Psalms 78 · Verse 9

Psalms 78:9

The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
Psalms 78:9, King James Version

Psalms 78:9 in other translations

BSBThe archers of Ephraim turned back on the day of battle.
WEBThe children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.
ASVThe children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, Turned back in the day of battle.
YLTSons of Ephraim--armed bearers of bow, Have turned in a day of conflict.
DARBYThe sons of Ephraim, armed bowmen, turned back in the day of battle.
BBEThe children of Ephraim, armed with bows, were turned back on the day of the fight.
WebsterThe children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

What does Psalms 78:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 78:9-11
9-11. The privileges of the first-born which belonged to Joseph (1Ch 5:1, 2) were assigned to Ephraim by Jacob (Ge 48:1). The supremacy of the tribe thus intimated was recognized by its position (in the marching of the nation to Canaan) next to the ark (Nu 2:18-24), by the selection of the first permanent locality for the ark within its borders at Shiloh, and by the extensive and fertile province given for its possession. Traces of this prominence remained after the schism under Rehoboam, in the use, by later writers, of Ephraim for Israel (compare Ho 5:3-14; 11:3-12). Though a strong, well-armed tribe, and, from an early period, emulous and haughty (compare Jos 17:14; Jud 8:1-3; 2Sa 19:41), it appears, in this place, that it had rather led the rest in cowardice than courage; and had incurred God's displeasure, because, diffident of His promise, though often heretofore fulfilled, it had failed as a leader to carry out the terms of the covenant, by not driving out the heathen (Ex 23:24; De 31:16; 2Ki 17:15).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 The children of Ephraim - turned back - This refers to some defeat of the Ephraimites; and some think to that by the men of Gath, mentioned 1Chr 7:21. R. D. Kimchi says this defeat of the Ephraimites was in the desert; and although the story be not mentioned in the law, yet it is written in the Books of the Chronicles, where we read, on the occasion of "Zabad the Ephraimite, and Shuthelah, etc., whom the men of Gath, who were born in the land, slew; and Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him," 1Chr 7:20-22 : but to what defeat of the Ephraimites this refers is not certainly known; probably the Israelites after the division of the two kingdoms are intended.

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 happiness at last, who can not trust his providence in the way to it. To all that by faith and prayer, ask, seek, and knock, these doors of heaven shall at any time be opened; and our distrust of God is a great aggravation of our sins. He expressed his resentment of their provocation; not in denying what they sinfully lusted after, but in granting it to them. Lust is contented with nothing. Those that indulge their lust, will never be estranged from it. Those hearts are hard indeed, that will neither be melted by the mercies of the Lord, nor broken by his judgments. Those that sin still, must expect to be in trouble still. And the reason why we live with so little comfort, and to so little purpose, is, because we do not live by faith. Under these rebukes they professed repentance, but they were not sincere, for they were not constant. In Israel's history we have a picture of our own hearts and lives. God's patience, and warnings, and mercies, imbolden them to harden their hearts against his word. And the history of kingdoms is much the same. Judgments and mercies have been little attended to, until the measure of their sins has been full. And higher advantages have not kept churches from declining from the commandments of God. Even true believers recollect, that for many a year they abused the kindness of Providence. When they come to heaven, how will they admire the Lord's patience and mercy in bringing them to his kingdom!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 78:9 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.

בְּֽנֵי\־be.nei-[the] people ofH1121
אֶפְרַ֗יִם'ef.Ra.yimEphraimH669
נוֹשְׁקֵ֥יno.she.Kei[were] equipped ofH5401
רוֹמֵי\־ro.mei-shooters ofH7411
קָ֑שֶׁתKa.sheta bowH7198
הָ֝פְכ֗וּha.fe.Khuthey turned backH2015
בְּי֣וֹםbe.Yomon [the] day ofH3117
קְרָֽב\׃ke.RavbattleH7128

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

Cross references for Psalms 78:9

  • 1 Samuel 31:1

    Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gilboa.

  • Deuteronomy 1:41-44

    Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the Lord, we will go up and fight, according to all that the Lord our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill. And the Lord said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies. So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, and went presumptuously up into the hill. And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.

  • Joshua 17:16-18

    And the children of Joseph said, The hill is not enough for us: and all the Canaanites that dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both they who are of Beth–shean and her towns, and they who are of the valley of Jezreel. And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only: But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.

  • Psalms 78:57

    But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

  • Judges 9:28

    And Gaal the son of Ebed said, Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? is not he the son of Jerubbaal? and Zebul his officer? serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem: for why should we serve him?

  • Judges 20:39

    And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons: for they said, Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle.

  • 1 Samuel 4:10

    And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

  • 1 Chronicles 12:2

    They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin.

  • Judges 9:38-40

    Then said Zebul unto him, Where is now thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him? is not this the people that thou hast despised? go out, I pray now, and fight with them. And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech. And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him, and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entering of the gate.

  • Luke 22:33

    And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The children.Some think this refers to a defeat of the Ephraimites mentioned in 1 Ch 7:20-22; but it probably refers to the conduct and defeat of the ten tribes of which Ephraim was the head. Nothing is recorded in the history of Israel concerning the cowardice of the Ephraimites, as distinct from that of the other tribes: some therefore think, "that the children of Ephraim" is put by a figure of speech for the nation in general.
De 1:41-44; Jos 17:16-18; 1Sa 4:10; 31:1
carrying. Heb. throwing forth. turned.
Jud 9:28,38-40; Lu 22:33

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

Context

  • Psalms 78:8

    And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.

  • Psalms 78:9

    The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

  • Psalms 78:10

    They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;

Read all of Psalms 78

Psalms 78:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Los hijos de Ephraim armados, flecheros, volvieron las espaldas el día de la batalla.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Les fils d’Éphraïm, armés et tirant de l’arc, ont tourné le dos le jour du combat.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Die Söhne Ephraims, gerüstete Bogenschützen, wandten um am Tage des Kampfes.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Adjuva nos, Deus salutaris noster, et propter gloriam nominis tui, Domine, libera nos: et propitius esto peccatis nostris, propter nomen tuum.