Psalms 78:18

18 They deliberately put God to the test ¹ by demanding the food they wanted.

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 caused a stream to come out of the rock and made water flow like a river.

17 But they continued to sin against God, and in the desert they rebelled against the Most High.

18 They deliberately put God to the test by demanding the food they wanted.

19 They spoke against God and said, "Can God supply food in the desert?

20 It is true that he struck the rock, and water flowed out in a torrent; but can he also provide us with bread and give his people meat?"

Cross References

• 1. 78.18-31Exodus 16.2-15;Numbers 11.4-23, 31-35.