Psalms 78:12-31

THE CATALOG OF GOD'S GRACIOUS DEALINGS WITH ISRAEL; FROM THE TIMES OF THE EXODUS

"Marvelous things did he in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan. He clave the sea, and caused them to pass through; And he made the waters to stand as a heap. In the day-time also he led them with a cloud, And all the night with a light of fire. He clave rocks in the wilderness, And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths. He brought streams also out of the rock, And caused waters to run down like rivers.

Yet went they on still to sin against him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert. And they tempted God in their heart By asking food according to their desire. Yea, they spake against God; They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?

Therefore Jehovah heard, and was wroth; And a fire was kindled against Jacob, And anger also went up against Israel; Because they believed not in God, And trusted not in his salvation. Yet he commanded the skies above, And opened the doors of heaven; And he rained down manna upon them to eat, And gave them food from heaven. Man did eat the bread of the mighty: He sent them food to the full. He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; And by his power he guided the south wind. He rained flesh also upon them as the dust, And winged birds as sand of the seas: And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, Round about their habitations. So they did eat, and were well filled; And he gave them their own desire. They were not estranged from that which they desired, Their food was yet in their mouths, When the anger of God went up against them, And slew of the fattest of them, And smote down the young men of Israel."

"Marvelous things ... in the field of Zoan" (Psalms 78:12). "Zoan was the capital of Egypt in the times of the exodus."[14] "It is the same as the ancient `Tanis,' in the northeast of the Nile Delta; and it was either identical with Rameses II's capital or not many miles from it."[15]

"He clave the sea ... caused them to pass through" (Psalms 78:13). This is discussed fully in our commentary on exodus, which gives the full details of Israel's crossing the Red Sea.

"The day-time cloud ... light of fire at night" (Psalms 78:14). Again reference is made to Exodus where all of these events are thoroughly investigated.

"He clave rocks in the wilderness" (Psalms 78:15). "Here the psalmist condenses into one the two instances of God's giving water from the rock, one in the first year of the Exodus, and another in the fortieth year."[16] A full discussion of these events is in our Pentateuchal Series, under Exodus 17, and Numbers 22.

"Tempted God ... asking food" (Psalms 78:18). The Anchor Bible translates this verse: "They tempted God in their heart by asking food for their gullet."[17]

For a detailed study of all the marvelous events mentioned in this long paragraph through Psalms 78:31, see our Commentaries on Exodus and Numbers under these references: Numbers 11:1-3; Exodus 16:1-36; and Numbers 11:1-35. Every Bible student has wondered at the marvel of Israel's stubborn unbelief during the very period when they were daily viewing such wonders as those recorded in the Bible.

"Slew of the fattest of them" (Psalms 78:31). "By this, we are to understand that God slew the strongest and the healthiest."[18]