John Gill Commentary Psalms 78:31

"When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the fattest of them, And smote down the young men of Israel." — Psalms 78:31 (ASV)

The wrath of God came upon them
Either by causing fire to come down from heaven, or by suffering them to be surfeited by excessive eating, or by sending a plague among them; see (Numbers 11:33) ,

and slew the fattest of them ;
such perhaps who had been most guilty of the sin of gluttony, and had fed the most inordinately upon the flesh that was sent them; or this designs the chief among their princes and nobles, though not only them, but them as well as the common people; so the Targum,``and slew their mighty ones:''

or the words may be rendered, "and slew them among their fatness", or "fat things" ^F15 ; while they were feeding on their feast of fat things, the fat quails, which were brought among them, in such plenty; for the quail is a very fat bird, as Kimchi observes ^F16 :

and smote down the chosen men of Israel ;
or the young men, as the Targum, who were within the twentieth and fiftieth year of their age; who were chosen and fit for war within that time, as well as were the choicest for comeliness, strength, and service;

or "made" them "to bow" ^F17 to death and the grave; whose power they could not withstand, though in the prime and vigour of youth, and while they were freely and heartily feeding upon the food they lusted after.

---

FOOTNOTES:

• F15: (Mhynmvb) "in opimis ipsorum", Cocceius; "inter pinguedines eorum", Michaelis.
• F16: In Sepher Shorashim, rad. (wlv) .
• F17: (eyrkh) "incurvavit", Pagninus, Montanus.