Psalms 78:63

“The fire consumed their young men, etc.] Not Nadab and Abihu, as some of the Jewish Rabbins interpret it, of which Jarchi makes mention; but the young men, the choice, the flower, of the Israelitish army, which engaged with the Philistines in the times of Eli; and the fire that consumed them is not to be understood of material fire, or of extraordinary fire from heaven, but either of the wrath of God, as Jarchi, or of the flaming glittering sword of the enemy, which consumed them like fire; (see <042128> Numbers 21:28 <232611>Isaiah 26:11) and their maidens were not given to marriage; the young men to whom they should have been married, and to whom they might have been espoused, being slain…”

“The fire consumed their young men - Fire here may be regarded as an image of destructive war, as in Numbers 21:28 : “For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon: it hath consumed Ar of Moab,” etc. The idea here is, that the young people had been cut off in war. And their maidens were not given to marriage - As the young people who would have entered into this relation were cut off in war. The margin here is praised; “The maidens were not praised.” This is in accordance with the Hebrew. The idea is, “Their virgins were not praised in nuptial songs;” that is, there were no marriage celebrations; no songs such as were usually composed on such occasions in praise of…”

“fire: Psa 78:21; Deu 29:20, Deu 32:22 maidens: Isa 4:1; Jer 7:34, Jer 16:9, Jer 25:10 given to marriage: Heb. praised Psalms 78:64”