Psalm 78:42-43
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The verse highlights their forgetfulness not just of a day of deliverance, but specifically "the day" – that singular, foundational moment when God rescued them from their greatest enemy. This isn't just about forgetting any past help, but about neglecting the memory of the very event that defined their identity and relationship with God.
They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe, when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a sweeping look at Israel's history, aiming to teach the current generation by reminding them of God's faithfulness and their ancestors' repeated unfaithfulness. The psalmist shifts through events, focusing not on strict chronology but on the pattern of God's mighty acts, like the plagues and the Red Sea crossing, met by Israel's ingratitude and rebellion during their wilderness journey. This verse highlights the people's failure to recall God's powerful intervention, specifically the Exodus, which set them free from Egyptian oppression.
Do you ever find yourself struggling to recall past blessings or God's faithfulness? This verse speaks directly to that tendency.
The psalmist Asaph is delivering a "maschil," a teaching psalm, to the people of Israel. His goal is to remind them of God's incredible history with them, not just as a historical record, but as a vital lesson for the present. He begins by highlighting a core problem: "They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe." This forgetfulness isn't just a passive lapse in memory; it's an active spiritual danger. When we forget God's past actions, we lose the foundation for trusting Him in the present and future. It's like trying to navigate a stormy sea without a map or compass. The psalm argues that a deep awareness of God's 'hand' – His active power and intervention – is essential for sustained faith and obedience. Without it, people are prone to 'waywardness and all rebellion,' as Calvin noted. This tendency to forget is a recurring theme in Scripture, a constant battle for God's people throughout history.
What specific 'day' is the psalmist referring to when he speaks of redemption from the enemy? It's more than just a date.
The phrase 'the day when he redeemed them from the foe' points to a specific, foundational event in Israel's history: the Exodus from Egypt. Commentators like Gill and Poole emphasize that this wasn't just any day; it was a divinely appointed day, a moment of ultimate deliverance from oppressive tyranny. It’s the day symbolized by the Passover, a day that was meant to be etched into the memory of every Israelite, passed down through generations. The 'foe' here is primarily Pharaoh and the Egyptian empire. This deliverance wasn't just a physical escape; it was a demonstration of God's 'hand,' His power and might, actively working on behalf of His people. To forget this day meant to forget the very basis of their identity as a redeemed people, bought with a mighty price. It was the ultimate act of God's covenant faithfulness, setting them free to be His own.
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Understand the original words
‘ōz · Hebrew Noun
The ability to bring about an effect, often associated with God's sovereign strength and ability to intervene in history to accomplish His redemptive purposes.
pādāh · Hebrew Verb
The act of setting someone free from bondage, debt, or slavery, typically through the payment of a price. In Scripture, it is a primary image for God's deliverance of His people from oppression or sin.
’ôt · Hebrew Noun
A miraculous event or action intended to convey a divine message or attest to the truth of God's authority. It serves as a visual demonstration of God's presence and intervention.
môpēt · Hebrew Noun
Extraordinary acts that evoke wonder or amazement. These often refer to God's supernatural interventions in history that defy natural explanation, demonstrating His sovereignty over nature.
This Psalm reflects on Israel's history, highlighting a recurring pattern of God's mighty acts of deliverance met with forgetfulness and unfaithfulness by His people, a cycle that continued long after the Exodus and into the time of David.
c. 1446 BC— this verse
Exodus and Red Sea Crossing
God miraculously leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, parting the Red Sea for them to cross and then drowning the pursuing Egyptian army.
c. 1446-1406 BC
Wilderness Wanderings
After the Exodus, the Israelites spend forty years in the wilderness, experiencing God's provision (manna, water from rock) and their own repeated rebellion and disobedience.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan
Under Joshua, the Israelites enter and conquer the Promised Land, a significant act of God's faithfulness to His promises.
c. 1077 BC
Fall of Shiloh and Ark Capture
The Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines and the sanctuary at Shiloh is destroyed, marking a period of deep national crisis and divine judgment.
c. 1010 BC
David Establishes Kingdom
David unites the tribes and establishes his kingdom, with Jerusalem as the capital, fulfilling prophecies and ushering in a golden age.
This passage directly addresses the same theme of forgetting God's mighty acts, as the Israelites in the wilderness looked back with fear and regret, forgetting the very deliverance they were experiencing.
Deuteronomy 8:11-14Moses warns Israel against forgetting the Lord their God when they enter the Promised Land, highlighting the danger of prosperity leading to amnesia about God's past faithfulness.
Joshua 24:6-7This account of Joshua reminding the people of their history emphasizes their repeated failures to remember God's power, even after witnessing His judgments on Egypt and His deliverance at the Red Sea.
Nehemiah 9:16-17The prayer of confession in Nehemiah recounts Israel's rebellion and stubbornness, specifically mentioning their refusal to remember God's wondrous works in Egypt and their setting up a leader to return to bondage, mirroring the forgetfulness in Psalms 78.
ellicottPsalms 78:42: "They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy."
(42) The reminiscence of the plagues that follows is not a complete enumeration, and does not proceed in the order of the historic narrative.
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 highlights their forgetfulness not just of a day of deliverance, but specifically "the day" – that singular, foundational moment when God rescued them from their greatest enemy. This isn't just about forgetting any past help, but about neglecting the memory of the very event that defined their identity and relationship with God.
This psalm is a sweeping look at Israel's history, aiming to teach the current generation by reminding them of God's faithfulness and their ancestors' repeated unfaithfulness. The psalmist shifts through events, focusing not on strict chronology but on the pattern of God's mighty acts, like the plagues and the Red Sea crossing, met by Israel's ingratitude and rebellion during their wilderness journey. This verse highlights the people's failure to recall God's powerful intervention, specifically the Exodus, which set them free from Egyptian oppression.
This psalm is a sweeping look at Israel's history, aiming to teach the current generation by reminding them of God's faithfulness and their ancestors' repeated unfaithfulness. The psalmist shifts through events, focusing not on strict chronology but on the pattern of God's mighty acts, like the plagues and the Red Sea crossing, met by Israel's ingratitude and rebellion during their wilderness journey. This verse highlights the people's failure to recall God's powerful intervention, specifically the Exodus, which set them free from Egyptian oppression.
"They did not remember his power or the day when he redeemed them from the foe, when he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan." — The verse highlights their forgetfulness not just of a day of deliverance, but specifically "the day" – that singular, foundational moment when God rescued them from their greatest enemy. This isn'…
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Last reviewed October 2026
