Psalms 78 · Verse 18

Psalms 78:18

And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
Psalms 78:18, King James Version

Psalms 78:18 in other translations

BSBThey willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.
WEBThey tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
ASVAnd they tempted God in their heart By asking food according to their desire.
YLTAnd they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.
DARBYAnd they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;
BBETesting God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
WebsterAnd they tempted God in their heart by asking food for their desire.

What does Psalms 78:18 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 78:17-20

17-20. yet more--literally, "added to sin," instead of being led to repentance (Ro 2:4).

Read the full comment on Psalms 78:17-20 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 18 By asking meat for their lust - לנפשם lenaphsham, "for their souls," i.e., for their lives; for they said in their hearts that the light bread, the manna, was not sufficient to sustain their natural force, and preserve their lives. It seems, however, from the expression, that they were wholly carnal; that they had no spirituality of mind; they were earthly, animal, and devilish.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 78:9-39

Sin dispirits men, and takes away the heart. Forgetfulness of God's works is the cause of disobedience to his laws. This narrative relates a struggle between God's goodness and man's badness. The Lord hears all our murmurings and distrusts, and is much displeased. Those that will not believe the power of God's mercy, shall feel the fire of his indignation. Those cannot be said to trust in God's salvation as their…

Read the full comment on Psalms 78:9-39 →

Psalms 78:18 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְנַסּוּ\־vay.na.su-and they put to [the] testH5254
אֵ֥ל'elGodH410
בִּלְבָבָ֑םbil.va.Vamin heart theirH3824
לִֽשְׁאָל\־lish.'ol-by requestingH7592
אֹ֥כֶל'O.khelfoodH400
לְנַפְשָֽׁם\׃le.naf.Shamfor selves theirH5315

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 78:18

  • Numbers 11:4

    And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?

  • Deuteronomy 6:16

    Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:9

    Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

  • Psalms 106:14-15

    But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert. And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.

  • 1 Corinthians 10:6

    Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

  • Exodus 16:2-3

    And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.

  • James 4:2-3

    Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

  • Psalms 95:9

    When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my work.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
by asking meat.
106:14,15; Ex 16:2,3; Nu 11:4; 1Co 10:6; Jas 4:2,3

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 78:17

    And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.

  • Psalms 78:18

    And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

  • Psalms 78:19

    Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

Read all of Psalms 78

Psalms 78:18 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Pues tentaron á Dios en su corazón, pidiendo comida á su gusto.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et ils tentèrent ✶Dieu dans leurs cœurs, en demandant de la viande selon leur désir;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und sie versuchten Gott in ihren Herzen, indem sie Speise forderten für ihr Gelüst.