Psalm 78:26-31

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 78:9-39

In these verses, I. The psalmist observes the late rebukes of Providence that the people of Israel had been under, which they had brought upon themselves by their dealing treacherously with God, Ps. 78:9-11. The children of Ephraim, in which tribe Shiloh was, though they were well armed and shot with bows, yet turned back in the day of battle. This seems to refer to that shameful defeat which the Philistines gave them in Eli's time, when they took the ark prisoner, 1 Sam. 4:10, 11. Of this the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 78:26

He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens ,.... In the airy heaven: or "he caused it to go" F6 יסע "fecit proficisci", Pagninus, Montanus, Gejerus. ; to go forth out of its place, out of the repositories and treasures of it, from whence he brings the wind, Psalm 130:7 the winds are under the power and government of God, they are his servants that obey him; he says to one, Go, and it goes; and to another, Come, and it comes; stormy wind fulfils his word of command, and obeys its... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 78:27

He rained flesh also upon them as dust ,.... By "flesh" is meant fowl, as the following clause shows; for there is flesh of birds, as well as of other creatures, see 1 Corinthians 15:39 and the quails which are here meant may be very fitly called flesh, since they are, for their size, a very plump, fat, and fleshy bird: and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea ; or "fowl of wing" F8 עוף כנף "volucres alatas", Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 78:28

And he let it fall in the midst of their camp ,.... Or, "his camps" F12 מחנהו "castrorum ejus", Pagninus, Vatablus, Gejerus. ; the four camps of Israel; for so many there were, Numbers 2:1 or the camp of God, where he dwelt, and before which he went as the General, Leader, and Commander of them; in the midst of this, or by it, by the side of it, Numbers 11:31 , the flesh or feathered fowl fell, so that they had no trouble to fetch it in; and here it fell by the order and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 78:29

So they did eat, and were well filled ,..... Or "exceedingly filled" F13 וישבעו מאד "et saturati sunt valde", Pagninus, Montanus, &c.; , or too much, as some versions render it; they eat to excess, not merely to satisfy nature, but to gratify their sensual appetite: gluttony is a sin; it is an abuse of the creatures; it hurts the body by filling it with gross humours, and bringing diseases on it; it is injurious to the mind; the heart may be overcharged by it; it disposes it to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 78:30

They were not estranged from their lust ,.... By the goodness and liberality of God unto them, they were not brought to repentance for their sin of lusting; nor did they abstain from their fleshly lusts, or deny themselves of them, which the grace of God teaches to do; or else the sense is, what they lusted after, flesh, was not withheld from them, or they restrained from eating it; they were indulged with it for a whole month together; to which agrees what follows: but while their meat... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 78:31

The wrath of God came upon them ,.... Either by causing fire to come down from heaven, or by suffering them to be surfeited by excessive eating, or by sending a plague among them; see Numbers 11:33 , and slew the fattest of them ; such perhaps who had been most guilty of the sin of gluttony, and had fed the most inordinately upon the flesh that was sent them; or this designs the chief among their princes and nobles, though not only them, but them as well as the common people; so the... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 78:26

He caused an east wind to blow - See the note on Numbers 11:31 . read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 78:26

Verse 26 26.He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens. We have here related how God granted the request of his people. This does not imply that he favourably regarded their fretful desires, but that he showed by the effect that it was in his power to do what they believed it to be impossible for him to accomplish. From this, we may perceive how injudiciously some expositors here join together the flesh and the manna. The reason why the flesh was given was altogether different from that for... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 78:30

Verse 30 The Psalmist expresses this still more clearly, by adding immediately after, (verses 30, 31,) that this pampering proved fatal to them, as if with the meat they had swallowed the flame of the divine wrath. When he says that they were not estranged from their lust, this implies, that they were still burning with their lust. If it is objected that this does not agree with the preceding sentence, where it is said, that “they did eat, and were thoroughly filled,” I would answer, that if,... read more

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