God’s Word Translation
Psalms 78:9
9The men of Ephraim, well-equipped with bows ⌞and arrows⌟, turned ⌞and ran⌟ on the day of battle.
Psalms 78:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
- New International Version (NIV)The men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle;
- English Standard Version (ESV)The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle.
- New King James Version (NKJV)The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle.
Context of Psalms 78:9
7to trust God, to remember what he has done, and to obey his commands. 8Then they will not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation. Their hearts were not loyal. Their spirits were not faithful to God. The men of Ephraim, well-equipped with bows ⌞and arrows⌟, turned ⌞and ran⌟ on the day of battle. 10They had not been faithful to God’s promise. They refused to follow his teachings. 11They forgot what he had done— the miracles that he had shown them.
Read all of Psalms 78Psalms 78:9 word by word
בְּֽנֵי־אֶפְרַ֗יִם נוֹשְׁקֵ֥י רוֹמֵי־קָ֑שֶׁת הָ֝פְכ֗וּ בְּי֣וֹם קְרָֽב׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 78:9
- 1 Chronicles 7:20Ephraim’s son was Shuthelah. Shuthelah’s son was Bered. Bered’s son was Tahath. Tahath’s son was Eleadah. Eleadah’s son was Tahath.
- Deuteronomy 1:41You responded, “We have sinned against the Lord. We’ll go and fight, as the Lord our God commanded us to do.” Each of you armed yourself for war, thinking you could easily invade the mountain region.
- Joshua 17:16Joseph’s descendants responded, “The mountains are not enough for us either. Besides, all the Canaanites living in the valley, in Beth Shean and its villages, and in the valley of Jezreel have chariots made of iron.”
- 1 Samuel 4:10The Philistines fought and defeated Israel. Every ⌞Israelite⌟ soldier fled to his tent. It was a major defeat in which 30,000 Israelite foot soldiers died.
- 1 Samuel 31:1When the Philistines were fighting against Israel, the men of Israel fled from the Philistines and were killed in battle on Mount Gilboa.
- Judges 9:28Gaal (son of Ebed) said, “Who’s Abimelech, and who are we, the people of Shechem, that we should serve him? Isn’t he Jerubbaal’s son, and isn’t Zebul his officer? Serve the descendants of Hamor, Shechem’s father! Why should we serve Abimelech?
- Luke 22:33But Peter said to him, “Lord, I’m ready to go to prison with you and to die with you.”
Commentaries on Psalms 78:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9The children of Ephraim - turned back - This refers to some defeat of the Ephraimites; and some think to that by the men of Gath, mentioned 1 Chronicles 7:21. R. D. Kimchi says this defeat of the Ephraimites was in the desert; and although the story be not mentioned in the law, yet it is written in the Books of the Chronicles, where we read, on the occasion of "Zabad the Ephraimite, and Shuthelah, etc., whom the men of Gath, who were born in the land…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9The children of Ephraim - The sons of Ephraim; that is, the descendants of Ephraim; the tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim was one of the “largest” of the tribes of Israel, and was the “chief” tribe in the rebellion, and hence, the term is often used to denote the “ten” tribes, or the kingdom of Israel, in contradistinction from that of Judah. See Isaiah 7:2, Isaiah 7:5, Isaiah 7:8-9, Isaiah 7:17; Isaiah 11:13; Isaiah 28:1. The word is evidently used in this sense…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. 9-11Ephraim was the second son of Joseph. He received a special blessing from Jacob (Genesis 48:15–20; 49:22–26; Deuteronomy 33:13–17). His descendants inherited land with fertile valleys and important roads (Judges 8:2). However, the people of Ephraim did not follow God's covenant.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 9-119-11. The privileges of the first-born which belonged to Joseph (1Ch 5:1, 2) were assigned to Ephraim by Jacob (Ge 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 (Nu 2:18-24), 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…Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 78:9
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries