34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God. |
35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer. |
36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. |
37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant. |
38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. |
39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. |
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! |
41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel. |
42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy. |
43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan: |
44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink. |
45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. |
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust. |
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost. |
48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts. |
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; |
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. |
54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased. |
55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents. |
56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies: |
57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. |
58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. |
59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel: |
60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men; |
61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand. |
62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance. |
63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage. |
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation. |
65 Then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine. |
66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach. |
67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: |
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved. |
69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever. |
70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: |
71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. |
72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. |
78 This psalm is a narrative of the great mercies God had bestowed upon Israel, the great sins wherewith they had provoked him, and the many tokens of his displeasure at them. Here is, The preface, Psa 78:1-8.
The general scope of this psalm, Psa 78:9-11.
As to the particulars, we are told, what God had done for them; how ungrateful they were for his favours; how God had justly punished them; and how graciously he had spared them, notwithstanding all their provocations, Psa 78:12-72.
Maschil of Asaph.
78:34 Returned - From their idols.Enquired - Speedily sought to God for ease and safety.
78:35 Redeemer - That God alone had preserved them in all their former exigencies, and that he only could help them.
78:36 Lied - They made but false protestations of their sincere resolutions of future obedience.
78:42 Hand - The glorious works of his hand. Enemy - That remarkable day, in which God delivered them from their greatest enemy, Pharaoh.
78:45 Flies - These flies were doubtless extraordinary in their nature, and hurtful qualities. And the like is to be thought concerning the frogs.
78:46 Labour - The herbs which were come up by their care and labour.
78:47 Sycamore - trees - Under these and the vines, all other trees are comprehended. This hail and frost destroyed the fruit of the trees, and sometimes the trees themselves.
78:49 Evil angels - Whom God employed in producing these plagues.
78:51 Ham - Of the Egyptians, the posterity of Ham, the cursed children of a cursed parent.
78:54 Holy place - The land of Canaan, separated by God from all other lands. Mountain - The mountainous country of Canaan; the word mountain is often used in scripture for a mountainous country.
78:57 Deceitful bow - Which either breaks when it is drawn, or shoots awry, and frustrates the archer's expectation.
78:59 Heard - Perceived or understood, it is spoken of God after the manner of men.
78:60 Shiloh - Which was placed in Shiloh. Among men - Whereby he insinuates both God's wonderful condescension, and their stupendous folly in despising so glorious a privilege.
78:61 His strength - The ark, called God's strength, Ch1 16:11, because it was the sign and pledge of his strengthput forth on his people's behalf. Glory - So the ark is called, as being the monument and seat of God's glorious presence.Enemies - The Philistines.
78:64 Priests - Hophni and Phinehas. No lamentation - No funeral solemnities; either because they were prevented by their own death, as the wife of Phinehas was, or disturbed by the invasion of the enemy.
78:66 Smote - Them with the piles. Reproach - He caused them to perpetuate their own reproach by sending back the ark of God with their golden emrods, the lasting monuments of their shame.
78:67 Refused - He would not have his ark to abide any longer in the tabernacle of Shiloh, which was in the tribe of Joseph or Ephraim.
78:68 Chose - For the seat of the ark and of God's worship.
78:69 Sanctuary - The temple of Solomon. Palaces - Magnificent and gloriously. Established - Not now to be moved from place to place, as the tabernacle was, but as a fixed place for the ark's perpetual residence.