Psalm 78:33
New International Version
So he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.

New Living Translation
So he ended their lives in failure, their years in terror.

English Standard Version
So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.

Berean Standard Bible
So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror.

King James Bible
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

New King James Version
Therefore their days He consumed in futility, And their years in fear.

New American Standard Bible
So He brought their days to an end in futility, And their years to an end in sudden terror.

NASB 1995
So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror.

NASB 1977
So He brought their days to an end in futility, And their years in sudden terror.

Legacy Standard Bible
So He brought their days to an end in futility And their years in sudden terror.

Amplified Bible
Therefore He consumed their days like a breath [in emptiness and futility] And their years in sudden terror.

Christian Standard Bible
He made their days end in futility, their years in sudden disaster.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He made their days end in futility, their years in sudden disaster.

American Standard Version
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, And their years in terror.

Contemporary English Version
So he cut their lives short and made them terrified.

English Revised Version
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in terror.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He brought their days to an end like a whisper in the wind. He brought their years to an end in terror.

Good News Translation
So he ended their days like a breath and their lives with sudden disaster.

International Standard Version
So he made their days end in futility, and their years with sudden terror.

Majority Standard Bible
So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror.

NET Bible
So he caused them to die unsatisfied and filled with terror.

New Heart English Bible
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.

Webster's Bible Translation
Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

World English Bible
Therefore he consumed their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And He consumes their days in vanity, "" And their years in trouble.

Young's Literal Translation
And He consumeth in vanity their days, And their years in trouble.

Smith's Literal Translation
And he will finish their days in vanity, and their years in terror.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years in haste.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And their days faded away into vanity, and their years with haste.

New American Bible
God ended their days abruptly, their years in sudden death.

New Revised Standard Version
So he made their days vanish like a breath, and their years in terror.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Wherefore their days were spent in emptiness, and their years in impatience.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
They spent their days in futility and their years in haste.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Therefore He ended their days as a breath, And their years in terror.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with anxiety.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
32In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; despite His wonderful works, they did not believe. 33So He ended their days in futility, and their years in sudden terror. 34When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.…

Cross References
Job 7:16
I loathe my life! I would not live forever. Leave me alone, for my days are but a breath.

Job 14:1-2
“Man, who is born of woman, is short of days and full of trouble. / Like a flower, he comes forth, then withers away; like a fleeting shadow, he does not endure.

Job 21:13
They spend their days in prosperity and go down to Sheol in peace.

Job 36:11-12
If they obey and serve Him, then they end their days in prosperity and their years in happiness. / But if they do not obey, then they perish by the sword and die without knowledge.

Psalm 39:4-5
“Show me, O LORD, my end and the measure of my days. Let me know how fleeting my life is. / You, indeed, have made my days as handbreadths, and my lifetime as nothing before You. Truly each man at his best exists as but a breath. Selah

Psalm 90:5-10
You sweep them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning— / in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers. / For we are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your wrath. ...

Psalm 103:15-16
As for man, his days are like grass—he blooms like a flower of the field; / when the wind passes over, it vanishes, and its place remembers it no more.

Isaiah 40:6-8
A voice says, “Cry out!” And I asked, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field. / The grass withers and the flowers fall when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. / The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”

Isaiah 65:12
I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

Jeremiah 16:4
“They will die from deadly diseases. They will not be mourned or buried, but will lie like dung on the ground. They will be finished off by sword and famine, and their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and beasts of the earth.”

Ezekiel 20:23-24
However, with an uplifted hand I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them throughout the lands. / For they did not practice My ordinances, but they rejected My statutes and profaned My Sabbaths, fixing their eyes on the idols of their fathers.

James 4:14
You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

1 Peter 1:24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Corinthians 10:5-11
Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. / These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did. / Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.” ...


Treasury of Scripture

Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

days

Psalm 90:7-9
For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled…

Numbers 14:29,35
Your carcases shall fall in this wilderness; and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, which have murmured against me, …

Numbers 26:64,65
But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered, when they numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai…

years

Genesis 3:16-19
Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee…

Job 5:6,7
Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground; …

Job 14:1
Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.

Jump to Previous
Breath Consume Consumed Consumeth End Ended Futility Sudden Terror Trouble Vanish Vanity Wasted
Jump to Next
Breath Consume Consumed Consumeth End Ended Futility Sudden Terror Trouble Vanish Vanity Wasted
Psalm 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.














So He ended
The phrase "So He ended" indicates a divine action, emphasizing God's sovereignty and authority over life and time. The Hebrew root for "ended" is "kalah," which can mean to complete, finish, or bring to an end. This word choice underscores the completeness of God's judgment and the finality of His decisions. In the context of Israel's history, it reflects God's response to persistent disobedience and unbelief, reminding us of the importance of aligning our lives with His will to avoid spiritual futility.

their days
refers to the lifespan or the allotted time of the Israelites. In the Hebrew context, "days" (yom) often signifies more than just the passage of time; it can represent the quality and purpose of life. The Israelites' days were meant to be filled with the fulfillment of God's promises and blessings. However, due to their rebellion, their days were marked by wandering and unfulfilled potential. This serves as a cautionary tale for believers today to live purposefully and in obedience to God.

in futility
captures the essence of a life lived without purpose or success. The Hebrew word "hebel" is often translated as vanity or emptiness, suggesting a life devoid of meaning or achievement. This futility was a direct consequence of Israel's failure to trust and obey God, leading to a cycle of wandering and dissatisfaction. For contemporary Christians, this phrase is a powerful reminder of the emptiness that comes from living outside of God's plan and the fulfillment found in a life dedicated to His service.

and their years in sudden terror
The continuation of the verse with "and their years" highlights the extended period of time over which the Israelites experienced the consequences of their actions. The Hebrew word for "years" (shanim) emphasizes the prolonged nature of their suffering. This serves as a sobering reminder that the repercussions of disobedience can extend far beyond immediate circumstances, affecting entire lifetimes and even future generations.

in sudden terror
conveys the abrupt and overwhelming nature of the Israelites' experiences. The Hebrew word "bahal" suggests a state of panic or alarm, often associated with divine judgment. This phrase illustrates the stark contrast between the peace and security found in God's presence and the fear and instability that result from turning away from Him. For believers, it underscores the importance of seeking refuge in God and trusting in His protection to avoid the terror that comes from living apart from His guidance.

Verse 33. - Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. Their faithlessness was punished by their forty years of vain and purposeless wandering in the wilderness, and by the "troubles" that befell them there.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So He ended
וַיְכַל־ (way·ḵal-)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3615: To be complete, at an end, finished, accomplished, or spent

their days
יְמֵיהֶ֑ם (yə·mê·hem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 3117: A day

in futility,
בַּהֶ֥בֶל (ba·he·ḇel)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1892: Emptiness, vanity, transitory, unsatisfactory

and their years
וּ֝שְׁנוֹתָ֗ם (ū·šə·nō·w·ṯām)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 8141: A year

in sudden terror.
בַּבֶּהָלָֽה׃ (bab·be·hā·lāh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 928: Dismay, sudden terror or ruin


Links
Psalm 78:33 NIV
Psalm 78:33 NLT
Psalm 78:33 ESV
Psalm 78:33 NASB
Psalm 78:33 KJV

Psalm 78:33 BibleApps.com
Psalm 78:33 Biblia Paralela
Psalm 78:33 Chinese Bible
Psalm 78:33 French Bible
Psalm 78:33 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 78:33 Therefore he consumed their days in vanity (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 78:32
Top of Page
Top of Page