Psalm 78:40 kjv
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Psalm 78:40 nkjv
How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, And grieved Him in the desert!
Psalm 78:40 niv
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the wasteland!
Psalm 78:40 esv
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the desert!
Psalm 78:40 nlt
Oh, how often they rebelled against him in the wilderness
and grieved his heart in that dry wasteland.
Psalm 78 40 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 15:23-24 | ...could not drink the waters of Marah, for...grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” | Waters of Marah, grumbling |
| Exod 17:2 | Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said... “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to kill us...?” | Quarreling for water (Meribah) |
| Num 14:11 | And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me...?” | Rebellion after spies' report |
| Num 14:22 | "None of the men who have seen my glory and my signs... yet have put me to the test ten times and have not obeyed my voice..." | Testing God ten times |
| Num 20:2-5 | Now there was no water... the people assembled against Moses... “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place?” | Meribah (again), lack of water |
| Num 21:5 | And the people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness?" | Complaining about food/water |
| Deut 9:7-8 | "Remember and do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day you came out of the land of Egypt..." | Wilderness wrath recollection |
| Deut 9:22 | "At Taberah also, and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah you provoked the LORD to wrath." | Specific acts of provocation |
| Ps 78:17 | Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. | Further sinning in desert |
| Ps 78:18 | They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. | Testing God for food |
| Ps 78:19-20 | They spoke against God, saying... “Can he also give bread... can he provide meat...?” | Doubting God's provision |
| Ps 78:32 | In spite of this, they still sinned; they did not believe in his wondrous works. | Continued unbelief |
| Ps 95:8-10 | "Harden not your hearts, as in the rebellion, as in the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tested me..." | Hardening hearts in wilderness |
| Isa 63:10 | But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore he turned to be their enemy and himself fought against them. | Grieving God's Holy Spirit |
| Heb 3:7-9 | "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness..." | New Testament warning (Ps 95) |
| Heb 3:17-19 | "And with whom was he provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?" | Provoked by disobedience |
| Heb 4:1-2 | Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest remains, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For good news came to us... | Warning against unbelief |
| Eph 4:30 | And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. | Direct command not to grieve Spirit |
| 1 Cor 10:5-6 | Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now these things took place as examples... | Israel's downfall as an example |
| Rom 15:4 | For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. | Scripture as instruction |
Psalm 78 verses
Psalm 78 40 Meaning
Psalm 78:40 vividly portrays the consistent pattern of ancient Israel's disobedience and rebellion against God during their wilderness wanderings. It highlights the frequency of their provocations and the emotional toll it took on the Most High, describing God as being grieved or pained by their repeated unfaithfulness despite His steadfast provision and care in the harsh desert environment.
Psalm 78 40 Context
Psalm 78 is a Maskil, an instructive psalm, presenting a historical overview of Israel's journey from their deliverance in Egypt to the establishment of the Davidic covenant. The psalm recounts God's continuous faithfulness despite Israel's persistent unfaithfulness, idolatry, and rebellion. Verse 40 specifically appears within the recounting of the forty years of wilderness wanderings, a period marked by divine provision and miraculous interventions alongside recurrent complaints and open defiance from the Israelites. This verse highlights the profound relational cost of their actions, emphasizing God's personal emotional experience of their betrayal, rather than merely his punitive response. It serves as a stark warning and a teaching moment for future generations, underscoring the severity of unfaithfulness to God.
Psalm 78 40 Word analysis
- How often (כַּמָּה - kammah): This interrogative adverb used in an exclamatory sense ("how many times!" or "how often!") emphasizes the frequent, repetitive nature of Israel's rebellious acts. It highlights the persistence and stubbornness of their defiance, not just as isolated incidents but a recurring pattern of behavior that was truly burdensome.
- they provoked him (הִמְרֻהוּ - himruhû): From the Hebrew root מָרָה (marah), meaning "to rebel," "to be rebellious," "to be defiant," "to disobey." It implies a deliberate and stubborn resistance to authority, often with a sense of embittering or bitterness. This is a strong term for outright defiance and disobedience, showing the Israelites actively challenging God's authority and wisdom, creating a bitter experience for both sides.
- in the wilderness (בַּמִּדְבָּר - bammidbar): From midbar (מִדְבָּר), meaning "wilderness," "desert." This refers to the specific geographical setting of their forty-year journey. The wilderness was a place of hardship and testing, but also a place of miraculous divine provision and intimate encounter with God (e.g., manna, water from rock, Sinai covenant). That they rebelled here, where God's sustenance was so direct and visible, underscores their ingratitude and unbelief.
- and grieved him (וַיַּעֲצִיבוּהוּ - wayyaʿaṣîvûhû): From the Hebrew root עָצַב (ʿaṣav), meaning "to hurt," "to pain," "to vex," "to grieve," "to make sad." This word conveys a deep emotional distress. It shows that God was not just angry, but personally pained and saddened by their unfaithfulness. This is a profound anthropomorphism, revealing God's deep relational sensitivity and sorrow over His people's rebellion, much like a loving parent grieved by a disobedient child.
- in the desert (בִּישִׁימוֹן - bîšîymōn): From yeshimon (יְשִׁימוֹן), also meaning "desert," "wasteland," "desolation." It functions as a poetic parallel to midbar, intensifying the sense of a barren, desolate place where one would utterly depend on God. The repetition emphasizes the setting and perhaps suggests that even in a place of such clear divine necessity, they chose rebellion, making their sin all the more pronounced in its unreasonableness and gravity.
- "How often they provoked him... and grieved him": This phrase highlights the consistent pattern and the profound impact of Israel's sin. It wasn't a one-time lapse but a habitual rebellion (provoked) that wounded God emotionally (grieved him). It shows God's infinite patience stretched thin by repeated betrayal, yet His response includes sorrow, indicating the relational bond and deep care He had for them.
- "in the wilderness... in the desert": The dual reference to the barren setting underscores the miraculous provision God continually extended in an environment that should have constantly reminded them of their utter dependence on Him. Their rebellion in such a context reveals the depths of their unfaithfulness.
Psalm 78 40 Bonus section
The anthropomorphism in "grieved him" is crucial; it reveals a God who is not distant or uncaring but deeply invested in His covenant relationship with humanity. It provides a theological basis for understanding God's suffering over sin, anticipating concepts like "grieving the Holy Spirit" in the New Testament (Eph 4:30). The didactic purpose of Psalm 78 is for subsequent generations to learn from Israel's past failures, highlighting that spiritual rebellion is a choice with profound consequences, both externally in judgment and internally in God's relational sorrow. This verse thus stands as a timeless warning against persistent unfaithfulness and an invitation to compassionate obedience.
Psalm 78 40 Commentary
Psalm 78:40 captures the lament of God over His chosen people, Israel, encapsulating the entire forty years of wilderness wandering as a time of continuous provocation and heartbreak for the Almighty. The verse does not merely state that Israel sinned, but employs vivid language to convey the deliberate nature of their rebellion ("provoked") and its emotional consequence on God ("grieved"). This isn't cold divine justice but the anguish of a compassionate Parent witnessing the repeated unfaithfulness of beloved children, even as He provides for their every need in a desolate land. The repeated setting ("wilderness," "desert") emphasizes that even in conditions requiring total reliance on divine providence, Israel chose doubt, complaint, and defiance. This serves as an eternal lesson that a pattern of disobedience not only invites divine judgment but deeply wounds the heart of a loving God, revealing His capacity for grief over humanity's persistent rebellion against His grace.