Psalm 78 (77):38Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Many individuals interpret these words as a guarantee of immunity from their sins granted by Divine Mercy, even while they continue to embody the characteristics of this generation—twisted and resentful; those who have not surrendered their hearts or placed their trust in God. It is of little value to form an alliance with such individuals. For if they believe that God might refrain from annihilating even the wicked, it stands to reason that He would similarly spare the righteous. So why should we not opt for what is certain? Those who speak falsely to His face while harboring other intentions in their hearts essentially contend that even God could be deceitful, particularly when He warns such people of eternal damnation.

I will bear in mind that the flesh is indeed flesh while the spirit moves and does not change. The Lord showed compassion towards them, as He recognized that they had entirely surrendered to the flesh—meaning, to worldly wisdom—and that their spirit was consistently drawn to earthly desires, failing to turn in repentance or to seek God with their whole hearts. Therefore, the Lord demonstrated mercy and brought salvation, not for any other reason, but due to His unique humanity. Thus, the Psalmist proclaimed, ‘He is generous and merciful’ (Ps. 77:38).

He is compassionate and will purge their iniquities without causing them harm. Out of His abundant kindness, He refrains from letting them fall into complete corruption. He will increase His mercy to avert His anger and will not unleash the entirety of His wrath. As Symmachus interprets, He restrained His indignation for a long time and did not unleash all His fury; meaning He did not impose a punishment that corresponded to their transgressions.

He is benevolent and will purify their transgressions without causing them harm. The term "purge" is replaced with "purify," and similarly "shall not destroy" substitutes "will not destroy;" for He chose not to annihilate them immediately but showed remarkable patience, as noted in the words spoken to Moses: "And the Lord had mercy on the evil which He said to do unto the people" (Ex. 32:14). Alternatively, He did not completely obliterate them. He will increase their numbers, retract His anger, and will not unleash all His fury. The phrases "shall increase" and "shall not unleash" replace "increased" and "did not unleash." The Lord's mercy was boundless, thus, it is said that He turned away His wrath.

The phrase “forgave their sins” points to a significant moment in time—the incarnation of Christ. The Father sent Him for our redemption, and in His grace, He initiated His message to humanity with a call to repentance. Although the Jewish people faced impending judgment, rather than annihilating them completely, He preserved a remnant through the apostles who emerged from their ranks. Isaiah remarked, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, like Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:9). This is why God demonstrated His abundant mercy and averted His full wrath. How did He do this? Rather than unleashing all His fury, He partially restrained it, allowing it to be manifested upon the temple and the ancient city. Had His full wrath been unleashed, both the people and the temple would have been lost, and the land would have faced destruction akin to that of Sodom.

To fully illustrate the Israelites' callousness in their wickedness, the Prophet indicates that God granted them forgiveness for numerous transgressions. However, each time He extended His grace, they chose to misuse it for wrongdoing, showing no signs of repentance through gentleness or discipline. Furthermore, the Prophet reveals the rationale behind their survival, as they truly deserved destruction; nevertheless, God withheld His anger for an extended period, desiring that a remnant might remain. It is essential to understand that the instances of divine judgment should not lead one to assume that God was excessively harsh, for the Prophet explains that, in light of the people’s grave sins, the penalties were actually moderate, or even mild.

This Psalm of David, rich in prophetic insight, was entrusted to Asaph, the leader of the singers, so that he might proclaim it for the enlightenment of all regarding the countless blessings of God Almighty bestowed upon the ungrateful people of the Jews. It reproaches them for their lack of gratitude and serves as a teaching for others to express their thankfulness for the immeasurable compassion of God, particularly as revealed through Christ the Lord, who believes in His name. In this psalm, the prophet David seems to voice the sentiments of Christ, encouraging Christian believers to pay attention to the teachings of the Gospel. The message of this psalm is sometimes applicable to the Jews, but it now resonates with the faithful in Christ: the old covenant foreshadows the new.