Psalm 78:56
New International Version
But they put God to the test and rebelled against the Most High; they did not keep his statutes.

New Living Translation
But they kept testing and rebelling against God Most High. They did not obey his laws.

English Standard Version
Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies,

Berean Standard Bible
But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.

King James Bible
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

New King James Version
Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,

New American Standard Bible
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,

NASB 1995
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,

NASB 1977
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And did not keep His testimonies,

Legacy Standard Bible
Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,

Amplified Bible
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies (laws).

Christian Standard Bible
But they rebelliously tested the Most High God, for they did not keep his decrees.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But they rebelliously tested the Most High God, for they did not keep His decrees.

American Standard Version
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, And kept not his testimonies;

Contemporary English Version
But the people tested God Most High, and they refused to obey his laws.

English Revised Version
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and kept not his testimonies;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They tested God Most High and rebelled against him. They did not obey his written instructions.

Good News Translation
But they rebelled against Almighty God and put him to the test. They did not obey his commandments,

International Standard Version
But they tested the Most High God by rebelling against him, and they did not obey his statutes.

Majority Standard Bible
But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees.

NET Bible
Yet they challenged and defied the sovereign God, and did not obey his commands.

New Heart English Bible
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and did not keep his testimonies;

Webster's Bible Translation
Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

World English Bible
Yet they tempted and rebelled against the Most High God, and didn’t keep his testimonies,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they tempt and provoke God Most High, "" And have not kept His testimonies.

Young's Literal Translation
And they tempt and provoke God Most High, And His testimonies have not kept.

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will tempt and embitter God the Most High, and they watched not his testimonies.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Yet they tempted, and provoked the most high God: and they kept not his testimonies.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Yet they tempted and aggravated God Most High, and they did not keep his testaments.

New American Bible
But they tested and rebelled against God Most High, his decrees they did not observe.

New Revised Standard Version
Yet they tested the Most High God, and rebelled against him. They did not observe his decrees,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Yet they tempted and provoked the most High God, and kept not his testimonies;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they tempted and bitterly provoked God, The Highest, and they did not keep his testimony.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Yet they tried and provoked God, the Most High, And kept not His testimonies;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ye they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
55He drove out nations before them and apportioned their inheritance; He settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. 56But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees. 57They turned back and were faithless like their fathers, twisted like a faulty bow.…

Cross References
Judges 2:11-14
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. / Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. ...

2 Kings 17:14-15
But they would not listen, and they stiffened their necks like their fathers, who did not believe the LORD their God. / They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

Jeremiah 7:24-26
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. / From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. / Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.

Nehemiah 9:26-27
But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. / So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.

Isaiah 63:10
But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. So He turned and became their enemy, and He Himself fought against them.

Ezekiel 20:21
But the children rebelled against Me. They did not walk in My statutes or carefully observe My ordinances—though the man who does these things will live by them—and they profaned My Sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the wilderness.

Deuteronomy 9:7
Remember this, and never forget how you provoked the LORD your God in the wilderness. From the day you left the land of Egypt until you reached this place, you have been rebelling against the LORD.

1 Samuel 8:7-8
And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. / Just as they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking Me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you.

2 Chronicles 36:15-16
Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. / But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

Hosea 4:1-2
Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the LORD has a case against the people of the land: “There is no truth, no loving devotion, and no knowledge of God in the land! / Cursing and lying, murder and stealing, and adultery are rampant; one act of bloodshed follows another.

Matthew 23:37
O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!

Acts 7:51-53
You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. / Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— / you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”

Hebrews 3:7-11
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear His voice, / do not harden your hearts, as you did in the rebellion, in the day of testing in the wilderness, / where your fathers tested and tried Me, and for forty years saw My works. ...

Romans 10:21
But as for Israel he says: “All day long I have held out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

1 Corinthians 10:9-10
We should not test Christ, as some of them did, and were killed by snakes. / And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.


Treasury of Scripture

Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:

Psalm 78:40,41
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! …

Deuteronomy 31:16-20
And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them…

Deuteronomy 32:15-21
But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation…

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Psalm 78
1. An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9. The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67. The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David.














But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees
But they tested
The Hebrew word for "tested" is "nasah," which implies putting to the test or trying the patience of someone. In the context of Psalm 78, this word reflects the Israelites' repeated actions of challenging God's authority and questioning His power and provision. Historically, this testing can be seen in the wilderness wanderings, where despite witnessing numerous miracles, the Israelites continued to doubt God's ability to care for them. This serves as a cautionary tale for believers today, reminding us to trust in God's faithfulness and not to test His patience through disbelief or disobedience.

and disobeyed
The term "disobeyed" comes from the Hebrew "marah," which means to be rebellious or to resist authority. This word captures the essence of the Israelites' attitude towards God, as they frequently turned away from His commands and pursued their own desires. The historical context of Israel's rebellion is well-documented in the Old Testament, particularly in the books of Exodus and Numbers. For contemporary Christians, this serves as a warning against the dangers of rebellion and the importance of submitting to God's will.

God Most High
The phrase "God Most High" is translated from the Hebrew "El Elyon," a title that emphasizes God's supreme authority and sovereignty over all creation. This name for God is used throughout the Old Testament to highlight His exalted position above all other gods and powers. In the context of Psalm 78, it underscores the gravity of Israel's rebellion against the ultimate authority. For believers, recognizing God as "Most High" calls for reverence, worship, and obedience, acknowledging His rightful place as Lord over our lives.

for they did not keep
The phrase "did not keep" is derived from the Hebrew "shamar," meaning to guard, observe, or give heed to. This word indicates a failure to protect or adhere to something valuable—in this case, God's decrees. The Israelites' neglect of God's commands is a recurring theme in their history, leading to various consequences and judgments. For Christians, this serves as a reminder of the importance of diligently keeping God's Word, as it is a source of life and guidance.

His decrees
The word "decrees" comes from the Hebrew "edot," which refers to testimonies or statutes given by God. These decrees are not merely rules but are divine instructions meant to guide the people in righteousness and holiness. The historical context of these decrees includes the laws given at Mount Sinai, which were intended to set Israel apart as God's chosen people. For believers today, God's decrees are found in the entirety of Scripture, and they call us to live lives that reflect His character and purposes.

Verse 56. - Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God (comp. above, ver. 17). The Israelites continued to "tempt and provoke God" after they had obtained possession of the Holy Land, and divided it among them (see Judges 2:11-19; Judges 3:12; Judges 4:1; Judges 6:1; Judges 10:6-15; Judges 13:1, etc.). And kept not his testimonies; or, his ordinances (Cheyne).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But they tested
וַיְנַסּ֣וּ (way·nas·sū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 5254: To test, to attempt

and disobeyed
וַ֭יַּמְרוּ (way·yam·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 4784: To be contentious or rebellious

God
אֱלֹהִ֣ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

Most High,
עֶלְי֑וֹן (‘el·yō·wn)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5945: An elevation, lofty, as title, the Supreme

for they did not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

keep
שָׁמָֽרוּ׃ (šā·mā·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

His decrees.
וְ֝עֵדוֹתָ֗יו (wə·‘ê·ḏō·w·ṯāw)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5713: Testimony, witness


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OT Poetry: Psalm 78:56 Yet they tempted and rebelled against (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 78:55
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