# Psalms 78.51

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-09-27 | updated: 2026-09-27 -->

**Book:** [Psalms](/codex/psalms/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, A band of angels of evil. 50. He made a path for his anger; He spared not their soul from death, But gave their life over to the pestilence,
>
> **51. And smote all the first-born in Egypt, The chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.**
>
> 52. But he led forth his own people like sheep, And guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 53. And he led them safely, so that they feared not; But the sea overwhelmed their enemies. (Psalms 78:49-53, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 49. He threw on them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, and a band of angels of evil. 50. He made a path for his anger. He didn’t spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,
>
> **51. and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tents of Ham.**
>
> 52. But he led out his own people like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 53. He led them safely, so that they weren’t afraid, but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. (Psalms 78:49-53, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them. 50. He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence; <sup>He made: Heb. He weighed a path</sup> <sup>life: or, beasts to the murrain</sup>
>
> **51. And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:**
>
> 52. But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. 53. And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. <sup>overwhelmed: Heb. covered</sup> (Psalms 78:49-53, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 49. He sendeth on them the fury of His anger, Wrath, and indignation, and distress, A discharge of evil messengers. 50. He pondereth a path for His anger, He kept not back their soul from death, Yea, their life to the pestilence He delivered up.
>
> **51. And He smiteth every first-born in Egypt, The first-fruit of the strong in tents of Ham.**
>
> 52. And causeth His people to journey as a flock, And guideth them as a drove in a wilderness, 53. And He leadeth them confidently, And they have not been afraid, And their enemies hath the sea covered. (Psalms 78:49-53, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Curse of Ham Objection Defeater](/codex/curse-of-ham-objection-defeater/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.