Psalm 78:36-72
King James Version
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.
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Psalm 78:36-72
1599 Geneva Bible
36 But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue.
37 For their [a]heart was not upright with him: neither were they faithful in his covenant.
38 Yet he being merciful, [b]forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not, but oft times called back his anger, and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 For he remembered that they were flesh: yea, a wind that passeth and cometh not again.
40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness? and grieve him in the desert?
41 Yea, they [c]returned and tempted God, and [d]limited the Holy one of Israel.
42 They [e]remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy,
43 Nor him that set his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan,
44 And turned their rivers into blood, and their floods, that they could not drink.
45 He sent [f]a swarm of flies among them, which devoured them, and frogs, which destroyed them.
46 He [g]gave also their fruits unto the caterpillar, and their labor unto the grasshopper.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their wild fig trees with the hailstone.
48 He gave their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to the thunderbolts.
49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, indignation and wrath, and vexation by the sending out of [h]evil angels.
50 He made a way to his anger: he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life to the pestilence,
51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, even the [i]beginning of their strength in the tabernacles of [j]Ham.
52 But he made his people to go out like sheep, and led them in the wilderness like a flock.
53 Yea, he carried them out safely, and they [k]feared not, and the Sea covered their enemies.
54 And he brought them unto the borders of his [l]Sanctuary: even to this Mountain which his right hand purchased.
55 (A)He cast out the heathen also before them, and caused them to fall to the lot of his inheritance, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tabernacles.
56 Yet they tempted, and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies,
57 But turned back, and dealt [m]falsely like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.
58 And they [n]provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to wrath with their graven images.
59 God heard this and was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel,
60 So that he [o]forsook the habitation of Shiloh, even the Tabernacle where he dwelt among men,
61 And delivered his [p]power into captivity, and his beauty into the enemy’s hand.
62 And he gave up his people to the sword, and was angry with his inheritance.
63 The fire [q]devoured their chosen men, and their maids were not [r]praised.
64 Their Priests fell by the sword, and their [s]widows lamented not.
65 But the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and as a strong man that after his [t]wine crieth out,
66 And smote his enemies in the hinder parts, and put them to a perpetual shame.
67 Yet he refused the tabernacle of [u]Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, and mount Zion which he loved.
69 And he [v]built his Sanctuary as an high palace, like the earth, which he established forever.
70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.
71 Even from behind the ewes with young, brought he him to feed his people in Jacob, and his inheritance in Israel.
72 So [w]he fed them according to the simplicity of his heart, and guided them by the discretion of his hands.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Psalm 78:37 Whatsoever cometh not from the pure fountain of the heart, is hypocrisy.
- Psalm 78:38 Because he would ever have some remnant of a Church to praise his Name in earth, he suffered not their sins to overcome his mercy.
- Psalm 78:41 That is, they tempted him oft times.
- Psalm 78:41 As they all do that measure the power of God by their capacity.
- Psalm 78:42 The forgetfulness of God’s benefits is the root of rebellion and all vice.
- Psalm 78:45 This word signifieth a confused mixture of flies and venomous worms. Some take it for all sorts of serpents: some for all wild beasts.
- Psalm 78:46 He repeateth not here all the miracles that God did in Egypt, but certain which might be sufficient to convince the people of malice and ingratitude.
- Psalm 78:49 So called either of the effect, that is, of punishing the wicked: or else because they were wicked spirits, whom God permitted to vex men.
- Psalm 78:51 The firstborn are so called, as Gen. 49:3.
- Psalm 78:51 That is, Egypt: for it was called Mizraim, or Egypt of Mizraim that was the son of Ham.
- Psalm 78:53 That is, they had none occasion to fear, forasmuch as God destroyed their enemies, and delivered them safely.
- Psalm 78:54 Meaning, Canaan, which God had consecrated to himself, and appointed to his people.
- Psalm 78:57 Nothing more displeaseth God in the children, than when they continue in that wickedness, which their fathers had begun.
- Psalm 78:58 By serving God otherwise than he had appointed.
- Psalm 78:60 For their ingratitude he suffered the Philistines to take the Ark, which was the sign of his presence, from among them.
- Psalm 78:61 The Ark is called his power and beauty, because thereby he defended his people, and beautifully appeared unto them.
- Psalm 78:63 They were suddenly destroyed, 1 Sam. 4:10.
- Psalm 78:63 They had no marriage songs: that is, they were not married.
- Psalm 78:64 Either they were slain before, or taken prisoners of their enemies, and so were forbidden.
- Psalm 78:65 Because they were drunken in their sins, they judged God’s patience to be a slumbering, as though he were drunken, therefore he answering their beastly judgment, saith, he will awake and take sudden vengeance.
- Psalm 78:67 Showing that he spared not altogether the Israelites, though he punished their enemies.
- Psalm 78:69 By building the Temple, and established the kingdom, he declareth that the signs of his favor were among them.
- Psalm 78:72 He showeth wherein a king’s charge standeth: to wit, to provide faithfully for his people, to guide them by counsel, and defend them by power.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
