Psalm 78:56

Psalm 78:56, in plain English

But then Israel did what every generation seems tempted to do: they broke the cycle of gratitude and obedience. Despite everything God had done, they tested Him again and rejected His decrees.

Why it's here

You're now at the turning point of the psalm. The first half recounted God's incredible faithfulness; the second half shows Israel's failure. Even after witnessing the plagues, the Red Sea, the pillar of cloud, the manna from heaven, Israel turned away. They disobeyed God's commands and refused to follow His laws.

Who's speaking

Asaph, expressing the pain and frustration of watching a pattern repeat.

Where it sits in the story

This is the tragedy that runs through the entire Old Testament. God is faithful; humans are unfaithful. He gives; they take for granted. He leads; they wander. It's a pattern that didn't end in biblical times—it's the human condition. This is why the New Testament points to Jesus as the One who finally breaks this cycle through grace.

The scholarly reading

The narrative pivots catastrophically: 'But they tested and disobeyed God Most High, for they did not keep His decrees' (וַיְנַסּוּ וַיַּמְרוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן וְעֵדוֹתָיו לֹא שָׁמָרוּ, va-yenasu va-yamru et Elohim elyon ve-edotav lo shamru). The conjunction 'but' (וַיִּ, va-yi) introduces the fatal turning point where election becomes the stage for rebellion.

Language and setting

Having received everything — deliverance, land, divine guidance — Israel immediately violates the covenant stipulations. This pattern anticipates the deuteronomistic interpretation of Israel's history as cycles of covenant violation and divine judgment.

Voice

Asaph, having narrated God's comprehensive faithfulness, now indicts Israel's corresponding infidelity, creating an ironic contrast that underscores human ingratitude.

Significance

This verse encapsulates the entire trajectory from Judges onward — a repeated pattern of covenant breach followed by divine discipline. The theological claim is that Israel's unfaithfulness, not divine abandonment, caused its troubles.

54He brought them to His holy land, to the mountain His right hand had acquired.

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.

58They enraged Him with their high places and provoked His jealousy with their idols.

Read all of Psalm 78 — The longest historical psalm — a retelling of Israel's journey from Egypt to David. Remember, so the next generation won't forget.