They kept not the covenant of God - The covenant which God had made with the entire Hebrew people. They did not maintain their allegiance to Yahweh. Compare Deuteronomy 4:13, Deuteronomy 4:23; Deuteronomy 17:2.And refused to walk in his law - Refused to obey his law. They rebelled against him. read more
And forgat his works - The works which he had performed in behalf of the nation. These works are referred to in the verses following.And his wonders that he had shewed them - The wonderful works in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness; the miracles which he had performed on behalf of the nation. read more
Psalms 78:10-11. They kept not the covenant of God Their cowardice was the effect of their unbelief and disobedience; and refused to walk in his law Their disobedience was accompanied with obstinacy and contempt of God’s laws. And forgat his works Not historically, but practically. They did not so remember them as to love, and serve, and trust in that God, of whose infinite power and goodness they had had such ample experience. read more
Psalms 78:0 Lessons from historyBeing a true teacher, the psalmist is concerned for the spiritual condition of his people. His present intention is to comment on events in the history of Israel so that people of future generations may take heed (1-4). God gave his law to his people to guide them. The record of his faithfulness will be an encouragement, the record of Israel’s failures a warning (5-8).The first reminder is of the stubbornness of the tribe of Ephraim in one of Israel’s early... read more
kept not. See note on Psalms 78:9 . read more
EPHRAIM; A TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF INFIDELITY"The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God, And refused to walk in his law; And they forgat his doings, and his wondrous works that he had showed them.""Ephraim ... turned back in the day of battle" (Psalms 78:9). Dahood interpreted this to mean that, "Despite the Ephraimites having been selected as Yahweh's elite bowmen, the Ephraimites were later rejected for... read more
Psalms 78This didactic psalm teaches present and future generations to learn from the past, and it stresses the grace of God. Didactic psalms offer wisdom to the reader. Some have called this a history psalm (cf. Psalms 105, 106, 114, 135, , 136). [Note: Wiersbe, The . . . Wisdom . . ., p. 230.] "This could be sub-titled, in view of Psalms 78:12; Psalms 78:68, From Zoan to Zion, for it reviews the turbulent adolescence of Israel from its time of slavery in Egypt to the reign of David. Like the... read more
2. A notable defection 78:9-11It is difficult to identify with certainty the occasion that these verses describe. Ephraim was not only the name of one tribe in Israel. It was also the name of the northern nation of Israel after the United Kingdom split in Rehoboam’s day. Assuming the writer was a contemporary of David, Ephraim the tribe appears to be in view here. In any case, the writer used this incident as a bad example that his hearers should avoid. read more
This long historical Ps. may be compared with Psalms 105, 106, and with Deuteronomy 32. It traces the course of God’s relations with His people from the exodus down to the time of David, and dwells on the repeated manifestations of Israel’s rebelliousness, on the chastisements by which they were visited, and on the patient mercy of God which continued to bless them in spite of all their sins. The Ps. does not follow a strict chronological order, but records first Israel’s ingratitude for God’s... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 78:11
And forgat his works (see Psalms 78:42 ), and his wonders that he had showed them (see Psalms 78:12-15 , Psalms 78:24-28 , Psalms 78:43-53 ). read more