Psalms 78:40 — Word Study
WLCכַּ֭מָּה יַמְר֣וּהוּ בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּהוּ בִּֽישִׁימֽוֹן׃
BSAHow oftenmâh [frequently, many times] they disobeyed Himmârâh▸ [rebelled against, resisted] in the wildernessmidbâr [desert, empty place] and grieved Himʻâtsab▸ [hurt, caused pain to] in the desertyᵉshîymôwn [wilderness, desolate place]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כַּ֭מָּה | how often! | Preposition, pronoun |
| יַמְר֣וּהוּ | they rebelled against him | Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר | in the wilderness | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
| יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּהוּ | they grieved him | Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| בִּֽישִׁימֽוֹן׃ | in a desolate place | Preposition, noun common masculine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! |
| KJV | How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! |
| ASV | How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, And grieve him in the desert! |
| YLT | How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place? |
| WEB | How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert! |
| BBE | How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places! |
The translations agree on the core meanings of the Hebrew words in this verse.
The verse consists of two main clauses connected by 'and', with additional prepositional phrases providing context.
6 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
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 78:40
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 — Israel's Disobedience in the Wildernessgenerated
Psalm 78:40 reflects on the frequent disobedience of the Israelites during their time in the wilderness, highlighting their rebellion against God and the pain it caused Him. This verse is part of a larger narrative that recounts the history of Israel's relationship with God, particularly their failures to trust and obey Him as they journeyed through the desert.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 78:17 | But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High. |
| 2 | Psalm 95:8–10 | do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness, |
| 3 | Psalm 106:14–33 | They craved intensely in the wilderness and tested God in the desert. |
| 4 | 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? |
| 5 | 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. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 9 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — יַמְר֣וּהוּ, yam.Ru.hugenerated
The word יַמְר֣וּהוּ (yamruhu) is a hiphil imperfect verb meaning 'they rebelled against him.' It comes from the root מָרָה (marah), which conveys the idea of contentiousness and rebellion, particularly against authority. In this context, it describes the Israelites' repeated acts of defiance towards God during their wanderings.
The parsing indicates that this is a third person masculine plural form, showing that the subject is the Israelites as a collective group. The use of the hiphil stem suggests a causative action, emphasizing their active choice to rebel against God's authority.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses they rebelled against Him for יַמְר֣וּהוּ.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is יַמְר֣וּ (yamru), which governs the action of rebellion. The structure includes two phrases that describe the context: a prepositional phrase indicating where the rebellion took place and another prepositional phrase describing the emotional consequence of that rebellion.
The order of the Hebrew words places emphasis on the rebellious action first, followed by the emotional response, highlighting the severity of the Israelites' actions.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates יַמְר֣וּהוּ with αὐτὸν (auton), which means 'him.' This choice reflects a direct correlation to the Hebrew, maintaining the focus on the subject of rebellion.
The translation of בִּֽישִׁימֽוֹן as ἐν (en) suggests a straightforward rendering of the place, emphasizing the desolate nature of the location.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 78:40 describes how often the Israelites disobeyed God during their time in the wilderness and the pain their actions caused Him. This verse highlights a pattern of rebellion and the emotional impact it had on their relationship with God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It indicates that the Israelites actively resisted God's authority and commands, choosing to disobey Him during their journey.
Their rebellion caused emotional pain to God, reflecting the deep relationship He had with His people and His desire for their obedience.
The wilderness represents a place of testing and dependence on God, where the Israelites were expected to trust Him but often failed.
We can reflect on our own obedience to God and consider how our actions may affect our relationship with Him.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen rebellion in my own life, and how can I address it?
- How can understanding God's feelings help me in my relationship with Him?
- What does the wilderness symbolize in my spiritual journey?
- How can I encourage others to trust and obey God in difficult times?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early Church Fathers, such as Augustine, referenced this verse to discuss Israel's rebellion and God's response.
I say then of these crooked and embittering persons, "How often they exasperated Him in the desert, and provoked Him to wrath in the waterless place!" [Psalms 78:40].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 78 →
Commentators on this verse — 6 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 78:40 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHow 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
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 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 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.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 78 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(40) How oft.—Ten instances of murmuring are actually recorded in Exodus and Numbers.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 78 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges40–55. 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.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 78 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHow oft did they provoke him in the wilderness - Margin, Or, rebel against him. The Hebrew word may have the signification in the margin.
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
How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and grieved him in the desert!
How often they disobeyed Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, and insulted him in the desert!
Tyndale line
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 oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes? and grieue him in the desert?
Strictly literal
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, Grieve Him in the desolate place?
How often do they provoke Him in the wilderness, || Grieve Him in the desolate place?
How oft did they rebel against him in the wilderness, grieve him in the desert!
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness and grieved him in the barren regions!
Simplified
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness, giving him grief in the desert!
How frequently did they go against him in the waste land, and give him cause for grief in the dry places!
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 closely in this verse, with all five words matched. The Septuagint's rendering reflects the same meanings as the Hebrew, though the word order differs.
כַּ֭מָּה יַמְר֣וּהוּ בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר יַ֝עֲצִיב֗וּהוּ בִּֽישִׁימֽוֹן׃
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.
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 78:40
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.
מָה (mah) is a Hebrew word primarily used as an interrogative particle meaning 'what?' or 'how?'. It can also function as an indefinite pronoun, encompassing meanings like 'anything' or 'whatever'. The word is versatile, appearing in various adverbial forms and often used with prefixes to express different nuances, such as reason or manner.
מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַהּ, מֶה, מַּ, מָ—pron.interrog. and indef. what? how? aught
interrog. what?
Used adverbially
Indef. pron.
With preps.
base
H4100 מָה, rarely מָה־, מַה־, מַהּ, מֶה, מַּ, מָ—pron. interrog. and indef. what? how? aught . interrog. what?
. Used adverbially
. Indef. pron.
. With preps.
4100 mah maw
or mah {mah}; or ma {maw}; or ma {mah}; also meh {meh}; a
primitive particle; properly, interrogative what? (including
how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including
how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and even
relatively, that which); often used with prefixes in various
adverbial or conjunctive senses:--how (long, oft, (-
soever)), (no-)thing, what (end, good, purpose, thing),
whereby(-fore, -in, -to, -with), (for) why.
מָה (mah) — what?.
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
Prep | Part — Preposition · pronounHR/Pi
of'-n (puknos, "thick," "close"): An archaic usage for "frequent": "Thine often infirmities" (1Ti 5:23); compare "by often rumination" (Shakespeare, As You Like It, IV, i, 18); "The often round" (Ben Jonson, The Forest, III); "Of wrench'd or broken limb--an often chance" (Tennyson, Gareth and Lynette).
מָרָה (marah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to be contentious or rebellious. It encompasses actions of disobedience, particularly towards authority figures like parents or God. The entries indicate that it can also imply causing bitterness or provoking resistance. The word appears in various forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, which denote different aspects of rebellion and disobedience.
מָרָה vb. be contentious, refractory, rebellious
Qal be disobedient, rebellious
Hiph. shew disobedience, rebelliousness
base
H4784 מָרָה be contentious, refractory, rebellious
4784 marah maw-raw'
a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) bitter (or
unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively,
to provoke):--bitter, change, be disobedient, disobey,
grievously, provocation, provoke(-ing), (be) rebel
(against, -lious).
מָרָה (ma.rah) — to rebel.
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
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVhi3mp/Sp3ms
מִדְבָּר (midbar) primarily means 'mouth' in the sense of an organ of speech, but it also refers to 'wilderness' or 'desert.' The word is derived from a root meaning to drive, suggesting open fields for pasturing cattle. It encompasses various forms of uninhabited land and is notably used in contexts related to the wilderness, such as the Wilderness of Sinai.
[מִדְבָּר] n.m. mouth, as organ of speech, Ct 4:3
ref
מִדְבָר 270 n.m. wilderness
tracts of land, used for the pasturage of flocks and herds
uninhabited land
large tracts of such land bearing various names, in certain districts of which there might be towns and cities
fig.
base
H4057a מִדְבָּר mouth, as organ of speech H4057b מִדְבָר wilderness
4057 midbar mid-bawr'
from 1696 in the sense of driving; a pasture (i.e. open
field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert;
also speech (including its organs):--desert, south, speech,
wilderness.
see HEBREW for 01696
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — mouth.
1) mouth
1a) mouth (as organ of speech)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — wilderness.
1) wilderness
1a) pasture
1b) uninhabited land, wilderness
1c) large tracts of wilderness (around cities)
1d) wilderness (fig.)
מִדְבָּר (mid.bar) — Wilderness (of Sinai).
This name means wilderness, uninhabited land
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHRd/Ncmsa
wil'-der-nes.
See DESERT; JUDAEA, WILDERNESS OF; WANDERINGS OF ISRAEL.
Wilderness
(1.) Heb. midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps. 65:12; Isa. 42:11; Jer. 23:10; Joel 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place. This word is used of the wilderness of Beersheba (Gen. 21:14), on the southern border of Palestine; the wilderness of the Red Sea (Ex. 13:18); of Shur (15:22), a portion of the Sinaitic peninsula; of Sin (17:1), Sinai (Lev. 7:38), Moab (Deut. 2:8), Judah (
See DESERT.
The Hebrew word עָצַב (atsab) has dual meanings: it can refer to causing hurt, pain, or grief, and it can also mean to shape or fashion. It is built from a primitive root that conveys both negative emotions and the act of creating. The entries indicate that it can be used in various forms, such as causing pain (Hiphil) or shaping (Piel).
[עָצַב] vb. hurt, pain, grieve
Qal his father had not pained him
Niph. be pained for
Pi. they vexed his holy spirit
Hiph. they used to cause him [י׳] pain.
Hithp. and he was vexed to his heart
base
[עָצַב] vb. Pi. shape, fashion
Pi. thy hands shaped me, etc.
Hiph. to fashion her, i.e. make images of her
base
H6087a עָצַב hurt, pain, grieve H6087b עָצַב Pi. shape, fashion
6087 `atsab aw-tsab'
a primitive root; properly, to carve, i.e. fabricate or
fashion; hence (in a bad sense) to worry, pain or anger:--
displease, grieve, hurt, make, be sorry, vex, worship, wrest.
עָצַב (a.tsav) — to hurt.
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)
עָצַב (a.tsav) — to shape.
1) to shape, fashion, make, form, stretch into shape, (TWOT) worship
1a) (Piel) to shape, form
1b) (Hiphil) to form, copy, fashion
V-Hiphil-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb hiphil imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVhi3mp/Sp3ms
יְשִׁימוֹן (yshiymown) refers to a desolate or waste area, often translated as wilderness or desert. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to be desolate' and encompasses the idea of a solitary, uninhabited place. It is notably used in the context of desolate regions in the Old Testament.
יְשִׁימוֹן n.m. waste, wilderness
base
H3452 יְשִׁימוֹן waste, wilderness
3452 yshiymown yesh-ee-mone'
from 3456; a desolation:--desert, Jeshimon, solitary,
wilderness.
see HEBREW for 03456
יְשִׁימוֹן (ye.shi.mon) — Jeshimon.
§ waste, wilderness, desert, desolate place
יְשִׁימוֹן (ye.shi.mon) — wilderness.
waste, wilderness, desert, desolate place
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular absoluteHR/Ncmsa
plas: Normally for maqom, Old Testament, and topos, New Testament, but in the King James Version "place" represents a great number of Hebrew and Greek words, often used with no difference in force (e.g. 2Ch 35:10,15). the Revised Version (British and American) has made few changes, but occasionally has attempted to specialize the meaning (Ge 40:13; Job 37:8; Ac 8:32; Jas 3:11, etc.).