Psalms78

Psalms 78 recounts the history of Israel's rebellion and God's enduring faithfulness, urging the people to remember divine law and works for future generations. It details Israel's repeated provocations in the wilderness and in the land, despite God's miraculous provisions and deliverances. The psalm culminates in God's rejection of Shiloh and His ultimate choice of Judah and David to shepherd His people.

A Call to Hear God's Law

1
A maskil of Asaf: Listen, my people, to my teaching; turn your ears to the words from my mouth. ​
2
I will speak to you in parables and explain mysteries from days of old. ​
3
The things which we have heard and known, and which our fathers told us
4
we will not hide from their descendants; we will tell the generation to come the praises of ADONAI and his strength, the wonders that he has performed.
5
He raised up a testimony in Ya'akov and established a Torah in Isra'el. He commanded our ancestors to make this known to their children, ​
6
so that the next generation would know it, the children not yet born, who would themselves arise and tell their own children,
7
who could then put their confidence in God, not forgetting God's deeds, but obeying his mitzvot.
8
Then they would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn, rebellious generation, a generation with unprepared hearts, with spirits unfaithful to God. ​

The Failure of Ephraim

9
The people of Efrayim, though armed with bows and arrows, turned their backs on the day of battle. ​
10
They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to live by his Torah.
11
They forgot what he had done, his wonders which he had shown them.

God's Marvels in the Wilderness

12
He had done wonderful things in the presence of their ancestors in the land of Egypt, in the region of Tzo'an. ​
13
He split the sea and made them pass through, he made the waters stand up like a wall.
14
He also led them by day with a cloud and all night long with light from a fire.
15
He broke apart the rocks in the desert and let them drink as if from boundless depths; ​
16
yes, he brought streams out of the rock, making the water flow down like rivers.

Israel’s Rebellion and Temptation

17
Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling in the wilderness against the Most High; ​
18
in their hearts they tested God by demanding food that would satisfy their cravings. ​
19
Yes, they spoke against God by asking, "Can God spread a table in the desert?
20
True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, until the vadis overflowed; but what about bread? Can he give that? Can he provide meat for his people?" ​
21
Therefore, when ADONAI heard, he was angry; fire blazed up against Ya'akov; his anger mounted against Isra'el;
22
because they had no faith in God, no trust in his power to save. ​
23
So he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven.
24
He rained down man on them as food; he gave them grain from heaven -
25
mortals ate the bread of angels; he provided for them to the full. ​
26
He stirred up the east wind in heaven, brought on the south wind by his power,
27
and rained down meat on them like dust, birds flying thick as the sand on the seashore.
28
He let them fall in the middle of their camp, all around their tents.
29
So they ate till they were satisfied; he gave them what they craved.
30
They were still fulfilling their craving, the food was still in their mouths,
31
when the anger of God rose up against them and slaughtered their strongest men, laying low the young men of Isra'el. ​
32
Still, they kept on sinning and put no faith in his wonders.
33
Therefore, he ended their days in futility and their years in terror.

Hypocritical Repentance and Divine Compassion

34
When he brought death among them, they would seek him; they would repent and seek God eagerly, ​
35
remembering that God was their Rock, El 'Elyon their Redeemer.
36
But they tried to deceive him with their words, they lied to him with their tongues;
37
for their hearts were not right with him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant. ​
38
Yet he, because he is full of compassion, forgave their sin and did not destroy; many times he turned away his anger and didn't rouse all his wrath. ​
39
So he remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that blows past and does not return. ​

Forgetting the Plagues and Deliverance

40
How often they rebelled against him in the desert and grieved him in the wastelands! ​
41
Repeatedly they challenged God and pained the Holy One of Isra'el. ​
42
They didn't remember how he used his hand on the day he redeemed them from their enemy,
43
how he displayed his signs in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Tzo'an.
44
He turned their rivers into blood, so they couldn't drink from their streams.
45
He sent swarms of flies, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
46
He gave their harvest to shearer-worms, the fruit of their labor to locusts.
47
He destroyed their vineyards with hail and their sycamore-figs with frost.
48
Their cattle too he gave over to the hail and their flocks to lightning bolts.
49
He sent over them his fierce anger, fury, indignation and trouble, with a company of destroying angels ​
50
to clear a path for his wrath. He did not spare them from death, but gave them over to the plague,
51
striking all the firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of their strength in the tents of Ham. ​

God Guides Israel to the Promised Land

52
But his own people he led out like sheep, guiding them like a flock in the desert. ​
53
He led them safely, and they weren't afraid, even when the sea overwhelmed their foes.
54
He brought them to his holy land, to the hill-country won by his right hand. ​
55
He expelled nations before them, apportioned them property to inherit and made Isra'el's tribes live in their tents.

Israel's Renewed Apostasy in the Land

56
Yet they tested El 'Elyon and rebelled against him, refusing to obey his instructions. ​
57
They turned away and were faithless, like their fathers; they were unreliable, like a bow without tension. ​
58
They provoked him with their high places and made him jealous with their idols.
59
God heard, and he was angry; he came to detest Isra'el completely.

God Rejects Shiloh and Ephraim

60
He abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent he had made where he could live among people. ​
61
He gave his strength into exile, his pride to the power of the foe.
62
He gave his people over to the sword and grew angry with his own heritage.
63
Fire consumed their young men, their virgins had no wedding-song,
64
their cohanim fell by the sword, and their widows could not weep.
65
Then Adonai awoke, as if from sleep, like a warrior shouting for joy from wine. ​
66
He struck his foes, driving them back and putting them to perpetual shame.

God Chooses Judah, Zion, and David

67
Rejecting the tents of Yosef and passing over the tribe of Efrayim, ​
68
he chose the tribe of Y'hudah, Mount Tziyon, which he loved.
69
He built his sanctuary like the heights; like the earth, he made it to last forever.
70
He chose David to be his servant, taking him from the sheep-yards; ​
71
from tending nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Ya'akov his people, Isra'el his heritage.
72
With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with skillful hands. ​

Study Notes for Psalms 78

Verse 1

This psalm is a *Maschil* (a didactic or instructional poem), intended to teach wisdom through historical review, emphasizing the importance of generational faithfulness to the covenant.

Verse 2

The speaker promises to use 'parable' and 'dark sayings' (Heb. *hîdôth*), meaning he will present profound, historical truths in a structured, memorable way that requires careful attention.

Verse 5

The 'testimony' and 'law' established in Israel refers to the covenant obligations given at Sinai, which mandated that divine instruction be passed down through families.

Verse 8

The goal of teaching is to prevent the new generation from repeating the mistakes of their ancestors, whose hearts were unstable and lacked steadfast commitment to God.

Verse 9

Ephraim, the dominant northern tribe, is used here as a representative example of Israel’s faithlessness, demonstrating spiritual failure despite being militarily prepared.

Verse 12

Zoan (Tanis) was a major capital city in the Egyptian delta, specified here to highlight the public and undeniable nature of God’s miraculous acts during the Exodus.

Verse 15

This verse recalls the miraculous provision of water from the rock, a central image of God's care and power in the desolate wilderness (Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11).

Verse 17

Despite God's spectacular provision, Israel continually sinned by trying God's patience and challenging His authority and capability in the wilderness.

Verse 18

They 'tempted God' not merely by asking for food, but by demanding it out of selfish *lust* and lack of faith, testing whether God could truly satisfy their desires.

Verse 20

The people’s cynical challenge demonstrates profound skepticism, contrasting the provision of water (which they had seen) with the provision of bread and meat (which they doubted).

Verse 22

The root cause of God's anger was not their hunger, but their unbelief; they failed to trust in God’s power to deliver and sustain them completely.

Verse 25

Calling manna 'angels’ food' emphasizes its heavenly origin and supernatural quality, underscoring the extraordinary nature of God's provision for mortal man.

Verse 31

This refers to the judgment at Kibroth-hattaavah (Numbers 11), where God provided quail, but wrath followed immediately because their heart’s desire was rooted in greed and rebellion.

Verse 34

Israel’s seeking of God was often reactive—prompted by punishment—not genuine, heartfelt repentance, creating a cycle of surface-level obedience.

Verse 37

Their repentance was flawed because their hearts were insincere; they offered lip service without the steadfast internal dedication required by the covenant.

Verse 38

This verse serves as the theological hinge, highlighting God's enduring compassionate nature which prevents Him from destroying the people entirely, despite their constant provocation.

Verse 39

God's compassion is rooted in His memory of human frailty; He understands that humanity is temporary, like a passing wind, leading Him to temper His wrath.

Verse 40

The psalm returns to the theme of provocation, emphasizing the frequency and severity of Israel's rebellion against God during the wilderness journey.

Verse 41

To 'limit' God means to restrict His power or willingness to act in their minds, doubting that the Holy One of Israel could or would fulfill their needs.

Verse 49

The phrase 'evil angels' refers to messengers of judgment or agents of calamity, illustrating the supernatural intensity of God’s destructive wrath poured out upon Egypt through the plagues.

Verse 51

The climactic tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, is identified as the decisive act that broke Egypt's power. Ham is used poetically here to refer to Egypt.

Verse 52

This marks the transition from judgment in the wilderness to successful deliverance, using the imagery of a shepherd guiding his flock safely.

Verse 54

The destination is described as 'this mountain,' referring proleptically to Mount Zion, where God eventually established His permanent dwelling place.

Verse 56

The pattern of rebellion continued even after settlement in the Promised Land, marked by idolatry and breaking covenant commitments (the period of the Judges).

Verse 57

A 'deceitful bow' is a metaphor for unreliability; it fails to shoot straight, symbolizing Israel’s inability to remain faithful to the target of God's covenant.

Verse 60

God's rejection of Shiloh (where the Tabernacle was kept, 1 Sam 4) signifies the end of the religious primacy of the northern tribes (Joseph/Ephraim) due to their unfaithfulness.

Verse 65

This anthropomorphic description portrays God suddenly arising from apparent indifference to execute decisive judgment against Israel's oppressors (likely the Philistines).

Verse 67

The historical review culminates in the selection of the southern kingdom, Judah, establishing the permanent location of the sanctuary on Mount Zion.

Verse 70

The choice of David emphasizes God’s sovereign power to elevate the humble shepherd, establishing the Davidic covenant as the climax of Israel's history.

Verse 72

David's rule is characterized by 'integrity' (moral uprightness) and 'skilfulness' (competent leadership), providing the ideal model of a faithful covenant king.

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