Bible Strands
Psalms 78:32
In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses a gathered assembly, recounting the wilderness generation immediately after God’s judgment strikes down their strongest warriors. The moment captures the direct aftermath of divine wrath, highlighting the people’s continued defiance.
The words — The Hebrew חָטְאוּ (chaṯēʾû) translates literally as "they sinned," modified by עוֹד (ʿôd) meaning "again" or "still," marking repeated transgression. The negated verb הֶאֱמִינוּ (heʾĕmînû) means "they believed," explicitly stating their refusal to trust despite witnessing His wonders.
The thread — This sequence of unbelief following divine acts appears in Psalms 78:22, where the people fail to rely on His salvation, and parallels John 12:37, where crowds reject Jesus despite His signs. Ezekiel 20:13 similarly documents Israel’s wilderness rebellion against His statutes.
Why it lands — The text states that repeated exposure to miraculous works does not guarantee faith. It requires the reader to confront whether personal history with God’s deeds has hardened the heart rather than produced trust.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.
Cross-references
- John 12:37 Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.
- Psalms 78:22 because they did not believe God or rely on His salvation.
- Ezekiel 20:13 Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They did not follow My statutes and they rejected My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they utterly profaned My Sabbaths. Then I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and put an end to them in the wilderness.
- Luke 16:31 Then Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
- Numbers 14:1 Then the whole congregation lifted up their voices and cried out, and that night the people wept.
- Psalms 78:11 They forgot what He had done, the wonders He had shown them.
- Numbers 16:1 Now Korah son of Izhar, the son of Kohath son of Levi, along with some Reubenites—Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth—conducted
- Numbers 21:1 When the Canaanite king of Arad, who lived in the Negev, heard that Israel was coming along the road to Atharim, he attacked Israel and captured some prisoners.
- Numbers 25:1 While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with the daughters of Moab,