This verse is often misinterpreted as divine endorsement of fat-shaming or punishment for physical obesity rather than the deeper sin of covetous rebellion and gluttony in response to God's manna; others wrongly view it as arbitrary cruelty by a vengeful deity ignoring context, or apply it legalistically to modern gluttony as instant physical death, overlooking the historical narrative of covenant unfaithfulness and God's overarching mercy in preserving a remnant.
Psalms 78:31
King James Version (1769)
31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.
Psalms 78:31 recounts God's swift judgment during the Israelites' wilderness rebellion, where their greedy craving for quail—despite His faithful provision—provoked divine wrath that struck down even the strongest and most privileged among them, underscoring the peril of ingratitude, discontent, and presumptuous sin against a holy God who demands trust in His sustaining care.