1Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; extend your ears to the words of my mouth. 2I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old, 3which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4We will not hide them from their children, recounting to the following generation the praises of Jehovah, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. 5For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a Law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should declare them to their children; 6that the following generation might know them, the children who would be born, that they might arise and recount them to their children, 7that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of the Mighty God, but keep His commandments; 8and might not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit has not been faithful to the Mighty God. 9The sons of Ephraim, being armed to shoot with their bows, turned back in the day of battle. 10They did not keep the Covenant of God; they refused to walk in His Law, 11and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them. 12He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. 13He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; and He made the waters stand up like a heap. 14In the daytime also He led them with the cloud, and all the night with a light of fire. 15He split the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink in abundance from the depths. 16He also brought streams out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers. 17But they sinned even more against Him by rebelling against the Most High in the wilderness. 18And they tested the Mighty God in their heart by asking for food for the lust of their soul. 19Yes, they spoke against God: They said, Can the Mighty God set a table in the wilderness? 20Behold, He struck the rock, so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people? 21Therefore Jehovah heard this and was furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel, 22because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation; 23though He had commanded the clouds above, and opened the doors of the heavens, 24had rained down manna upon them to eat, and given them of the grain of the heavens. 25Men ate the bread of the mighty; He sent them food to the full. 26He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; and by His power He brought in the south wind. 27He also rained flesh upon them like the dust, and winged birds like the sand of the seas; 28and He let them fall into the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings. 29So they ate and were abundantly satisfied, for He gave them their own desire. 30They were not deprived of their lust; but while their food was still in their mouths, 31the wrath of God came upon them, and killed the fattest of them, and struck down the choice men of Israel. 32For all this they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works. 33Therefore He brought an end to their days in vanity, and their years in dismay. 34When He killed them, then they sought after Him; and they returned and sought earnestly for the Mighty God. 35Then they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God was the One who redeemed them. 36Nevertheless they deceived Him with their mouths, and they lied to Him with their tongues; 37for their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant. 38But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them; yea, many a time He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath; 39for He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes away and does not come again. 40How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert! 41Yea, they turned back and tempted the Mighty God, and troubled the Holy One of Israel. 42They did not remember His hand, the day when He ransomed them from the enemy, 43when He brought to pass His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the fields of Zoan; 44turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, so that they could not drink. 45He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them. 46He also gave their crops to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust. 47He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost. 48He also gave up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to lightning. 49He cast upon them His burning anger, wrath, indignation, and distress, by sending evil angels. 50He made a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, but gave their life over to the plague, 51and struck all the firstborn in Egypt, the first of their strength in the tents of Ham. 52But He made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock; 53and He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies. 54And He brought them to the border of His sanctuary, this mountain which His right hand had acquired. 55He also drove out the nations before them, allotted them an inheritance by a surveyor's line, and made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents. 56Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, and did not keep His Testimonies, 57but turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; they were turned aside like a deceitful bow. 58For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images. 59When God heard this, He was angry, and greatly despised Israel, 60so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He had placed among men, 61and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy's hand. 62He also gave His people over to the sword, and was angry with His inheritance. 63The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not given in marriage. 64Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation. 65Then the Lord awoke as if from sleep, like a mighty man overcome with wine. 66And He struck His enemies; He put them to a perpetual reproach. 67Moreover He rejected the tent of Joseph, and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim, 68but chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which He loved. 69And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He has founded forever. 70He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; 71from following the ewes nursing their young He brought him, to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance. 72So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 This Psalm appears to have been occasioned by the removal of the sanctuary from Shiloh in the tribe of Ephraim to Zion in the tribe of Judah, and the coincident transfer of pre-eminence in Israel from the former to the latter tribe, as clearly evinced by David's settlement as the head of the Church and nation. Though this was the execution of God's purpose, the writer here shows that it also proceeded from the divine judgment on Ephraim, under whose leadership the people had manifested the same sinful and rebellious character which had distinguished their ancestors in Egypt. (Psa. 78:1-72)
my people . . . my law--the language of a religious teacher (
Ps 78:2;
Lam 3:14;
Rom 2:16,
Rom 2:27; compare
Ps 49:4). The history which follows was a "dark saying," or riddle, if left unexplained, and its right apprehension required wisdom and attention.
3 This history had been handed down (
Exod 12:14;
Deut 6:20) for God's honor, and that the principles of His law might be known and observed by posterity. This important sentiment is reiterated in (
Ps 78:7-
Ps 78:8) negative form.
5 testimony-- (
Ps 19:7).
8 stubborn and rebellious-- (
Deut 21:18).
set not their heart--on God's service (
2Chr 12:14).
9 The privileges of the first-born which belonged to Joseph (
1Chr 5:1-2) were assigned to Ephraim by Jacob (
Gen 48:1). The supremacy of the tribe thus intimated was recognized by its position (in the marching of the nation to Canaan) next to the ark (
Num 2:18-
Num 2:24), by the selection of the first permanent locality for the ark within its borders at Shiloh, and by the extensive and fertile province given for its possession. Traces of this prominence remained after the schism under Rehoboam, in the use, by later writers, of Ephraim for Israel (compare
Hos 5:3-
Hos 5:14;
Hos 11:3-
Hos 11:12). Though a strong, well-armed tribe, and, from an early period, emulous and haughty (compare
Josh 17:14;
Judg 8:1-
Judg 8:3;
2Sam 19:41), it appears, in this place, that it had rather led the rest in cowardice than courage; and had incurred God's displeasure, because, diffident of His promise, though often heretofore fulfilled, it had failed as a leader to carry out the terms of the covenant, by not driving out the heathen (
Exod 23:24;
Deut 31:16;
2Kgs 17:15).
12 A record of God's dealings and the sins of the people is now made. The writer gives the history from the exode to the retreat from Kadesh; then contrasts their sins with their reasons for confidence, shown by a detail of God's dealings in Egypt, and presents a summary of the subsequent history to David's time.
Zoan--for Egypt, as its ancient capital (
Num 13:22;
Isa 19:11).
15 There were two similar miracles (
Exod 17:6;
Num 20:11).
great depths--and--rivers--denote abundance.
17 yet more--literally, "added to sin," instead of being led to repentance (
Rom 2:4).
18 in their heart-- (
Matt 15:19).
for their lust--literally, "soul," or, "desire."
provoking--and--tempted--illustrated by their absurd doubts,
19 in the face of His admitted power.
21 fire--the effect of the "anger" (
Num 11:1).
22 (Compare
Heb 8:8-
Heb 8:9).
23 (Compare
Exod 16:11-
Exod 16:15;
Num 11:4-
Num 11:9).
25 angels' food--literally, "bread of the mighty" (compare
Ps 105:40); so called, as it came from heaven.
meat--literally, "victuals," as for a journey.
29 their . . . desire--what they longed for.
30 not estranged . . . lust--or, "desire"--that is, were indulging it.
31 slew . . . fattest--or, "among the fattest"; some of them--
chosen--the young and strong (
Isa 40:31), and so none could resist.
33 Though there were partial reformations after chastisement, and God, in pity, withdrew His hand for a time, yet their general conduct was rebellious, and He was thus provoked to waste and destroy them, by long and fruitless wandering in the desert.
36 lied . . . tongues--a feigned obedience (
Ps 18:44).
37 heart . . . not right--or, "firm" (compare
Ps 78:8;
Ps 51:10).
39 a wind . . . again--literally, "a breath," thin air (compare
Ps 103:16;
Jas 4:14).
40 There were ten temptations (
Num 14:22).
41 limited--as in
Ps 78:19-
Ps 78:20. Though some prefer "grieved" or "provoked." The retreat from Kadesh (
Deut 1:19-
Deut 1:23) is meant, whether--
turned--be for turning back, or to denote repetition of offense.
43 wrought--set or held forth.
45 The dog-fly or the mosquito.
46 caterpillar--the Hebrew name, from its voracity, and that of--
locust--from its multitude.
47 The additional effects of the storm here mentioned (compare
Exod 9:23-
Exod 9:34) are consistent with Moses' account.
48 gave . . . cattle--literally, "shut up" (compare
Ps 31:8).
49 evil angels--or, "angels of evil"--many were perhaps employed, and other evils inflicted.
50 made a way--removed obstacles, gave it full scope.
51 chief of their strength--literally, "first-fruits," or, "first-born" (
Gen 49:3;
Deut 21:17).
Ham--one of whose sons gave name (Mizraim, Hebrew) to Egypt.
52 made his . . . forth--or, brought them by periodical journeys (compare
Exod 15:1).
54 border of his sanctuary--or, "holy border"--i. e., region of which--
this mountain--(Zion) was, as the seat of civil and religious government, the representative, used for the whole land, as afterwards for the Church (
Isa 25:6-
Isa 25:7).
purchased--or, "procured by His right hand" or power (
Ps 60:5).
55 by line--or, the portion thus measured.
divided them--that is, the heathen, put for their possessions, so tents--that is, of the heathen (compare
Deut 6:11).
56 a deceitful bow--which turns back, and so fails to project the arrow (
2Sam 1:22;
Hos 7:16). They relapsed.
58 Idolatry resulted from sparing the heathen (compare
Ps 78:9-
Ps 78:11).
59 heard--perceived (
Gen 11:7).
abhorred--but not utterly.
60 tent . . . placed--literally, "caused to dwell," set up (
Josh 18:1).
61 his strength--the ark, as symbolical of it (
Ps 96:6).
62 gave--or, "shut up."
his people-- (
Ps 78:48;
1Sam 4:10-17).
63 fire--either figure of the slaughter (
1Sam 4:10), or a literal burning by the heathen.
given to marriage--literally, "praised"--that is, as brides.
64 (Compare
1Sam 4:17); and there were, doubtless, others.
made no lamentation--either because stupefied by grief, or hindered by the enemy.
65 (Compare
Ps 22:16;
Isa 42:13).
66 And he smote . . . part--or, "struck His enemies' back." The Philistines never regained their position after their defeats by David.
67 tabernacle of Joseph--or, "home," or, "tribe," to which--
tribe of Ephraim--is parallel (compare
Rev 7:8). Its pre-eminence was, like Saul's, only permitted. Judah had been the choice (
Gen 49:10).
69 Exalted as--
high palaces--or, "mountains," and abiding as--the earth.
70 God's sovereignty was illustrated in this choice. The contrast is striking--humility and exaltation--and the correspondence is beautiful.
71 following . . . ewes, &c.--literally, "ewes giving suck" (compare
Isa 40:11). On the pastoral terms, compare
Ps 79:13.
