Christian Standard Bible
Psalms 78:18
18They deliberately tested God, demanding the food they craved.
Psalms 78:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
- New International Version (NIV)They willfully put God to the test by demanding the food they craved.
- English Standard Version (ESV)They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And they tested God in their heart By asking for the food of their fancy.
Context of Psalms 78:18
16He brought streams out of the stone and made water flow down like rivers. 17But they continued to sin against him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. They deliberately tested God, demanding the food they craved. 19They spoke against God, saying, “Is God able to provide food in the wilderness? 20Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out; torrents overflowed. But can he also provide bread or furnish meat for his people?”
Read all of Psalms 78Psalms 78:18 word by word
וַיְנַסּוּ־אֵ֥ל בִּלְבָבָ֑ם לִֽשְׁאָל־אֹ֥כֶל לְנַפְשָֽׁם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 78:18
- Psalms 106:14They were seized with craving in the wilderness and tested God in the desert.
- Exodus 16:2The entire Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
- Numbers 11:4The riffraff among them had a strong craving for other food. The Israelites wept again and said, “Who will feed us meat?
- 1 Corinthians 10:6Now these things took place as examples for us, so that we will not desire evil things as they did.
- James 4:2You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and wage war. You do not have because you do not ask.
Commentaries on Psalms 78:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18By asking meat for their lust - לנפשם lenaphsham, "for their souls," i.e., for their lives; for they said in their hearts that the light bread, the manna, was not sufficient to sustain their natural force, and preserve their lives. It seems, however, from the expression, that they were wholly carnal; that they had no spirituality of mind; they were earthly, animal, and devilish.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18And they tempted God in their heart - Exodus 16:2. The heart was the source of the evil. They were not satisfied with what he gave them. They asked for that which would be more agreeable to them, and they did it with a complaining and a murmuring spirit. It is not wrong in itself to ask of God that which will be better than what we now possess, for that is the object of all our prayers; but this may be done from a wrong motive - for mere…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 9-39Verses 9-39 Sin dispirits men, and takes away the heart. Forgetfulness of God's works is the cause of disobedience to his laws. This narrative relates a struggle between God's goodness and man's badness. The Lord hears all our murmurings and distrusts, and is much displeased. Those that will not believe the power of God's mercy, shall feel the fire of his indignation. Those cannot be said to trust in God's salvation as their happiness at last, who can not…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-31Israel rebelled in the wilderness despite God’s abundant provision.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-2017-20. yet more--literally, "added to sin," instead of being led to repentance (Ro 2:4).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 78:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 78
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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