Psalm 78:38 tells us that God, in his mercy, forgave his people’s sin and held back the destruction they deserved, again and again, even when they kept turning away from him. The verse is a turning point in a long psalm that recounts Israel’s history of rebellion, and it points to the patient, restraining mercy of God as the reason the nation survived at all. The psalm is attributed to Asaph, a Levitical singer, and it is sung as a teaching song that calls the next generation to remember both the faithfulness of God and the failures of their ancestors.
But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity, and didn’t destroy them. Yes, many times he turned his anger away, and didn’t stir up all his wrath.
Psalm 78:38 (WEB)
What Psalm 78:38 Means
The verse begins with the words “being merciful,” which tells us what drove God’s response. He did not forgive because the people had earned it or because their behavior had improved. He forgave because of who he is. The word “iniquity” refers to twisted or crooked wrongdoing, the kind of sin that bends a person away from what is right. God dealt with that iniquity by forgiving it instead of bringing the full destruction that such a rebellion could have justified.
The second half of the verse says that God “turned his anger away” many times and did not “stir up all his wrath.” The picture is of a God who has every reason to act in judgment but chooses restraint. The verse does not say God never became angry or that sin carried no consequences in Israel’s history. It says his anger was held in check far more often than the people deserved, and that his full fury was not unleashed on them.
What the verse does not promise is that God will overlook sin in every case or that we can count on his patience without limit. The psalm itself goes on to describe judgment that came upon Israel in its later history. Psalm 78:38 is a statement about God’s character in showing mercy, not a guarantee that mercy will always follow every act of rebellion.
The Context of Psalm 78:38
Psalm 78 is a long historical psalm, a “maskil” or instructional poem, that retells the story of Israel from the exodus through the reign of David. Its purpose is to teach future generations not to repeat their forefathers’ pattern of forgetting God’s works and turning to stubborn rebellion. The audience is the community of Israel, and the psalm calls them to pass its lessons to their children so that they will put their trust in God rather than in their own inclinations.
Just before verse 38, the psalm says that the people “remembered that God was their rock” but then “flattered him with their mouth” and “lied to him with their tongue,” with hearts that were “not right with him.” Verse 38 comes as a sharp contrast to this unfaithfulness. Read in that setting, the verse shows that God’s forgiveness stands out most clearly against the backdrop of Israel’s betrayal, and that his mercy is the reason the story does not end in total ruin.
Key Phrases in Psalm 78:38
Exodus 34:6
The LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, “The LORD! The LORD, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth…
(WEB)
This verse is one of the clearest statements of God’s character in the Old Testament, describing him as merciful, gracious, and slow to anger. It provides the foundation for the mercy shown in Psalm 78:38, and it reminds the reader that God’s patience has been revealed from the beginning of Israel’s life with him.
Psalm 103:10
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities.
(WEB)
Psalm 103 reflects on the same patient character of God and says that he does not deal with us according to our sins. This verse extends the thought of Psalm 78:38 by showing that God’s restraint is a settled pattern of grace rather than an occasional exception to his normal dealings with his people.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 78:38
Lord, you are merciful, and you have forgiven me more often than I can count. I confess the ways I have turned away from you, the times I have spoken what is not true and lived in ways that do not honor you. Thank you that your anger is slow and your mercy is abundant, and that you have not dealt with me as my sins deserve. Help me to receive your forgiveness and to extend that same patience to the people around me. Amen.
