Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Psalms 78:21 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 21. 21Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Psalm 78:21: The reason or consequence in “Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth” supports the surrounding claim in “A teaching poem retells rebellion and mercy: Craving, provision, and judgment.”
Read It With
- Psalms 78:1–72
- Psalms 78:17–31
Read Psalm 78:21 with 78:17–31 and the whole of Psalm 78. Psalm 78:21 supplies a reason or consequence through “Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth” and must be read with the claim it supports. The historical-wisdom form, parallel lines, voice, and Book III placement keep the selected line from becoming a contextless slogan.
Why This Verse Appears Here
Psalm 78:21 supplies a reason or consequence through “Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth” and must be read with the claim it supports. This verse belongs at this precise point because it advances “Craving, provision, and judgment” between the preceding and following poetic lines; the entire Psalms 78:17–31 controls its force.
What Remains True
In “A teaching poem retells rebellion and mercy: Craving, provision, and judgment,” Psalm 78:21 supplies a reason or consequence through “Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth” and must be read with the claim it supports. The resulting truth stays bounded by this movement: Praise and prayer become truthful when they attend to people harmed by predatory power and pursue protection, generosity, and fair judgment. The local movement is “Craving, provision, and judgment.” The unit's reviewed limit is: The poetic retelling selects and interprets Israel's past; it is not a neutral chronology, an anti-Jewish caricature, or permission to shame descendants.
How It Can Shape Life
- Within “A teaching poem retells rebellion and mercy: Craving, provision, and judgment,” Psalm 78:21 supplies a reason or consequence through “Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth” and must be read with the claim it supports. A proportionate response is this: Ask who is exposed or unheard in “Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth”, then take one accountable step toward material help, fair process, or protection.
Continue in Context
The full thought-unit study remains the final contextual authority for this Verse Lens.
Read Psalms 78:17–31 — A teaching poem retells rebellion and mercy: Craving, provision, and judgmentSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, verse order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and complete thought-unit coverage.
Exact location: Psalms 78:17–31, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗hebrew text and morphology
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible: Psalms
Open Scriptures
Open Scriptures, release 2.2
Supports: Masoretic Hebrew wording and morphology checked at the exact unit without treating morphology as a complete apparatus or interpretation.
Exact location: Open Scriptures MorphHB v2.2, commit 6a5db284c715c18b239422e57bb89684e6a19f00, wlc/Ps.xml, OSIS 78:17–31
Open the fixed Hebrew Psalms file ↗translation and translator notes
NET Bible Notes: Psalms 1-150
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, current official online edition
Supports: Verse-level controls for poetic syntax, imagery, older KJV language, textual issues, headings, and alternatives in Psalms 78:17–31.
Exact location: Official NET Bible Psalm 78 HTML, translator, textual, and study notes attached to Psalms 78:17–31
Open the official NET Psalms notes ↗