Psalms 78:34

KJV

When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.

KJV (with Strong's)

When he slew {H2026}{H8804)} them, then they sought {H1875}{H8804)} him: and they returned {H7725}{H8804)} and enquired early {H7836}{H8765)} after God {H410}.

Complete Jewish Bible

When he brought death among them, they would seek him; they would repent and seek God eagerly,

Berean Standard Bible

When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.

American Standard Version

When he slew them, then they inquired after him; And they returned and sought God earnestly.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 78:34 encapsulates a recurring, tragic pattern in Israel's wilderness journey: a cycle of rebellion, divine judgment, and a subsequent, often superficial, turning back to God. When confronted with severe consequences for their disobedience, the Israelites would temporarily seek the Lord with apparent earnestness, only to revert to their unfaithful ways once the immediate threat subsided. This verse highlights the reactive nature of their repentance, born out of fear and desperation rather than genuine, heart-felt devotion.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 78 is a didactic _maskil_ (instructional poem) attributed to Asaph, functioning as a historical recounting of God's dealings with Israel from the Exodus through the establishment of David's reign. Its primary purpose is to teach future generations about God's enduring faithfulness despite Israel's persistent rebellion and forgetfulness of His mighty works. Verse 34 falls within a section detailing the Israelites' journey through the wilderness (verses 12-41), where the psalm repeatedly illustrates their cycle of complaining, provoking God, experiencing divine judgment, and then temporarily repenting. This specific verse describes a moment where God's severe discipline prompted a desperate, albeit fleeting, return to Him, immediately preceding a lament about their insincere hearts in [Psalms 78:36-37](/psalms/78-36 "Psalms 78:36-37 - Their Flattery and Unfaithful Hearts").
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The events recounted in Psalm 78, including the context of verse 34, are set during the forty years of Israel's wilderness wanderings following their exodus from Egypt. This period was marked by God's miraculous provision (manna, water from the rock, protection) and His covenant relationship with Israel established at Mount Sinai. Culturally, the Israelites were a nascent nation learning to live under God's law. However, they frequently succumbed to idolatry, murmuring, and disobedience, provoking God's wrath. "When he slew them" refers to specific divine judgments, such as plagues (e.g., [Numbers 11](/numbers/11 "Numbers 11 - The People Complain"), [Numbers 14](/numbers/14 "Numbers 14 - Rebellion at Kadesh Barnea")), fiery serpents ([Numbers 21](/numbers/21 "Numbers 21 - Fiery Serpents")), or military defeats, which were direct consequences of their covenant unfaithfulness. The phrase "enquired early" suggests a cultural practice of seeking divine counsel or favor, often with urgency, perhaps at dawn, reflecting a desperate appeal to God in a time of crisis.
* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Psalm 78 and the broader biblical narrative. It underscores the theme of **Divine Discipline**, demonstrating that God's judgments, though severe, were purposeful and aimed at bringing His people back to Himself, not merely to destroy them. It highlights **Human Stubbornness and Rebellion**, as Israel consistently provoked God despite His goodness. Most prominently, it illustrates the theme of **Reactive and Superficial Repentance**, where Israel's seeking of God was born out of fear of punishment rather than genuine love or a transformed heart. This contrasts sharply with the ideal of a covenant relationship based on steadfast devotion. The psalm's repeated emphasis on Israel's forgetting God's works and their subsequent unfaithfulness (e.g., [Psalms 78:11](/psalms/78-11 "Psalms 78:11 - They Forgot His Works")) is a crucial backdrop to their fleeting moments of seeking Him.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Slew (Hebrew, _harag'_):** This verb means "to kill, slay, murder, execute." In this context, it denotes a direct, decisive, and punitive act of divine judgment. It is not an accidental or natural death, but God's intentional intervention to discipline His disobedient people, signifying the severity of their rebellion and the consequences of breaking covenant.
* **Sought (Hebrew, _baqash'_):** Meaning "to seek, search for, desire, require." While it can imply earnest and sincere seeking, the broader context of Psalm 78 suggests that this seeking was primarily motivated by distress and a desire for relief from judgment, rather than a deep, abiding devotion or a genuine turning of the heart. It was a pragmatic rather than purely spiritual seeking.
* **Enquired early (Hebrew, _shachar'_):** This word conveys the idea of "to seek early, diligently, earnestly, to rise early to seek." It emphasizes the intensity and urgency of their seeking in the moment of crisis. The Israelites were desperate and eager to find God's favor when facing dire consequences, underscoring the contrast between their fervent, albeit temporary, appeals and their usual apathy and rebellion.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"When he slew them":** This clause refers to the moments when God directly intervened with severe judgments against the Israelites in the wilderness. These were not arbitrary acts but divine discipline for their repeated disobedience, murmuring, and idolatry. Examples include the plagues, the fiery serpents, or the defeat by enemies, all designed to bring them to repentance and remind them of their covenant with Him.
* **"then they sought him":** This indicates a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The experience of divine judgment prompted the Israelites to turn to God. Their seeking was a reactive measure, born out of the pain and fear of punishment, rather than a proactive desire for fellowship or obedience. It was a cry for help in distress.
* **"and they returned and enquired early after God":** The word "returned" (Hebrew, _shuv_) implies a turning back or repentance, but the subsequent verses in Psalm 78 reveal its superficiality. "Enquired early" further emphasizes the urgency and apparent earnestness of their seeking. In their desperation, they diligently and eagerly turned to God, hoping for deliverance, highlighting the intensity of their immediate need for Him as their only recourse.

#### Literary Devices
Psalm 78:34, within its larger context, employs several powerful literary devices. **Didacticism** is central, as the entire psalm functions as a _maskil_, an instructional poem designed to teach lessons from history. The verse itself exhibits **Irony**, contrasting the apparent earnestness of their "enquiring early" with their habitual unfaithfulness and subsequent return to rebellion, as explicitly stated in [Psalms 78:37](/psalms/78-37 "Psalms 78:37 - Their Hearts Were Not Loyal"). This highlights the superficiality of their "repentance." The psalm also utilizes **Repetition** of this cycle of rebellion, judgment, and temporary seeking, reinforcing the stubbornness of Israel's heart and the patience of God. Furthermore, the phrase "When he slew them" uses **Anthropomorphism**, attributing direct, human-like action to God, emphasizing His active role in their history and His personal involvement in their discipline.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 78:34 profoundly illustrates the biblical theme of divine discipline, revealing God's unwavering commitment to His covenant people, even when they stray. His judgments were not acts of abandonment but rather expressions of His fatherly love, designed to call Israel back to faithfulness and remind them of their dependence on Him. However, the verse also exposes the common human tendency towards superficial repentance—a turning to God born out of fear and desperation in crisis, rather than a genuine, heart-level transformation. This "foxhole religion" contrasts sharply with the true repentance God desires, which involves a complete turning away from sin and a wholehearted devotion to Him, regardless of circumstances. It challenges believers to examine the motives behind their seeking of God, urging a proactive and consistent relationship rather than a reactive one.

* [Hebrews 12:6](/hebrews/12-6 "Hebrews 12:6 - God Disciplines Those He Loves")
* [Jeremiah 29:13](/jeremiah/29-13 "Jeremiah 29:13 - Seeking God with All Your Heart")
* [Hosea 6:4](/hosea/6-4 "Hosea 6:4 - Israel's Fleeting Love")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 78:34 serves as a potent mirror for believers today, prompting us to critically examine the nature of our relationship with God. Do we, like ancient Israel, primarily seek Him only when faced with hardship, illness, or crisis, viewing Him as a last resort or a means to escape suffering? Or do we cultivate a consistent, proactive, and loving relationship with Him in all seasons of life, seeking His face out of devotion and gratitude, not just desperation? This verse challenges us to move beyond superficial or reactive spirituality, encouraging us to embrace genuine repentance when God's loving discipline touches our lives. His discipline, whether through difficult circumstances or internal conviction, is an invitation to return to Him with a sincere heart, not merely to alleviate discomfort, but to grow in faith and conformity to His will. Cultivating consistent devotion means seeking God daily, in prayer, study of His Word, and obedience, allowing His presence to shape our character and guide our steps, irrespective of external pressures.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What are my primary motivations for seeking God? Do I primarily turn to Him in times of crisis, or is my devotion consistent?**
* **How do I respond to difficult circumstances or divine discipline in my life? Do I see them as opportunities for genuine repentance and growth, or merely as something to escape?**
* **Am I cultivating a deep, abiding relationship with God that transcends my immediate needs and fears, or is my spirituality often reactive and superficial?**

### FAQ
**What does "slew them" mean in this context?**

Answer: In Psalms 78:34, "slew them" refers to the divine judgments God brought upon the Israelites in the wilderness due to their persistent disobedience and rebellion against His covenant. These were not random or natural deaths but specific, punitive interventions (e.g., plagues, fiery serpents, defeats by enemies) that God directly orchestrated. The purpose was to discipline His chosen people and call them back to faithfulness, as seen in various accounts in the book of [Numbers](/numbers/14 "Numbers 14 - Israel's Rebellion at Kadesh Barnea") and [Exodus](/exodus/32 "Exodus 32 - The Golden Calf").

**Was Israel's seeking of God genuine in this verse?**

Answer: While the phrase "enquired early" suggests urgency and earnestness, the broader narrative of Psalm 78, particularly [Psalms 78:36-37](/psalms/78-36 "Psalms 78:36-37 - Their Flattery and Unfaithful Hearts"), reveals that Israel's seeking was often superficial and short-lived. It was a reactive seeking born of fear and desperation in the face of divine judgment, rather than a deep, heart-felt turning to God out of genuine love, devotion, or a desire for true repentance. This pattern highlights the human tendency towards "foxhole religion," where God is sought only when troubles arise, rather than as the constant object of one's affection and obedience.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The cyclical failure of Israel to maintain genuine faithfulness, as vividly portrayed in Psalms 78:34, underscores humanity's profound inability to keep God's covenant and respond with true, lasting repentance. Their reactive and superficial seeking of God, born out of fear of judgment rather than transformed hearts, highlights the desperate need for a new covenant and a definitive solution to the problem of sin. This is where Christ Jesus provides the ultimate fulfillment. Unlike Israel, who repeatedly failed, Jesus perfectly fulfilled all righteousness and perfectly obeyed God's will, even to the point of death on a cross. His sacrifice is the definitive act of God's judgment against sin, absorbing the wrath that humanity deserved, thereby offering a path to genuine and lasting repentance. Through faith in Him, believers are not merely seeking God out of fear of being "slain" by judgment, but are empowered by the [Holy Spirit](/john/14-26 "John 14:26 - The Holy Spirit, the Helper") to seek Him with transformed hearts, motivated by love and gratitude for the forgiveness and new life found in Him. The new covenant, prophesied in [Jeremiah 31:33](/jeremiah/31-33 "Jeremiah 31:33 - The New Covenant"), promises a law written on the heart, enabling a sincere and abiding relationship with God that transcends the superficiality of Israel's past. In [Christ Jesus](/romans/8-1 "Romans 8:1 - No Condemnation in Christ Jesus"), the cycle of sin and reactive repentance is broken, replaced by a life of grace and genuine devotion, all made possible by the [Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God").

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Hosea 5:15

I will go [and] return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early.

Numbers 21:7

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

Judges 3:12

¶ And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

Judges 3:15

But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

Judges 3:8

¶ Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

Judges 3:9

And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, [even] Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

Judges 4:3

And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.