The Meaning of Psalms 78:22 Explained

Psalms 78:22

KJV: Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:

YLT: For they have not believed in God, Nor have they trusted in His salvation.

Darby: Because they believed not in God, and confided not in his salvation;

ASV: Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in his salvation.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because they believed  not in God,  and trusted  not in his salvation: 

What does Psalms 78:22 Mean?

Study Notes

trusted
trust
Trust is the characteristic O.T. word for the N.T. "faith," "believe." It occurs 152 times in the O.T., and is the rendering of Heb. words signifying to take refuge (e.g. Ruth 2:12 "to lean on" (e.g.) Psalms 56:3 "to roll on" (e.g.) Psalms 22:8 "to stay upon" (e.g.) Job 35:14 .

Context Summary

Psalms 78:13-24 - "a Table In The Wilderness"
Throughout this wonderful recital there is a perpetual contrast between God's unswerving goodness and the incessant backsliding of His people; and as we read it, we learn that sin is not simply the violation of the divine law, but a source of pain and trouble to our Heavenly Father's heart. For us He cleaves the seas, leads us in the daytime, builds His watch-fires around us at night, and brings streams of blessing from the rocks. But we tempt Him by our incessant unbelief. We say, He certainly did thus and thus, but can He, will He, do this or that? "Can God furnish?" "Can God give bread?"
When shall we dare to believe in our Lord's assurances; first, that "with God all things are possible;" and second, that "all things are possible to him that believeth"? But we must live habitually in fellowship with God before we are able to exercise this faith. As we nourish our souls by feeding on the promises, and studying what He has done in the lives of others, out faith removes all the boundaries with which it had limited the Holy One, and cries, "Thou canst and thou wilt!" [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 78

1  An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9  The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67  The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David

What do the individual words in Psalms 78:22 mean?

because not they did believe in God and not did trust in His salvation
כִּ֤י לֹ֣א הֶ֭אֱמִינוּ בֵּאלֹהִ֑ים וְלֹ֥א בָ֝טְח֗וּ בִּֽישׁוּעָתֽוֹ

כִּ֤י  because 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הֶ֭אֱמִינוּ  they  did  believe 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: אָמַן 
Sense: to support, confirm, be faithful.
בֵּאלֹהִ֑ים  in  God 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְלֹ֥א  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
בָ֝טְח֗וּ  did  trust 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
בִּֽישׁוּעָתֽוֹ  in  His  salvation 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יְשׁוּעָה  
Sense: salvation, deliverance.