Psalms 78:40
Psalms 78:40 in Multiple Translations
How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, And grieve him in the desert!
How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, giving him grief in the desert!
How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes? and grieue him in the desert?
How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Many times our ancestors rebelled against God in the desert and caused him to become very sad.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 78:40
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 78:40 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
כַּ֭/מָּה
יַמְר֣וּ/הוּ
בַ/מִּדְבָּ֑ר
יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּ/הוּ
בִּֽ/ישִׁימֽוֹן
כַּ֭/מָּה
mâh
H4100
what?
Prep | Part
יַמְר֣וּ/הוּ
mârâh
H4784
to rebel
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff
בַ/מִּדְבָּ֑ר
midbâr
H4057
mouth
Prep | N-ms
יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּ/הוּ
ʻâtsab
H6087
to hurt
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff
בִּֽ/ישִׁימֽוֹן
yᵉshîymôwn
H3452
wilderness
Prep | N-ms
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 78:40
כַּ֭/מָּה
mâh
H4100
"what?"
Prep | Part
This Hebrew word means what or how, often used to ask questions or express surprise, like in Genesis when God asks Adam what he has done. It can also mean why or when, and is used in various ways throughout the Old Testament. It appears in many KJV translations, including how or what.
Definition: interr pron 1) what, how, of what kind 1a) (interrogative) 1a1) what? 1a2) of what kind 1a3) what? (rhetorical) 1a4) whatsoever, whatever, what 1b) (adverb) 1b1) how, how now 1b2) why 1b3) how! (exclamation) 1c) (with prep) 1c1) wherein?, whereby?, wherewith?, by what means? 1c2) because of what? 1c3) the like of what? 1c3a) how much?, how many?, how often? 1c3b) for how long? 1c4) for what reason?, why?, to what purpose? 1c5) until when?, how long?, upon what?, wherefore? indef pron 2) anything, aught, what may
Usage: Occurs in 655 OT verses. KJV: how (long, oft, (-soever)), (no-) thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing), whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why. See also: Genesis 2:19; Numbers 21:5; 1 Samuel 19:5.
יַמְר֣וּ/הוּ
mârâh
H4784
"to rebel"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff
To rebel means to resist or disobey authority, often in a stubborn or defiant way. In the Bible, it's used to describe people's disobedience towards God or their parents.
Definition: 1) to be contentious, be rebellious, be refractory, be disobedient towards, be rebellious against 1a) (Qal) to be disobedient, be rebellious 1a1) towards father 1a2) towards God 1b) (Hiphil) to show rebelliousness, show disobedience, disobey
Usage: Occurs in 44 OT verses. KJV: bitter, change, be disobedient, disobey, grievously, provocation, provoke(-ing), (be) rebel (against, -lious). See also: Numbers 20:10; Psalms 78:17; Psalms 5:11.
בַ/מִּדְבָּ֑ר
midbâr
H4057
"mouth"
Prep | N-ms
The wilderness refers to a desert or open field, like the one the Israelites wandered in after leaving Egypt. It can also mean a place of solitude or a region without many people. In the Bible, it is often associated with the journey to the Promised Land.
Definition: 1) mouth 1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
Usage: Occurs in 257 OT verses. KJV: desert, south, speech, wilderness. See also: Genesis 14:6; Joshua 5:4; Psalms 29:8.
יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּ/הוּ
ʻâtsab
H6087
"to hurt"
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff
To shape or carve something, like a craftsman forming wood or stone, can also mean to worry or cause pain, as in the emotional distress of King David in Psalm 38:18.
Definition: 1) to hurt, pain, grieve, displease, vex, wrest 1a) (Qal) to hurt, pain 1b)(Niphal) to be in pain, be pained, be grieved 1c) (Piel) to vex, torture 1d) (Hiphil) to cause pain 1e) (Hithpael) to feel grieved, be vexed Aramaic equivalent: a.tsav (עֲצַב "to pain" H6088)
Usage: Occurs in 17 OT verses. KJV: displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex, worship, wrest. See also: Genesis 6:6; Nehemiah 8:10; Psalms 56:6.
בִּֽ/ישִׁימֽוֹן
yᵉshîymôwn
H3452
"wilderness"
Prep | N-ms
Jeshimon, or wilderness, refers to a desolate or empty place, often a desert. It is a place of solitude and emptiness, as described in the Bible.
Definition: waste, wilderness, desert, desolate place
Usage: Occurs in 13 OT verses. KJV: desert, Jeshimon, solitary, wilderness. See also: Numbers 21:20; 1 Samuel 26:3; Psalms 68:8.
Study Notes — Psalms 78:40
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 78:40 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 78:40
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 78:40
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 78:40
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 78:40
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 78:40
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 78:40
- Sermons on Psalms 78:40
Context — I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
38And yet He was compassionate; He forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them. He often restrained His anger and did not unleash His full wrath.
39He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.
40How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
41Again and again they tested God and provoked the Holy One of Israel. 42They did not remember His power — the day He redeemed them from the adversary,Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ephesians 4:30 | And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. |
| 2 | Psalms 95:8–10 | do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, where your fathers tested and tried Me, though they had seen My work. For forty years I was angry with that generation, and I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known My ways.” |
| 3 | Hebrews 3:15–17 | As it has been said: “Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion.” For who were the ones who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was God angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? |
| 4 | Isaiah 63:10 | But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them. |
| 5 | Isaiah 7:13 | Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? |
| 6 | Psalms 78:17 | But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. |
| 7 | Psalms 106:14–33 | They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert. So He granted their request, but sent a wasting disease upon them. In the camp they envied Moses, as well as Aaron, the holy one of the LORD. The earth opened up and swallowed Dathan; it covered the assembly of Abiram. Then fire blazed through their company; flames consumed the wicked. At Horeb they made a calf and worshiped a molten image. They exchanged their Glory for the image of a grass-eating ox. They forgot God their Savior, who did great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. So He said He would destroy them— had not Moses His chosen one stood before Him in the breach to divert His wrath from destroying them. They despised the pleasant land; they did not believe His promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not listen to the voice of the LORD. So He raised His hand and swore to cast them down in the wilderness, to disperse their offspring among the nations and scatter them throughout the lands. They yoked themselves to Baal of Peor and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods. So they provoked the LORD to anger with their deeds, and a plague broke out among them. But Phinehas stood and intervened, and the plague was restrained. It was credited to him as righteousness for endless generations to come. At the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came to Moses because of them. For they rebelled against His Spirit, and Moses spoke rashly with his lips. |
| 8 | Numbers 14:11 | And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, despite all the signs I have performed among them? |
| 9 | Deuteronomy 9:21–22 | And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it into the stream that came down from the mountain. You continued to provoke the LORD at Taberah, at Massah, and at Kibroth-hattaavah. |
| 10 | Psalms 107:11 | because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. |
Psalms 78:40 Summary
[Psalms 78:40 tells us that the Israelites disobeyed God many times in the wilderness, which caused Him great sorrow. This verse reminds us that our actions can either please or grieve God, and that He desires our obedience and trust, as seen in John 14:15 and 1 John 2:3-6. Just like the Israelites, we can disobey God in our own lives, but He is always ready to forgive and restore us when we turn to Him, as promised in 1 John 1:9.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to grieve God in the desert?
To grieve God means to cause Him sorrow or pain, often through disobedience or rebellion, as seen in Psalms 78:40, and this can happen even in the midst of His provision and care, as described in Exodus 16:1-36 and Numbers 11:1-35.
How often did the Israelites disobey God in the wilderness?
According to Psalms 78:40, the Israelites disobeyed God repeatedly, or 'how often', which emphasizes the frequency and persistence of their disobedience, despite God's patience and mercy, as seen in Psalms 78:38-39.
What is the significance of the wilderness in this verse?
The wilderness represents a place of testing and refining, where God's people are called to trust and obey Him, as seen in Deuteronomy 8:2-5 and Jeremiah 2:2, and the Israelites' disobedience in this context is particularly notable.
How does God's character relate to the Israelites' disobedience?
God's character is marked by compassion, forgiveness, and restraint, as seen in Psalms 78:38-39, and the Israelites' disobedience is a stark contrast to God's merciful nature, highlighting the depth of human sin and the need for redemption, as described in Romans 3:23 and Romans 5:8.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways do I disobey God in my own 'wilderness' experiences, and how can I learn to trust Him more?
- How does remembering God's power and redemption, as mentioned in Psalms 78:42, help me to obey Him and avoid grieving Him?
- What are some ways that I can 'grieve' God, and how can I avoid causing Him sorrow in my daily life?
- How can I cultivate a deeper awareness of God's presence and care in my life, even in difficult or challenging circumstances, and respond with obedience and trust?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 78:40
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness,.... Where they were not only at his mercy, having nothing to help themselves with, but had many singular mercies bestowed upon them; and yet were
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 78:40
Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 78:40
Psalms 78:40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, [and] grieve him in the desert!Ver. 40. How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness] Exclamatio pathetica. Ten times at least in the first two years, Numbers 16:1-50; Numbers 17:1-13; Numbers 18:1-32; Numbers 19:1-22 What, then, in all the rest? Quis fando possit enarrare tot rebelliones. From the very day they came out of Egypt they were always contending against the Lord, as Moses telleth them, when he was taking his leave of them, Deuteronomy 31:16-18. And grieve him in the desert] Where they were at his mercy, and at his immediate finding.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 78:40
(40) How oft.—Ten instances of murmuring are actually recorded in Exodus and Numbers.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 78:40
40–55. But as God multiplied His mercies, Israel multiplied its acts of rebellion: and in order to set the heinousness of their ingratitude in a still stronger light, the Psalmist goes back to recount the miracles which preceded and prepared for the Exodus.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 78:40
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness - Margin, Or, rebel against him. The Hebrew word may have the signification in the margin.
Sermons on Psalms 78:40
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Murmuring Against One Another by Alan Martin | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of controlling one's tongue and being slow to anger. He encourages listeners to be quick to hear and slow to speak, showing re |
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The Great Welsh Revival by Bob Doom | In this sermon, the speaker begins by referencing Psalm 78 and the importance of passing down God's laws and teachings to future generations. He laments the fact that society has n |
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Giving Your All by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of being spiritually aware and not allowing the world to dull our minds. He urges believers to constantly pray and be steward |
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Jeremiah - Prophet of the Last Days by Art Katz | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the significance of the last days for Israel and their eternal indebtedness to God's deliverance. He emphasizes the importance of examining an |
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Sermon Proof Christians by David Wilkerson | In this sermon, the speaker begins by directing the congregation to raise their hands and guiding them to a place of prayer. He quotes a verse from the Bible about prayer and suppl |
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Life Story of Keith Green - Part 2 by Melody Green | In the sermon transcripts, Keith shares his burden for revival and the need for more people to come forward and experience a true transformation in their faith. He emphasizes the i |
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Being Filled With the Spirit by Hans R. Waldvogel | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of relying on God's strength in our weakness. He encourages the congregation to look to God for strength and to trust that Hi |