Psalm 78:11-12
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The verse doesn't just say they forgot God's deeds; it highlights that they forgot "his works, and the wonders that he had shown them." This emphasizes that it wasn't just the grand miracles, but even the specific, visible demonstrations of God's power, right before their eyes, that they let slip from their memory.
They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a sweeping historical review, a teaching tool meant to remind a later generation of God's faithfulness and their ancestors' unfaithfulness. After establishing his purpose to recount God's mighty deeds and instruct the people, the psalmist focuses on the wilderness period, highlighting God's provision and miracles. Verse 11 marks a crucial turning point, explaining why Israel repeatedly failed: they forgot God's powerful interventions, leading to disobedience and a cycle of divine discipline and superficial repentance.
Why does the Bible spend so much time recounting history? It's not just a story; it's a divine strategy.
Psalm 78 is a "maschil," a teaching psalm. Its purpose is clear: to pass down the mighty deeds of God from one generation to the next.
We might know the stories, but does that knowledge truly change us? There's a difference between historical recall and heart transformation.
The psalm isn't just talking about a vague forgetting; it's describing a practical, functional forgetfulness. As Poole observes, it's "not historically, but practically" forgetting.
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Understand the original words
shakach · Hebrew Verb
To cease to call to mind, to be negligent in remembering, or to willfully ignore the actions and commands of God. In a biblical context, forgetting God is often synonymous with disobedience and a lack of faith.
maaseh · Hebrew Noun
Deeds or actions performed by God in history, often demonstrating His power, sovereignty, and faithfulness to His covenant people. These acts serve as evidence of His character and His presence in the lives of His people.
pela · Hebrew Noun
Extraordinary events or acts of power performed by God that transcend natural order, intended to demonstrate His divine authority and to evoke awe, faith, or judgment. They are signs designed to reveal God’s character and purposes to humanity.
This psalm looks back on Israel's history, highlighting a recurring pattern: God's incredible acts of deliverance and provision met with human forgetfulness and unfaithfulness. The verse points to the Israelites' immediate lapse into forgetting God's wonders even after experiencing His powerful intervention during the Exodus and their subsequent 40 years in the wilderness.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
God miraculously delivers the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through a series of plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.
c. 1446-1406 BC— this verse
Wilderness Wanderings
The Israelites journey through the desert for 40 years, during which God provides for them with manna and water from a rock, but they repeatedly grumble and rebel.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan Begins
After 40 years of wandering, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, begin to conquer the Promised Land.
c. 1000 BC
Davidic Kingdom Established
David becomes king over all Israel, establishing a strong monarchy and Jerusalem as the capital.
931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
Following Solomon's death, the united kingdom splits into two: the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah.
This passage immediately follows Israel's miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, yet they quickly forget God's mighty deeds and begin to grumble.
Deuteronomy 8:11-14Moses warns Israel not to forget the Lord their God and His works and wonders after they enter the Promised Land, highlighting the constant danger of forgetting God's past faithfulness.
Nehemiah 9:17This prayer recounts God's powerful acts, including the Exodus and wilderness provision, lamenting Israel's rebellion and stubbornness, echoing the theme of forgetting God's wonders.
Joshua 24:31The generation that followed Joshua remembered the mighty deeds of the Lord, but the psalm laments a later generation that *did* forget, showing a recurring pattern of disobedience and forgetfulness.
Hebrews 3:7-12The New Testament author uses the wilderness generation's failure to remember God's works as a warning against hardening hearts and falling away from faith.
cambridgePsalms 78:11: "And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them."
11 . And they forgat his doings, And his wondrous works that he had shewed them (R.V.).
expositorsPsalms 78:1-72: "Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth."
Psalm 78:1-72 THIS psalm is closely related to Psalm 105:1-45 ; Psalm 106:1-48 ; Psalm 107:1-43 . Like them, it treats the history of Israel, and especially the Exodus and wilderness wanderings, for purposes of edification, rebuke, and encouragement. The past is held up as a mirror to the present generation. It has been one long succession of miracles of mercy met by equally continu…
The verse doesn't just say they forgot God's deeds; it highlights that they forgot "his works, and the wonders that he had shown them." This emphasizes that it wasn't just the grand miracles, but even the specific, visible demonstrations of God's power, right before their eyes, that they let slip from their memory.
This psalm is a sweeping historical review, a teaching tool meant to remind a later generation of God's faithfulness and their ancestors' unfaithfulness. After establishing his purpose to recount God's mighty deeds and instruct the people, the psalmist focuses on the wilderness period, highlighting God's provision and miracles. Verse 11 marks a crucial turning point, explaining why Israel repeatedly failed: they forgot God's powerful interventions, leading to disobedience and a cycle of divine discipline and superficial repentance.
This psalm is a sweeping historical review, a teaching tool meant to remind a later generation of God's faithfulness and their ancestors' unfaithfulness. After establishing his purpose to recount God's mighty deeds and instruct the people, the psalmist focuses on the wilderness period, highlighting God's provision and miracles. Verse 11 marks a crucial turning point, explaining why Israel repeatedly failed: they forgot God's powerful interventions, leading to disobedience and a cycle of divine discipline and superficial repentance.
"They forgot his works and the wonders that he had shown them. In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan." — The verse doesn't just say they forgot God's deeds; it highlights that they forgot "his works, and the wonders that he had shown them." This emphasizes that it wasn't just the grand miracles, but e…
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Last reviewed October 2026
