Psalms 78:18

18 They deliberately^[a] tested God, demanding the food they craved.

Psalms 78:18 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 78:18

And they tempted God in their heart
Which is desperately wicked, and from whence all impiety flows; they entertained hard thoughts of God; they inwardly fretted at their present circumstances, and secretly repined and murmured against God, and wished for things they should not; not being contented with what they had, and thankful for them, as they ought to have been:

by asking meat for their lust;
or, "for their soul"; such as their souls lusted after, and their sensitive appetites craved; for they were not satisfied with the bread they had, which was sufficient for their sustenance and support; they wanted food for pleasure and wantonness; to ask for daily bread is right, but to ask for more to consume on our lusts is wrong, ( James 4:3 ) .

Psalms 78:18 In-Context

16 He brought streams out of the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

17 But they continued to sin against Him, rebelling in the desert against the Most High.

18 They deliberately tested God, demanding the food they craved.

19 They spoke against God, saying, "Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?

20 Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out; torrents overflowed. But can He also provide bread or furnish meat for His people?"

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit in their heart
• [b]. Ex 17:2,7; Nm 14:22; 1 Co 10:5-10