Psalms 78:34
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.
Original Language Analysis
אִם
H518
אִם
Strong's:
H518
Word #:
1 of 6
used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not
וּדְרָשׁ֑וּהוּ
them then they sought
H1875
וּדְרָשׁ֑וּהוּ
them then they sought
Strong's:
H1875
Word #:
3 of 6
properly, to tread or frequent; usually to follow (for pursuit or search); by implication, to seek or ask; specifically to worship
וְ֝שָׁ֗בוּ
him and they returned
H7725
וְ֝שָׁ֗בוּ
him and they returned
Strong's:
H7725
Word #:
4 of 6
to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point);
Cross References
Hosea 5:15I 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 21:7Therefore 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.
Historical Context
This refers to incidents during the wilderness wanderings when God judged Israel's rebellion—the plague after the golden calf (Exodus 32:35), Korah's rebellion (Numbers 16:49), and the fiery serpents (Numbers 21:6). Each judgment temporarily restored fearful compliance, but hearts remained unchanged.
Questions for Reflection
- Do you seek God most earnestly during crises, revealing that fear rather than love motivates your devotion?
- What patterns of "forgetting God" during good times characterize your spiritual life?
- How does genuine repentance differ from the panic-driven seeking described in this verse?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God. The Hebrew hārag (הָרַג, "slew") describes God's judicial execution through plague or judgment, triggering superficial repentance. The verb shāḥar (שָׁחַר, "enquired early") means to seek earnestly at dawn, suggesting urgency born from crisis rather than genuine devotion. This pattern reveals foxhole religion—turning to God only when death threatens.
The cycle exposes Israel's perpetual spiritual amnesia: prosperity breeds complacency, judgment sparks panic-prayer, deliverance leads back to complacency. Their seeking was reactive self-preservation, not covenant faithfulness. Asaph chronicles this tragic pattern to warn his own generation against repeating their fathers' hypocrisy.
This verse anticipates the New Covenant promise of transformed hearts (Jeremiah 31:33), since mere external crisis cannot produce lasting repentance. Only the Spirit's work creates seekers who pursue God in prosperity and adversity alike (John 4:23-24).