Psalms 78:57

57 They treacherously turned away like their fathers; they became warped like a faulty 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 He drove out nations before them. He apportioned their inheritance by lot and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

56 But they rebelliously tested the Most High God, for they did not keep His decrees.

57 They treacherously turned away like their fathers; they became warped like a faulty bow.

58 They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their carved images.

59 God heard and became furious; He completely rejected Israel.