Psalms 78:63

63 The young men died by fire, and the young women had no one to marry.

Psalms 78:63 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 78:63

The fire consumed their young men
Not Nadab and Abihu, as some of the Jewish Rabbins interpret it, of which Jarchi makes mention; but the young men, the choice, the flower, of the Israelitish army, which engaged with the Philistines in the times of Eli; and the fire that consumed them is not to be understood of material fire, or of extraordinary fire from heaven, but either of the wrath of God, as Jarchi, or of the flaming glittering sword of the enemy, which consumed them like fire; see ( Numbers 21:28 ) ( Isaiah 26:11 )

and their maidens were not given to marriage;
the young men to whom they should have been married, and to whom they might have been espoused, being slain in battle: or, "were not honoured" ^F1; that with marriage, which is honourable to all, ( Hebrews 13:4 ) , or "were not praised" {b}; were not attended with epithalamies and nuptial songs, such as used to be sung at the time of marriage; hence, as Kimchi observes, the nuptial chamber is called (alwlh tyb) , "the house of praise"; and so frequently, when a great calamity is threatened or described, it is said, the voice of the bride and bridegroom is not heard; see ( Jeremiah 16:9 ) ( 25:10 ) ( Revelation 18:23 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 (wllwh) "honoratae", Munster; so some in Vatablus.
F2 "Celebratae epithalamio", Montanus; "laudatae", Tigurine version, Amama, so Ainsworth; "laudarentur", Junius & Tremellius, Michaelis; "laudabantur", Piscator; "commendabantur", Gejerus.

Psalms 78:63 In-Context

61 He let the Ark, his power, be captured; he let the Ark, his glory, be taken by enemies.

62 He let his people be killed; he was very angry with his children.

63 The young men died by fire, and the young women had no one to marry.

64 Their priests fell by the sword, but their widows were not allowed to cry.

65 Then the Lord got up as if he had been asleep; he awoke like a man who had been drunk with wine.