Psalms 78:57

57 They turned away, became faithless just like their ancestors; they twisted away like a defective bow.

Psalms 78:57 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 78:57

But turned back
From God and his worship, apostatized from the true religion, and turned to idols:

and dealt unfaithfully, like their fathers;
in the wilderness; see ( Psalms 78:8 Psalms 78:36 Psalms 78:37 ) ,

they were turned aside like a deceitful bow;
that promises well to carry the arrow right, but drops it at the feet of the archer; or carries it another way, so that it misses the mark, The Targum is,

``as a bow casting arrows;''

to the ground, and not to the mark; see ( Hosea 7:16 ) , or being too much stretched is suddenly broken, and kills the archer; or returns to its own nature; so Arama.

Psalms 78:57 In-Context

55 God drove out the nations before them and apportioned property for them; he settled Israel's tribes in their tents.

56 But they tested and defied the Most High God; they didn't pay attention to his warnings.

57 They turned away, became faithless just like their ancestors; they twisted away like a defective bow.

58 They angered God with their many shrines; they angered him with their idols.

59 God heard and became enraged; he rejected Israel utterly.