Psalms 78:63
The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.
Original Language Analysis
בַּחוּרָ֥יו
their young men
H970
בַּחוּרָ֥יו
their young men
Strong's:
H970
Word #:
1 of 6
properly, selected, i.e., a youth (often collective)
וּ֝בְתוּלֹתָ֗יו
and their maidens
H1330
וּ֝בְתוּלֹתָ֗יו
and their maidens
Strong's:
H1330
Word #:
4 of 6
a virgin (from her privacy); sometimes (by continuation) a bride; also (figuratively) a city or state
Cross References
Jeremiah 7:34Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate.Jeremiah 16:9For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place in your eyes, and in your days, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride.
Historical Context
The Aphek defeat decimated Israel's fighting men. Without young warriors and marriages, the nation faced generational crisis. This demographic catastrophe paralleled covenant curses: 'You shall betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her' (Deuteronomy 28:30). The horror of war includes not just immediate casualties but social fabric destroyed.
Questions for Reflection
- How does war's devastation of marriage and family reveal the comprehensive nature of sin's consequences?
- What does the absence of wedding songs teach about joy's dependence on righteousness and peace?
- How should the church respond to demographic crises (low birth rates, delayed marriage) in light of biblical emphasis on fruitfulness?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. The parallel structure emphasizes complete social devastation. Fire consumed (akhelah esh, אָכְלָה אֵשׁ) may be literal (war's destruction) or metaphorical for judgment consuming the next generation. Young men (bachurav, בַּחוּרָיו)—prime warriors—died in battle, leaving no defenders or future fathers.
Maidens were not given to marriage describes broken wedding songs—no betrothal celebrations because the grooms were dead. The Hebrew literally reads 'their virgins were not praised/celebrated' (betulotav lo hulalu, בְּתוּלֹתָיו לֹא הֻלָּלוּ), referring to traditional bridal songs and marriage festivities. War left a generation of widows and spinsters, demographically crippling the nation.
This judgment strikes at Israel's future—no marriages means no children, threatening national extinction. God's severest temporal judgments often involve cutting off progeny. Yet this anticipated exile's greater devastation and ultimately points to Christ, the Bridegroom whose marriage to His bride (the church) death could not prevent (Ephesians 5:25-27).