê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 970: Selected, a youth

of Israel.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc


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OT Poetry: Psalm 78:31 When the anger of God went up (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 78:30
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