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Texts -- Psalms 78:43-72 (NET)

Context
78:43 when he performed his awesome deeds in Egypt , and his acts of judgment in the region of Zoan . 78:44 He turned their rivers into blood , and they could not drink from their streams . 78:45 He sent swarms of biting insects against them, as well as frogs that overran their land. 78:46 He gave their crops to the grasshopper , the fruit of their labor to the locust . 78:47 He destroyed their vines with hail , and their sycamore-fig trees with driving rain . 78:48 He rained hail down on their cattle , and hurled lightning bolts down on their livestock . 78:49 His raging anger lashed out against them, He sent fury , rage , and trouble as messengers who bring disaster . 78:50 He sent his anger in full force ; he did not spare them from death ; he handed their lives over to destruction . 78:51 He struck down all the firstborn in Egypt , the firstfruits of their reproductive power in the tents of Ham . 78:52 Yet he brought out his people like sheep ; he led them through the wilderness like a flock . 78:53 He guided them safely along, while the sea covered their enemies . 78:54 He brought them to the border of his holy land , to this mountainous land which his right hand acquired . 78:55 He drove the nations out from before them; he assigned them their tribal allotments and allowed the tribes of Israel to settle down . 78:56 Yet they challenged and defied the sovereign God , and did not obey his commands . 78:57 They were unfaithful and acted as treacherously as their ancestors ; they were as unreliable as a malfunctioning bow . 78:58 They made him angry with their pagan shrines , and made him jealous with their idols . 78:59 God heard and was angry ; he completely rejected Israel . 78:60 He abandoned the sanctuary at Shiloh , the tent where he lived among men . 78:61 He allowed the symbol of his strong presence to be captured ; he gave the symbol of his splendor into the hand of the enemy . 78:62 He delivered his people over to the sword , and was angry with his chosen nation . 78:63 Fire consumed their young men , and their virgins remained unmarried . 78:64 Their priests fell by the sword , but their widows did not weep . 78:65 But then the Lord awoke from his sleep ; he was like a warrior in a drunken rage. 78:66 He drove his enemies back ; he made them a permanent target for insults . 78:67 He rejected the tent of Joseph ; he did not choose the tribe of Ephraim . 78:68 He chose the tribe of Judah , and Mount Zion , which he loves . 78:69 He made his sanctuary as enduring as the heavens above; as secure as the earth , which he established permanently . 78:70 He chose David , his servant , and took him from the sheepfolds . 78:71 He took him away from following the mother sheep , and made him the shepherd of Jacob , his people , and of Israel , his chosen nation . 78:72 David cared for them with pure motives ; he led them with skill .

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Asaph

    [ebd] convener, or collector. (1.) A Levite; one of the leaders of David's choir (1 Chr. 6:39). Psalms 50 and 73-83 inclusive are attributed to him. He is mentioned along with David as skilled in music, and a "seer" (2 Chr. 29:30)...
    [nave] ASAPH 1. Father of Joah, 2 Kin. 18:18; Isa. 36:3, 22. 2. Son of Berachiah. One of the three leaders of music in David's organization of the tabernacle service, 1 Chr. 15:16-19; 16:5-7; 25:1-9; 2 Chr. 5:12; 35:15; Neh. 12:46...

  • PLAGUES OF EGYPT

    [isbe] PLAGUES OF EGYPT - plagz (niphle'oth, "wonders "from pala', "to be separate," i.e. in a class by themselves; also called negheph, "plague," from naghaph, "to smite" (Ex 9:14), and negha`, "a stroke," from nagha`, "to touch" ...

  • HEZEKIAH (2)

    [isbe] HEZEKIAH (2) - (chizqiyah, "Yahweh has strengthened"; also written chizqiyahu, "Yah has strengthened him"; Hezekias): One of the greatest of the kings of Judah; reigned (according to the most self-consistent chronology) from...

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Music

    [nave] MUSIC Teachers of, 1 Chr. 15:22; 25:7, 8; 2 Chr. 23:13. Physical effect of, on people, 1 Sam. 16:15, 16, 23. Discoursed during the offering of sacrifices, 2 Chr. 29:27, 28. Precentor, Neh. 12:42. Chief musician, Neh. 12:...

  • Unbelief

    [nave] UNBELIEF See: Skepticism. Ex. 4:1; Num. 11:21-23; Num. 20:12, 13; Psa. 78:19, 21, 22, 32; Psa. 95:8-11; Psa. 106:7, 24; Isa. 7:9; Isa. 53:1 [John 12:38.] Isa. 53:2, 3; Isa. 58:3; Jer. 5:12-14; Mal. 1:2, 7; Matt. 10:14, 15; ...

  • Psalms

    [ebd] The psalms are the production of various authors. "Only a portion of the Book of Psalms claims David as its author. Other inspired poets in successive generations added now one now another contribution to the sacred collecti...

  • PROVIDENCE, 1

    [isbe] PROVIDENCE, 1 - prov'-i-dens: I. PROVIDENCE DEFINED II. DIFFERENT SPHERES OF PROVIDENTIAL ACTIVITY DISTINGUISHED III. BIBLICAL PRESENTATION OF THE DOCTRINE OF PROVIDENCE 1. Divine Providence in the Old Testament Scriptures (...

  • Wicked

    [nave] WICKED Compared with: Abominable branches, Isa. 14:19; ashes under the feet, Mal. 4:3; bad fishes, Matt. 13:48; beasts, Psa. 49:12; 2 Pet. 2:12; the blind, Zeph. 1:17; Matt. 15:14; bronze and iron, Jer. 6:28; Ezek. 22:18; br...

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 3-4

    [isbe] EXODUS, THE BOOK OF, 3-4 - III. Historical Character. 1. General Consideration: The fact that extra-Israelitish and especially Egyptian sources that can lay claim to historical value have reported nothing authentic concernin...

  • Backsliders

    [nave] BACKSLIDERS. Lev. 26:14-42; Deut. 4:9; Deut. 8:11-14; Deut. 28:58, 59, 63 vs. 15-68;; 1 Kin. 9:6-9; Deut. 29:18 vs. 18-28.; Deut. 32:15-30; Josh. 24:27 vs. 20-27.; 2 Chr. 15:2-4; Ezra 8:22; Job 34:26, 27; Psa. 44:20, 21; Ps...

  • Egyptians

    [nave] EGYPTIANS Descendants of the Mizraim, Gen. 10:6, 13, 14. Wisdom of, 1 Kin. 4:30. The art of embalming the dead practiced by, Gen. 50:2, 3, 26. Hospitality of, to Abraham, Gen. 12:10-20. Slaves bought by, Gen. 37:36. Opp...

  • Idolatry

    [nave] IDOLATRY. Wicked Practices of Human sacrifices, Lev. 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut. 12:31; 18:10; 2 Kin. 3:26, 27; 16:3; 17:17, 18; 21:6; 23:10; 2 Chr. 28:3; 33:6; Psa. 106:37, 38; Isa. 57:5; Jer. 7:31; 19:4-7; 32:35; Ezek. 16:20, 2...

  • Predestination

    [ebd] This word is properly used only with reference to God's plan or purpose of salvation. The Greek word rendered "predestinate" is found only in these six passages, Acts 4:28; Rom. 8:29, 30; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:5, 11; and in all...
    [nave] PREDESTINATION. Gen. 21:12, 13; Ex. 9:16; Ex. 33:19; Deut. 7:7, 8; Deut. 10:15 Deut. 4:37. Deut. 32:8; Josh. 11:20; 1 Sam. 12:22; 1 Kin. 12:15; 1 Kin. 20:42; 2 Kin. 19:25; 2 Chr. 6:6; Job 23:13, 14; Psa. 33:12; Psa. 65:4; P...

  • Caterpillar

    [ebd] the consumer. Used in the Old Testament (1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chr. 6:28; Ps. 78:46; Isa. 33:4) as the translation of a word (hasil) the root of which means "to devour" or "consume," and which is used also with reference to the lo...
    [isbe] CATERPILLAR - kat'-er-pil-er (chacil (Ps 78:46; Joel 1:4, etc.); yeleq (Ps 105:34 the King James Version, the American Standard Revised Version "grasshopper"; Jer 51:14,27 the King James Version; elsewhere "canker-worm")): A...
    [smith] The representative in the Authorized Version of the Hebrew word chasil and yelek . Chasil occurs in (1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chronicles 6:28; Psalms 78:46; Isaiah 33:4; Joel 1:4) and seems to be applied to a locust, perhaps in...
    [nave] CATERPILLAR Sent as a judgment, 1 Kin. 8:37; Psa. 78:46; Psa. 105:34; Jer. 51:27; Joel 1:4; 2:25.

  • ZOAN

    [ebd] (Old Egypt. Sant= "stronghold," the modern San). A city on the Tanitic branch of the Nile, called by the Greeks Tanis. It was built seven years after Hebron in Palestine (Num. 13:22). This great and important city was the ca...
    [isbe] ZOAN - zo'-an (tso`an; Tanis): 1. situation 2. Old Testament Notices 3. Early History 4. Hyksos Monuments 5. Hyksos Population 6. Hyksos Age 7. Description of Site 1. Situation: The name is supposed to mean "migration" (Arab...
    [smith] (place of departure), an ancient city of lower Egypt, called Tanis by the Greeks. It stood on the eastern bank of the Tanitic branch of the Nile. Its name indicates a place of departure from a country, and hence it has been i...

  • Cord

    [ebd] frequently used in its proper sense, for fastening a tent (Ex. 35:18; 39:40), yoking animals to a cart (Isa. 5:18), binding prisoners (Judg. 15:13; Ps. 2:3; 129:4), and measuring ground (2 Sam. 8;2; Ps. 78:55). Figuratively,...
    [isbe] CORD - kord (chebhet, yether, methar, `abhoth; schoinion): (1) The Arabic chab'l corresponds to the Hebrew chebhel and is still the common name for cord or rope throughout the East. Such ropes or cords are made of goat's or ...
    [nave] CORD Ancient uses of: In casting lots, Mic. 2:5; fastening tents, Ex. 35:18; 39:40; Isa. 54:2; leading or binding animals, Psa. 118:27; Hos. 11:4; hitching to cart or plough, Job 39:10; binding prisoners, Judg. 15:13; measur...

  • Sycamore

    [ebd] more properly sycomore (Heb. shikmoth and shikmim, Gr. sycomoros), a tree which in its general character resembles the fig-tree, while its leaves resemble those of the mulberry; hence it is called the fig-mulberry (Ficus syc...
    [smith] (Heb. shikmah). Although it may be admitted that the sycamine is properly, and in (Luke 17:6) the mulberry, and the sycamore the mulberry, or sycamore-fig (Ficus sycomorus), yet the latter is the tree generally referred to in...
    [nave] SYCAMORE, a tree. Abundant in the land of Canaan, 1 Kin. 10:27; 2 Chr. 1:15; 9:27; Isa. 9:10. Groves of, cared for, 1 Chr. 27:28. Destroyed by frost, Psa. 78:47. Care of, Amos 7:14. Zacchaeus climbs into, Luke 19:4.

  • Aholah

    [ebd] she has her own tent, a name used by Ezekiel (23:4, 5, 36, 44) as a symbol of the idolatry of the kingdom of Israel. This kingdom is described as a lewdwoman, an adulteress, given up to the abominations and idolatries of the...
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  • The Ark of the Covenant was definitely real and was a part of the tabernacle, being placed in the Holy of Holies behind the curtain. I will include articles below from three Bible Dictionaries that will give you some informat...
  • I'm going to copy some articles on this subject, but let me give you my summation of all of them. In the Old Testament, the firstborn son was the one who normally received a double inheritance, and was the one who would inher...

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Psalm 78:43 places the scene of the plagues in northern Egypt near Zoan.The plagues were penal; God sent them to punish Pharaoh for his refusal to obey God and to move him to obey Yahweh. They involved natural occurrences rat...
  • Not all the people who later assembled to see the ark were as careful as those from Bethshemesh, however. The Mosaic Law specified that no one was to look into the ark or that person would die (Num. 4:5, 20; cf. 2 Sam. 6:6-7)...
  • A second group of seven Levites (v. 5) led the people in the prayer of praise that Nehemiah included in this book perhaps on a different day than the prayer he wrote about in verses 1-4."The prayer is intended to instruct the...
  • The texts of the individual psalms do not usually indicate who wrote them.1However some of the titles of the individual psalms do contain information about the writers.2This is the only really reliable information we have as ...
  • I. Book 1: chs. 1-41II. Book 2: chs. 42-72III. Book 3: chs. 73-89IV. Book 4: chs. 90-106V. Book 5: chs. 107-150...
  • In this psalm David urged those who sin against the Lord to seek His pardon with the encouragement that He is gracious with the penitent. He will, however, chasten the unrepentant.Students of this penitential psalm have often...
  • This psalm pictures God seated in His heavenly throne room. He has two indictments against His people Israel. The wicked among them were hypocritical in their worship, a violation of the first part of the Decalogue, and in th...
  • A man or men named Asaph wrote 17 of the psalms in this book (Pss. 73-83). Other writers were the sons of Korah (Pss. 84-85, 87), David (Ps. 86), Heman (Ps. 88), and Ethan (Ps. 89). Asaph, Heman, and Ethan were musicians from...
  • 74:3 There is no record that any of Israel's enemies ever destroyed the temple in David's day to the extent that this verse implies. Perhaps Asaph was speaking hyperbolically, namely describing the destruction in extreme term...
  • This didactic psalm teaches present and future generations to learn from the past, and it stresses the grace of God."This could be sub-titled, in view of verses 12 and 68, From Zoan to Zion, for it reviews the turbulent adole...
  • 78:12-20 In his historical review Asaph began with the plagues in Egypt (v. 12). He drew broad strokes on his verbal canvas tracing God's faithfulness to the generation that left Egypt in the Exodus (vv. 12-16). Each verse in...
  • 89:38-45 Next Ethan recounted what God had permitted to overtake David. He was now weak and defeated rather than being strong and successful. God had apparently cut David off and gone back on His promises. The fall of Jerusal...
  • Allen, Ronald B. "Evidence from Psalm 89."In A Case for Premillennialism: A New Consensus, pp. 55-77. Edited by Donald K. Campbell and Jeffrey L. Townsend. Chicago: Moody Press, 1992._____. Lord of Song. Portland: Multnomah P...
  • This pericope concludes the sections on the culmination of Israel's future (65:17-66:24), Israel's future transformation (chs. 56-66), Israel's hope (chs. 40-66), and the whole book, Yahweh's salvation. As 56:1-8, it clarifie...
  • 8:1 The following prophecy came to Ezekiel during September of 592 B.C. as he was sitting in his house with the elders of Israel.141This would have been during the time when he was lying on his right side for part of the day ...
  • 7:14 Amos replied that he was not a prophet by his own choosing; he did not decide to pursue prophesying as a career. Neither had he become a prophet because his father had been one. In Amos' culture it was common and expecte...
  • The message of the false prophets was not completely wrong; it just presented the positive aspects of God's promises to Israel but omitted the negative. Micah's message had been mainly negative; the people needed to repent or...
  • 13:34 Matthew stressed the importance of parables in Jesus' teaching. This verse is a chiasm in the Greek text with "parables"in the middle. Jesus constantly used parables in His spoken ministry to the multitudes following Hi...
  • Following the blowing of the second trumpet something "like [cf. 6:13] a great mountain"that was on fire came crashing down from heaven into the waters of one or more of the earth's seas. This resulted in a third of the ocean...
  • 9:1 Again John saw a "star"(cf. 6:13; 8:10), but this time the "star"was an intelligent being. If "fallen"(Gr. peptokota) has theological connotations, the "star"may refer to Satan (vv. 2, 11; cf. 1:20; Job. 38:7; Luke 10:18)...
  • 14:1 "And I looked"(Gr. kai eidon) introduces three scenes in chapter 14 (vv. 1, 6, 14), as this phrase did twice in chapter 13 (vv. 1, 11). "Behold"(Gr. idou, cf. v. 14) calls special attention to the greatness of the sight ...
  • All the fresh water sources (springs, rivers, lakes, etc.) become blood in this plague (cf. 8:11; Exod. 7:24; Ps. 78:43-44). If the water is literal water, should we not understand the blood as literal blood too? People canno...
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