Psalm 78:35 means that the people of Israel recalled who God truly was, namely their solid foundation and the one who buys them back from trouble. The verse describes a moment of turning, when a people who had repeatedly wandered finally remembered where their security lay. It is spoken by the psalmist, Asaph’s tradition, as he recounts Israel’s history to a new generation, so the words are addressed to the community as a warning and a call to remember.
They remembered that God was their rock, the Most High God, their redeemer.
Psalm 78:35 (WEB)
What Psalm 78:35 Means
The phrase “they remembered” points to a shift in the heart, not merely a change in mood. Israel had forgotten God’s works again and again, so this is a return to what they had known and set aside. Calling God their “rock” speaks of stability, a firm place to stand when everything else shakes. The psalm’s wording suggests that remembering was the first step toward honest return.
Two titles follow: “the Most High God” and “their redeemer.” The first names God’s supreme authority over all things, while the second speaks of a family or kinsman who steps in to rescue someone who cannot free themselves. Together they paint God as both sovereign and intimately involved in his people’s rescue. The verse does not promise that every struggle will vanish, but it does show where true help is found.
The Context of Psalm 78:35
Psalm 78 is a long historical psalm, traditionally associated with Asaph, that retells Israel’s story from the Exodus through the reign of David. Its audience appears to be the community of Israel, especially the next generation, who are urged not to repeat their ancestors’ failures. The psalm is teaching by memory: it asks its hearers to know their history and learn from it.
The verses just before Psalm 78:35 describe a cycle that is painfully familiar. Israel sinned, ignored God’s wonders, and only sought him when judgment struck, then flattered him with words while their hearts stayed far away. Verse 35 sits inside that cycle, which is why it reads as hopeful but not triumphant. It shows the people finally remembering, and verse 38 that follows reveals God’s mercy in forgiving them, which gives the moment its real weight.
Key Phrases in Psalm 78:35
Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
(WEB)
This verse uses the same rock imagery and extends it with several other pictures of protection, showing how the psalmists understood God as a shelter in every kind of danger. Reading it alongside Psalm 78:35 deepens the sense that God’s steadiness is both reliable and personal.
Isaiah 43:1
But now the LORD who created you, Jacob, and he who formed you, Israel says: “Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by your name. You are mine.
(WEB)
Here the Lord speaks directly to his people with the language of redemption, reminding them that he has called them by name and claimed them. This passage connects the idea of God as redeemer to the intimate, personal relationship that makes such rescue possible.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 78:35
Lord, you are our rock and our redeemer, the Most High God who holds our lives in his hands. Forgive us for the times we have forgotten what you have done and tried to stand on shaky ground of our own making. Help us to remember your faithfulness today, to recall the ways you have carried us before, and to return to you with honest hearts. Be our steady foundation in every worry, and let the memory of your redeeming love shape the way we live. Amen.
