Psalm 78:56-59
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The phrase "Most High God" here isn't just a title; it highlights that their rebellion was against the ultimate authority, the one who had demonstrated immense power and goodness in bringing them to this very place. This makes their continued disobedience a profound betrayal, not just of a rule, but of the One who had already proven His supreme sovereignty.
Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow. For they provoked him to anger with their high places; they moved him to jealousy with their idols. When God heard, he was full of wrath, and he utterly rejected Israel.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God miraculously led Israel into the Promised Land and established them there, they didn't hold onto His commands. Instead, they repeatedly tested and rebelled against God, falling into the same patterns of disobedience as their ancestors. This verse marks a transition into describing Israel's unfaithfulness during the period of the Judges, a time characterized by cyclical apostasy and divine discipline.
The verse describes Israel as 'testing' and 'provoking' God. What does it mean to 'test' the Almighty, and why would His people do it?
Israel's actions are characterized as 'testing' and 'provoking' God, terms that highlight a deliberate defiance of His authority and character.
A Test of Patience
'Testing' God here doesn't mean searching for His limits like a scientist. Instead, it refers to putting God's patience and goodness to the extreme, challenging whether He will truly act on His promises and judgments. It's like a child constantly pushing boundaries, daring their parent to discipline them.
Provoking Anger
'Provoking' God signifies actively stirring up His anger. This wasn't just passive disobedience, but a conscious act of defying His will, often through idolatry and disobedience, as seen in the historical context of the Judges.
The Cycle of Ungratefulness
This repeated pattern of testing and provoking occurred even after God had shown immense faithfulness, delivering them from Egypt and guiding them through the wilderness. Their unfaithfulness stood in stark contrast to His steadfast love, revealing a deep ingratitude that fueled their rebellion.
The verse concludes with Israel 'not keeping his testimonies.' What are these 'testimonies,' and why are they so crucial?
The phrase 'his testimonies' refers to God's commands, laws, and ordinances. These weren't just arbitrary rules but divine instructions that bore witness to God's will and character.
Ask a follow-up
God's Witness to His Will
These 'testimonies' served as clear declarations of how God wanted His people to live. They were a witness to His holiness, His justice, and His loving design for their lives. By keeping them, Israel would demonstrate their allegiance to Him and live in a way that reflected His nature.
The Consequence of Neglect
When Israel 'did not keep his testimonies,' they essentially rejected God's guidance and His covenant relationship with them. This neglect wasn't a minor oversight; it was a fundamental betrayal of their calling and a direct pathway to disobedience and judgment.
A Foundation for Rebellion
Ignoring God's clear instructions created a spiritual vacuum, making them susceptible to the corrupting influences of the surrounding nations. Their failure to uphold God's testimonies paved the way for further rebellion and idolatry, as detailed in the historical context of the Judges.
Understand the original words
nasah · Hebrew Verb
A verb meaning to put to the test, to prove, or to try. In a biblical context, it often refers to humans doubting God's power or character, thereby putting Him to the test.
marah · Hebrew Verb
To act in open resistance against authority. Biblically, it describes the willful defiance of God’s established covenant or commands.
Elyon · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
A title for God emphasizing His supremacy, sovereignty, and transcendence over all creation.
edut · Hebrew Noun
A collective term for God’s revealed laws, warnings, and decrees that bear witness to His nature and requirement for His people.
bagad · Hebrew Verb
To behave unfaithfully or act with treachery. It often implies a breach of trust, particularly in the context of covenant relationship or marriage.
ka'as · Hebrew Verb
To incite, irritate, or goad someone to emotional reaction. In Scripture, it is frequently used to describe human behavior that moves God to righteous indignation.
bamah · Hebrew Noun
Sites of unauthorized worship, typically built on elevated ground, often associated with pagan practices and the setting up of idols that competed with the worship of Yahweh.
pesel · Hebrew Noun
A human representation of a deity. Biblically, these are inanimate objects or images that are sinful to worship because they replace the true God and cannot save.
qin'ah · Hebrew Noun
A term denoting God’s intense, protective, and exclusive love for His covenant people, which is ignited when His people offer the devotion rightfully His to false gods.
hemah · Hebrew Noun
The intense, righteous reaction of God against sin and evil. It is His settled opposition to everything that is contrary to His holiness.
ma'as · Hebrew Verb
To reject, cast off, or despise. It signifies a decisive breaking of fellowship or a refusal to recognize a previous relationship.
This verse describes a persistent pattern of rebellion against God throughout Israel's history, particularly during the turbulent period of the Judges, even after experiencing God's faithfulness and provision.
c. 1406 BC
Israel enters Canaan
After 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua leads the Israelites into the Promised Land, conquering cities and distributing land among the tribes.
c. 1406 BC - 1077 BC— this verse
Period of the Judges
A time of cycles of apostasy, oppression, and deliverance, marked by repeated unfaithfulness to God's covenant.
c. 1077 BC
Fall of Shiloh
The Ark of the Covenant is captured by the Philistines after the sanctuary at Shiloh is destroyed, signifying a low point of spiritual and national crisis.
c. 1047 BC - 1007 BC
Reign of King David
David unites the tribes, establishes Jerusalem as the capital, and brings the Ark of the Covenant, marking a new era of stability and centralized worship.
This passage highlights the same theme of testing God, showing the Israelites repeatedly provoking Him despite His signs and wonders, which directly parallels the unfaithfulness described in Psalms 78:56.
Deuteronomy 31:27Moses predicts Israel's rebellious nature, stating 'you have been rebellious against the Lord ever since the day I knew you.' This directly echoes the ongoing pattern of disobedience and unfaithfulness to God's testimonies that Psalms 78:56 addresses.
Judges 2:12-13This passage describes Israel abandoning the Lord to serve other gods, directly illustrating the 'tempted and provoked' and 'did not keep his testimonies' aspect of Psalms 78:56, showing the consequence of their actions after entering the promised land.
1 Corinthians 10:9The New Testament applies the wilderness experiences to the church, warning believers 'We must not indulge in sexual immorality, as some of them did—and forty-three thousand fell dead in one day.' This shows how the failure to keep God's testimonies and testing God had severe consequences, a truth echoed in Psalms 78:56.
cambridgePsalms 78:56: "Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:"
56 . Yet &c.] Yet they tempted and rebelled against God the Most High. In spite of all God’s goodness to them, they persisted in their old unfaithfulness. Cp. Psalm 78:17-18; Psalms 40, 41 . God the Most High is not El Elyôn , as in Psalm 78:35 ; but Elôhîm Elyôn , the equivalent of Jehovah the Most High , Psalm 7:17 ; Psalm 47:2 . his testimonies ] His commandments, regarded as bearing witness to His…
expositorsPsalms 78:1-72: "Maschil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth."
Psalm 78:1-72 THIS psalm is closely related to Psalm 105:1-45 ; Psalm 106:1-48 ; Psalm 107:1-43 . Like them, it treats the history of Israel, and especially the Exodus and wilderness wanderings, for purposes of edification, rebuke, and encouragement. The past is held up as a mirror to the present generation. It has been one long succession of miracles of mercy met by equally continu…
The phrase "Most High God" here isn't just a title; it highlights that their rebellion was against the ultimate authority, the one who had demonstrated immense power and goodness in bringing them to this very place. This makes their continued disobedience a profound betrayal, not just of a rule, but of the One who had already proven His supreme sovereignty.
After God miraculously led Israel into the Promised Land and established them there, they didn't hold onto His commands. Instead, they repeatedly tested and rebelled against God, falling into the same patterns of disobedience as their ancestors. This verse marks a transition into describing Israel's unfaithfulness during the period of the Judges, a time characterized by cyclical apostasy and divine discipline.
After God miraculously led Israel into the Promised Land and established them there, they didn't hold onto His commands. Instead, they repeatedly tested and rebelled against God, falling into the same patterns of disobedience as their ancestors. This verse marks a transition into describing Israel's unfaithfulness during the period of the Judges, a time characterized by cyclical apostasy and divine discipline.
"Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies, but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow. For they provoked him to anger with the…" — The phrase "Most High God" here isn't just a title; it highlights that their rebellion was against the ultimate authority, the one who had demonstrated immense power and goodness in bringing them to…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
