The Bible Says
Psalm 78:40-53 Meaning

Psalm 78:40-53 describes the people of Israel as rebelling repeatedly, as the psalmist says: How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! (v. 40). The people’s repeated defiance highlights their forgetfulness of God’s saving acts, and their disobedience caused God pain. Here, the term wilderness refers to the vast, arid desert region through which the Israelites journeyed after leaving Egypt. Rebellion in that region indicated that the people were not internalizing God’s commands or trusting His leadership. Their actions grieved Him because they persisted in doubt despite seeing His miraculous guidance. This verse emphasizes that persistent unfaithfulness leads to sorrow, not only for us but for God Himself.

The psalmist then underscores the continuous nature of this challenge as he writes Again and again they tempted God, and pained the Holy One of Israel (v. 41). This phrase shows how the people probed God’s patience. Although God mercifully provided food, protection, and safe passage, the Israelites continued to doubt Him. The descriptor Holy One of Israel highlights His sacredness and covenant relationship, setting Him above all idols or gods of neighboring nations. Their temptation of God was not merely an impulsive disobedience but a persistent testing of His limits, calling into question His ability and willingness to care for them.

The psalmist laments They did not remember His power, the day when He redeemed them from the adversary (v. 42). This verse grieves the Israelites’ failure to recall the mighty deliverance God wrought. Their redemption points back to the Exodus, the time when God set His people free from Egypt’s oppression. The adversary, in that historical immediate setting, was Pharaoh and his oppressive regime. Forgetfulness of God’s mighty works leads to spiritual complacency, and the psalm emphasizes how memory of divine deliverance should fuel ongoing faith.

The text recounts When He performed His signs in Egypt and His marvels in the field of Zoan (v. 43), referencing the remarkable wonders that God unleashed upon the Egyptian empire. Egypt was a powerful kingdom along the Nile River, rich in history and culture. Zoan, also known as Tanis, was a city in the Nile Delta region, an important hub of Egyptian power. These signs and marvels refer to the plagues recorded in the book of Exodus, showcasing the Lord’s superiority over earthly rulers and pagan deities. The psalmist calls the reader to remember these events and trust that God still displays His power on behalf of His people.

He highlights one of those wonders: And turned their rivers to blood, and their streams, they could not drink (v. 44). This corresponds directly to the first plague God visited upon Egypt, transforming the Nile into blood (Exodus 7:17-21). By striking at the Nile, the lifeblood of Egypt’s civilization, the true God demonstrated that His authority superseded even the most revered natural resources. This seemingly harsh judgment was meant both to humble Egypt and to encourage Israel’s faith.

The description continues: He sent among them swarms of flies which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them (v. 45). These plagues followed closely in the Exodus narrative (Exodus 8:1-24). Flies in overwhelming numbers literally invaded every space, while frogs overwhelmed the Egyptians’ homes and palaces. In a culture that revered various deities of nature, including frogs, God’s demonstration showed that He was the true sovereign over creation. These miraculous signs served as evidence of His unparalleled might.

The psalmist goes on: He gave also their crops to the grasshopper and the product of their labor to the locust (v. 46). Egypt, which prided itself on agriculture fed by the Nile’s fertile banks, found its sustenance stripped away by hordes of insects (to learn more about the plague of locusts, please see our commentary on Exodus 10:1-20). In the ancient world, locust swarms could decimate entire harvests, proving ruinous to any nation. This plague was a direct strike at their livelihood and a revelation of God’s power to disrupt every form of human security.

Further devastation is recounted: He destroyed their vines with hailstones and their sycamore trees with frost (v. 47). The text recalls the seventh plague (to learn more about the seventh plague, please see our commentary on Exodus 9:23-26), where God unleashed thunder and hail upon the land of Egypt. Vines and sycamore trees were crucial parts of the agricultural ecosystem, so their damage signaled not only economic loss but also a challenge to the Egyptians’ reverence for various nature gods. The contrast here is stark: natural forces, which people often rely on, bend to the will of God.

Nature continued to obey the divine command: He gave over their cattle also to the hailstones and their herds to bolts of lightning (v. 48). Livestock was another staple of Egyptian wealth, used for farming, food, and religious sacrifice. By allowing their animals to perish, God demonstrated His supremacy, effectively toppling symbols of pride. This devastation accentuated how no fortress, whether physical or economic, could stand unless protected by the Lord of all creation.

The psalmist observes He sent upon them His burning anger, fury and indignation and trouble, a band of destroying angels (v. 49). While the idea of destroying angels may sound severe, these agents of judgment underscored the seriousness of Egypt’s prideful oppression. Instances of God using angelic forces appear elsewhere in Scripture to convey His swift judgment on those who oppose His plan (2 Kings 19:35). God’s anger shows that injustice and unfaithfulness must be addressed, but He uses these events to advance His redemptive purpose for His people.

He then leveled a path for this unfolding judgment as He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, but gave over their life to the plague (v. 50). In other words, God removed every obstruction that might have shielded the Egyptians from experiencing the consequences of their continued rebellion. The plague is a sober reminder that actions carry moral weight. For those who continually oppose His ways, God permits judgment as a means to reveal the gravity of sin and the necessity of redemption.

In a final, devastating blow, He smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first issue of their virility in the tents of Ham (v. 51). This recounts the tenth and ultimate plague (Exodus 12:29-30). The tents of Ham refers to the lineage of Ham, one of Noah’s sons, traditionally associated with Egypt. This plague targeted the firstborn children and animals, cutting to the heart of Egyptian identity and perpetuity. Although severe, it served as the decisive act that released Israel from bondage, foreshadowing Christ’s sacrificial deliverance (John 1:29) for those under the bondage of sin.

Yet the same God who smote the oppressor tenderly protected His people: But He led forth His own people like sheep and guided them in the wilderness like a flock (v. 52). The metaphor of shepherding highlights His gentle leading of Israel. He didn’t just break their chains; He nurtured them when they were most vulnerable. The wilderness, often harsh and unpredictable, became manageable under God’s watchful care. This pastoral image anticipates Jesus referring to Himself as the Good Shepherd, caring for His flock (John 10:11).

Transitioning from the turmoil of Egypt’s judgment, the psalmist states He led them safely, so that they did not fear; but the sea engulfed their enemies (v. 53). Indeed, God not only guided Israel through the Red Sea but swallowed up Pharaoh’s army in the very waters that had parted for His people (Exodus 14:28-31). This event assured Israel of God’s unparalleled commitment to deliver them. Safety in the midst of peril was a sign of God’s sovereignty, and foreshadows the ultimate victory that believers find in Christ’s triumph over every spiritual enemy (1 Corinthians 15:57).