Psalms 78:36 — Word Study
WLCוַיְפַתּ֥וּהוּ בְּפִיהֶ֑ם וּ֝בִלְשׁוֹנָ֗ם יְכַזְּבוּ־ לֽוֹ׃
BSABut they deceived Himpâthâh▸ [flattered, tried to deceive] with their mouthspeh [lips, words] and liedkâzab▸ [dissembled, spoke falsely] with their tongueslâshôwn [language, speech]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיְפַתּ֥וּהוּ | and they deceived him | Verb piel sequential imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| בְּפִיהֶ֑ם | with mouth their | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּ֝בִלְשׁוֹנָ֗ם | and with tongue their | Conjunction, preposition, noun common both singular construct |
| יְכַזְּבוּ־ | they lied | Verb, Piel, imperfect third person masculine plural |
| לֽוֹ׃ | to him | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues. |
| KJV | Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. |
| ASV | But they flattered him with their mouth, And lied unto him with their tongue. |
| YLT | And — they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him, |
| WEB | But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue. |
| BBE | But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him; |
There are no significant differences among the translations.
The sentence has a main clause with two subordinate phrases detailing how the deception occurred.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbכָּזַב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 78:36
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Unfaithfulness of Israelgenerated
Psalm 78:36 reflects on how the people of Israel, despite knowing God's greatness, chose to deceive Him through their words. This verse highlights a recurring theme in the psalm, where the psalmist recounts Israel's history of unfaithfulness and God's enduring compassion, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 106:12–13 | Then they believed His promises and sang His praise. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 5:28–29 | And the LORD heard the words you spoke to me, and He said to me, “I have heard the words that these people have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. |
| 3 | Isaiah 29:13 | Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men. |
| 4 | Ezekiel 33:31 | So My people come to you as usual, sit before you, and hear your words; but they do not put them into practice. Although they express love with their mouths, their hearts pursue dishonest gain. |
| 5 | Hosea 11:12 | Ephraim surrounds Me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יְכַזְּבוּ, ye.kha.ze.vu-generated
The verb כָּזַב (kazab) means to lie or deceive. It carries a sense of dishonesty and falsehood, often used to describe actions that oppose God's truth.
In this verse, the form יְכַזְּבוּ indicates a third person masculine plural imperfect tense, showing that the people are actively engaging in this deception. The use of this verb underscores the seriousness of their actions against God.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations of this verse generally agree on the meaning, employing terms like deceived and lied.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is יְפַתּ֥וּ, they deceived, which governs the action of the sentence. Two phrases follow: a prepositional phrase indicating how they deceived Him and a second clause indicating what they did with their tongues.
The structure emphasizes the actions of the people towards God, with the verbs leading the sentence and the phrases detailing the means of their deception.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יְכַזְּבוּ as ἐψεύσαντο, which means 'they lied'. This choice maintains the focus on the act of lying, consistent with the Hebrew meaning.
This translation shows a direct correspondence to the Hebrew, emphasizing the deceptive nature of the people's speech.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 78:36 tells us that the people deceived God with their words and lied to Him with their speech. This verse highlights their unfaithfulness and the contrast with God's compassion, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
To deceive God with words means to use speech that misrepresents one's true intentions or feelings, often implying hypocrisy.
This verse illustrates the theme of Israel's unfaithfulness throughout their history, contrasting their actions with God's enduring mercy.
Lying to God is significant because it reflects a deeper disloyalty and misunderstanding of His nature and expectations.
We can learn the importance of honesty in our relationship with God and the dangers of hypocrisy in our words.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways might I be deceiving God with my words or actions?
- How can I ensure that my speech reflects my true intentions and faithfulness to God?
- What steps can I take to cultivate a more honest relationship with God?
- How does understanding Israel's history of unfaithfulness help me in my own spiritual journey?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers reference this verse to discuss themes of hypocrisy and true faithfulness, highlighting the need for sincerity in one's relationship with God.
Let us cleave, therefore, to those who cultivate peace with godliness, and not to those who hypocritically profess to desire it.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 78 →
Lastly, here let us see the words following: "And they loved Him," he says, "in their mouth, and in their tongue they lied unto Him" [Psalms 78:36].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 78 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 78:36 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleNevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouth,.... In prayer to him, they only drew nigh to him with their mouths, and honoured him with their lips; they showed much love to him and his ways
Read John Gill on Psalms 78 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryMarvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 78 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThey made glorious but false professions and protestations of their sincere resolutions of future obedience, if God would spare them.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 78 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 78:36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. Ver 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth] They looked pitifully, as the fox caught in a gin doth, but it is only to get out; they spake God fair, as the devil in the Gospel did our Saviour, but it was only to be rid of him. They worshipped him, as the Indians do the devil, that he may do them no hurt. The Latin word Colo, to worship, is by some derived of the Greek word κολακευειν, to flatter, and the English word flatter, from the Greek λατρευειν, to worship. Sure it is that many men’ s devotion is mere dissimulation. And they lied unto him] sc. While they called…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 78 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 36. Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth] What idea could such people have of God, whom they supposed they could thus deceive? They promised well, they called him their God, and their fathers' God; and told him how good, and kind, and merciful he had been to them. Thus, their mouth flattered him. And they said that, whatever the Lord their God commanded them to do, they would perform. And they lied unto him.] I think the Vulgate gives the true sense of the Hebrew: Dilexerunt eum in ore suo; et lingua sua mentiti sunt ei, - "They loved him with their mouth; and they lied unto him with their tongue." "That is," says the old Psalter, "thai sayde thai lufed God, bot thai…
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 78 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges36. But they flattered him with their mouth, And lied unto him with their tongue (R.V.). As though God were a man who could be deceived by hypocrisy. Cp. Isaiah 29:13. According to the Massoratic reckoning, this is the middle of the 2527 verses of the Psalter, but it must be remembered that the titles of the Psalms are frequently reckoned as verses in the Hebrew text (Introd. p. xvi).
Read Cambridge on Psalms 78 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleNevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth - The word rendered “flatter” means properly “to open;” and hence, “to be open; to be ingenious or frank;” and then, to be easily persuaded, to be
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 78 →The verse in English, compared — 16 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.
But they deceived Him with their mouths, and lied to Him with their tongues.
But they deceived him with their words, and lied to him.
Tyndale line
Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.
But they flattered him with their mouth, And lied unto him with their tongue.
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue.
Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouth, and they lied to him with their tongues.
But they flattered him with their mouth, and dissembled with him with their tongue.
Strictly literal
But they flattered him with their mouth, and lied unto him with their tongue;
And — they deceive Him with their mouth, And with their tongue do lie to Him,
And they deceive Him with their mouth, || And lie to Him with their tongue,
Nevertheless they prayed insincerely to him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied unto him.
But they would flatter him with their mouth and lie to him with their words.
Simplified
They flattered him by what they told him, but they were only lying.
But their lips were false to him, and their tongues were untrue to him;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint agree in their wording, with the Septuagint providing a direct translation of the Hebrew. The Dead Sea Scrolls also align closely with the Masoretic Text, although some words were supplied by an editor due to damage.
וַיְפַתּ֥וּהוּ בְּפִיהֶ֑ם וּ֝בִלְשׁוֹנָ֗ם יְכַזְּבוּ־ לֽוֹ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[ויפתו׳הו] [בפי׳הם] [ובלשונ׳ם] [יכזבו] [ל׳ו]
nothing on the leather here — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 78:36
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
פָּתָה (pathah) is a Hebrew verb that means to be spacious or open, and it can also imply simplicity or gullibility. It encompasses a range of meanings from enticing and deceiving to persuading and being persuaded. The lexicons suggest that it can refer to both physical openness and moral or mental simplicity, with some entries indicating a sinister aspect of deception.
[פָּתָה] vb. be spacious, wide, open
Qal poss. one open as to lips
Hiph. may God make wide for Japhet (give him an extensive inheritance)
base
[פָּתָה] vb. denom. be simple
Qal
be open-minded (?), simple
be enticed, deceived
Niph. be deceived
Pielpersuade, woman, seduce, virgin; entice, husband; a man to sin
deceive
Pual
be persuaded
be deceived
base
H6601a פָּתָה be spacious, wide, open H6601b [פָּתָה] vb. denom. be simple
.
. be open-minded (?), simple
. be enticed, deceived
. be deceived
.
. persuade, woman, seduce, virgin; entice, husband; a man to sin
. deceive
.
. be persuaded
. be deceived
6601 pathah paw-thaw'
a primitive root; to open, i.e. be (causatively, make) roomy;
usually figuratively (in a mental or moral sense) to be
(causatively, make) simple or (in a sinister way)
delude:--allure, deceive, enlarge, entice, flatter, persuade,
silly (one).
פָּתָה (pa.tah) — to open wide.
1) to be spacious, be open, be wide
1a) (Qal) to be spacious or open or wide
1b) (Hiphil) to make spacious, make open
פָּתָה (pa.tah) — to entice.
1) to be simple, entice, deceive, persuade
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be open-minded, be simple, be naive
1a2) to be enticed, be deceived
1b) (Niphal) to be deceived, be gullible
1c) (Piel)
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to persuade, seduce
1c2) to deceive
1d) (Pual)
1d1) to be persuaded
1d2) to be deceived
Conj | V-Piel-ConsecImperf-3mp | Suff — Verb piel sequential imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHc/Vpw3mp/Sp3ms
The Hebrew word פֶּה (*peh*) means 'mouth' and encompasses various meanings, including the mouth of a person or animal, as well as openings or orifices. It can also refer to speech, edges, and portions. Additionally, it denotes a weight equal to one third of a shekel, found in 1 Samuel 13:21.
פֶּה 485 n.m. mouth
mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking
external organ
much oftener, as organ of speech, of man
as laughing; panting
of God
of idols
of musical instr. = sound
of animals; hence of edge of sword
mouth = opening, orifice
extremity, end
= portion
with preps.
base
H6310 פֶּה mouth . . mouth, of man, organ of eating and drinking
. external organ
. . much oftener, as organ of speech, of man
. as laughing; panting
. of God
. of idols
. of musical instr. = sound
. of animals
. mouth = opening, orifice
. . extremity, end
. = portion
. with preps.
6310 peh peh
from 6284; the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether
literal or figurative (particularly speech); specifically
edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition)
according to:--accord(-ing as, -ing to), after, appointment,
assent, collar, command(-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, +
file, hole, X in, mind, mouth, part, portion, X (should)
say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, X spoken, talk,
tenor, X to, + two-edged, wish, word.
see HEBREW for 06284
פֶּה (peh) — lip.
: lip/mouth
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21
פֶּה (peh) — lip: edge.
: edge
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
2) a weight equal to one third of a shekel, occurs only in 1Sa 13:21
פֶּה (peh) — lip: word.
: word/command
peh
1) mouth
1a) mouth (of man)
1b) mouth (as organ of speech)
1c) mouth (of animals)
1d) mouth, opening, orifice (of a well, river, etc)
1e) extremity, end pim
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word לָשׁוֹן (*lashon*) primarily means 'tongue,' referring to both the organ of speech in humans and animals. It can also denote 'language' and has figurative uses, such as a 'tongue-shaped' wedge or bay. The entries highlight its literal and metaphorical applications, but do not present any significant disagreements among the lexicons.
לָשׁוֹן n.m. and (more oft.) f. tongue
tongue of men
= language
tongue of animals
tongue of fire
= (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold
= (tongue-shaped) bay of sea
base
H3956 לָשׁוֹן tongue . tongue of men
. = language
. tongue of animals
. tongue of fire
. = (tongue-shaped) wedge of gold
. = (tongue-shaped) bay of sea
3956 lashown law-shone'
or lashon {law-shone'}; also (in plural) feminine lshonah
{lesh-o-naw'}; from 3960; the tongue (of man or animals), used
literally (as the instrument of licking, eating, or speech),
and figuratively (speech, an ingot, a fork of flame, a cove of
water):--+ babbler,bay, + evil speaker, language, talker,
tongue, wedge.
see HEBREW for 03960
לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue.
: tongue/words
1) tongue
1a) tongue (of men)
1a1) tongue (literal)
1a2) tongue (organ of speech)
1b) language
1c) tongue (of animals)
1d) tongue (of fire)
1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)
לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue: language.
: language
1) tongue
1a) tongue (of men)
1a1) tongue (literal)
1a2) tongue (organ of speech)
1b) language
1c) tongue (of animals)
1d) tongue (of fire)
1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)
לָשׁוֹן (la.shon) — tongue: bar.
: bar/projection/bay
1) tongue
1a) tongue (of men)
1a1) tongue (literal)
1a2) tongue (organ of speech)
1b) language
1c) tongue (of animals)
1d) tongue (of fire)
1e) wedge, bay of sea (tongue-shaped)
Conj | Prep | N-cs | Suff — Conjunction · preposition · noun common both singular construct · suffixHC/R/Ncbsc/Sp3mp
כָּזַב (kazab) is a Hebrew verb meaning to lie or deceive. It encompasses various forms, including being a liar, telling a lie, and failing or disappointing. The entries indicate its use in different stems, such as Qal, Niphal, Piel, and Hiphil, which express nuances of lying and deception. One example noted is the phrase, "who will make me a liar?"
[כָּזַב] vb. lie, be a liar
Qal Pt.
Niph. his hope has been made deceptive
Pi.
lie, tell a lie
disappoint, fail
Hiph. who will make me a liar? i.e. prove me to be so
base
H3576 כָּזַב lie, be a liar .Pt.
. his hope has been made deceptive
. . lie, tell a lie
. disappoint, fail
. who will make me a liar? i.e. prove me to be so
3576 kazab kaw-zab'
a primitive root; to lie (i.e. deceive), literally or
figuratively:--fail, (be found a, make a) liar, lie, lying, be
in vain.
כָּזַב (ka.zav) — to lie.
1) to lie, tell a lie, be a liar, be found a liar, be in vain, fail
1a) (Qal) liar (participle)
1b) (Niphal) to be proven to be lying
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to lie, tell a lie, tell a lie with, deceive
1c2) to disappoint, fail
1d) (Hiphil) to make a liar, prove to be a liar
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp — Verb · Piel · imperfect third person masculine pluralHVpi3mp
וֹ (o) — him.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine singular
HR/Sp3ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3ms