because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss here is the deep connection between "believing in God" and "trusting His salvation." The psalmist isn't separating these as two distinct acts, but showing how a failure to truly believe in God as the ultimate source of help inevitably leads to a lack of confidence in His ability to save.
because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm recounts Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated disobedience despite God's abundant miracles. After delivering them from Egypt and miraculously guiding them through the wilderness, the people grumbled, doubted God's power, and craved the comforts they left behind. This verse explains that their deepest sin wasn't just their complaints, but a fundamental lack of faith in God’s character and His promise of salvation.
When things get tough, do you question God's ability or His heart for you?
The Foundation of Faith
This verse cuts right to the heart of why Israel struggled: they didn't believe in God. This isn't just about a lack of facts; it's a fundamental distrust in God's very nature. When we don't believe in God, we're essentially saying we don't trust His character.
Believing God's Power vs. His Promises
The text breaks this down into two key areas:
When Israel faced challenges in the wilderness, they doubted both. They questioned if God had the power to sustain them and if He intended to follow through on His promises of a good future.
How does a lack of trust lead to more sin?
The Cycle of Distrust
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Psalm 78 is a history lesson, and this verse is the key to understanding Israel's repeated failures. Their unbelief wasn't a static state; it was an active force that drove them further into sin.
From Doubt to Defiance
This cycle shows that unbelief isn't passive; it actively fuels rebellion and pushes people further away from God.
Understand the original words
aman · Hebrew Verb
A state of mental and spiritual reliance or confidence in God. It involves believing in His character, promises, and ability to act on behalf of His people.
batach · Hebrew Verb
To rely on, lean on, or put confidence in someone or something. In a biblical sense, it signifies an active, relational trust in God's reliability and power.
yeshu'ah · Hebrew Noun
The divine capacity and action of God to deliver His people from danger, bondage, or destruction. It highlights God as the sole Source of rescue and liberation.
This verse hits at the heart of Israel's repeated failures: a deep-seated unbelief in God's power and commitment to save them, even after witnessing His mighty acts firsthand. The psalmist uses their history, particularly the wilderness period, as a stark warning to his own generation.
c. 1446 BC
Exodus from Egypt
After centuries of slavery, God dramatically delivers the Israelites from Egypt through a series of plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.
c. 1446-1406 BC— this verse
Wilderness Wanderings Begin
Following the Exodus, the Israelites begin their journey through the Sinai wilderness towards the Promised Land, a period marked by miraculous provision and repeated rebellion.
c. 1445 BC
Murmurings Over Food
During the wilderness journey, the Israelites grumble about a lack of food, specifically expressing doubt about God's ability to provide meat and bread, even after experiencing miraculous provision.
c. 1406 BC
Entry into Canaan
After 40 years of wandering, the Israelites finally enter the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua.
c. 1046 BC
David Anointed King
David is anointed king, establishing a unified kingdom and a new center of worship in Jerusalem, marking a period of renewed faithfulness for Israel.
This passage directly quotes Psalm 78, highlighting how the Israelites' failure to trust God in the wilderness led to their exclusion from the promised land, emphasizing the severe consequences of unbelief.
Numbers 14:11-12This passage illustrates God's reaction to the Israelites' persistent disbelief and lack of trust, showing His frustration and willingness to strike them with pestilence, mirroring the 'wrath' mentioned in Psalm 78.
John 6:35-40Jesus speaks about Himself as the true bread from heaven, contrasting with the Israelites' grumbling for earthly food in the wilderness. This highlights the deeper 'salvation' that God offers beyond immediate physical needs.
Deuteronomy 1:32This verse directly rebukes the Israelites for not believing in the Lord their God, even after all He had done for them, echoing the core message of Psalm 78:22 about their failure to trust God's saving power.
clarkePsalms 78:22: "Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:"
They believed not in God - After all the miracles they had seen, they were not convinced that there was a Supreme Being! and, consequently, they did not trust in his salvation - did not expect the glorious rest which he had promised them. Their descendants in the present day are precisely in this state. Multitudes of them disbelieve the Divine origin of their law, and have given up all hopes of a Messiah.
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…
What's easy to miss here is the deep connection between "believing in God" and "trusting His salvation." The psalmist isn't separating these as two distinct acts, but showing how a failure to truly believe in God as the ultimate source of help inevitably leads to a lack of confidence in His ability to save.
This psalm recounts Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated disobedience despite God's abundant miracles. After delivering them from Egypt and miraculously guiding them through the wilderness, the people grumbled, doubted God's power, and craved the comforts they left behind. This verse explains that their deepest sin wasn't just their complaints, but a fundamental lack of faith in God’s character and His promise of salvation.
This psalm recounts Israel's history, emphasizing their repeated disobedience despite God's abundant miracles. After delivering them from Egypt and miraculously guiding them through the wilderness, the people grumbled, doubted God's power, and craved the comforts they left behind. This verse explains that their deepest sin wasn't just their complaints, but a fundamental lack of faith in God’s character and His promise of salvation.
"because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power." — What's easy to miss here is the deep connection between "believing in God" and "trusting His salvation." The psalmist isn't separating these as two distinct acts, but showing how a failure to truly b…
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Last reviewed October 2026