Psalms 78:63 - Exposition

The fire consumed their young men. The reference is not to such passages as Le Psalms 10:2 ; Numbers 11:1 ; Numbers 16:35 , where a literal fire seems to be spoken of, but rather to the fire of war ( Numbers 21:28 ; Isaiah 26:11 ; Jeremiah 48:45 ), or more generally to the fire of the Divine anger ( Isaiah 10:16-18 ; Isaiah 47:14 , etc.). And their maidens were not given to marriage; literally, were not praised in song; i.e. in the bridal song. The destruction of the young men, either in battle or in any other way, caused there to be more marriageable girls in Israel than there were husbands for (comp. Isaiah 4:1 ).