Psalm 78 57

Psalm 78:57

ESV: but turned away and acted treacherously like their fathers; they twisted like a deceitful bow.

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

NIV: Like their ancestors they were disloyal and faithless, as unreliable as a faulty bow.

NKJV: But turned back and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

NLT: They turned back and were as faithless as their parents.
They were as undependable as a crooked bow.

Meaning

Psalm 78:57 describes Israel's spiritual decline and treachery. It illustrates their profound and repeated unfaithfulness to God, likening their behavior to their rebellious ancestors. The vivid metaphor of a "deceitful bow" underscores their unreliability and inability to remain true or achieve God's purposes, suggesting their will or aim was not directed consistently towards Him. Their actions reveal a fundamental perversion, a deviation from the straight path of obedience and covenant fidelity.

Cross References

Context

Psalm 78 is a "Maschil," an instructive psalm of Asaph, intended to teach future generations about God's faithfulness and Israel's consistent rebellion throughout their history. It begins by recounting God's mighty acts of deliverance, particularly during the Exodus and the wilderness wandering, contrasting them sharply with Israel's chronic ingratitude, murmuring, and idolatry. Verse 57 comes after the psalm recounts God bringing Israel into the promised land, expelling their enemies, and settling them, but notes their immediate spiritual decline despite His unwavering provision. This verse encapsulates the pattern of turning away from God, characterized by deceitful behavior mirroring their ancestors, culminating in the spiritual analogy of an unreliable bow that misses its mark.

Word analysis

• But turned back (וַיִּסֹּגוּ - vayissoḡū): Derived from the Hebrew root sûg, meaning "to draw back," "to apostatize," or "to go backward." It denotes a deliberate act of spiritual retreat or deviation from a commitment, indicating a renunciation of fidelity to God. This isn't just passive wandering but an active turning away.
• and acted treacherously (וַיִּבְגְּדוּ - vayyivɡəḏū): From the root bāḡaḏ, which signifies "to deal faithlessly," "to betray," or "to be unfaithful." It's a strong term indicating covenant breaking and a deep betrayal of trust, reflecting unfaithfulness in the most intimate sense, as in a marriage covenant.
• like their fathers (כַּאֲבוֹתָם - kaʾavōtām): "Like their ancestors" or "as their fathers did." This phrase emphasizes the cyclical nature of sin and disobedience, suggesting a learned or inherited pattern of rebellion that continued across generations despite God's patience and warning. It highlights a recurring spiritual pathology.
• they twisted (נֶהְפְּכוּ - nehpəḵū): From the root hāfaḵ, meaning "to overturn," "to overthrow," "to change," or "to twist." Here, it conveys perversion or a deviation from what is right, straight, or intended. It implies a moral and spiritual contortion or distortion, a turning away from the direct path.
• like a deceitful bow (כְּקֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּה - kəqešeṯ rəmîyāh):
  • כְּקֶשֶׁת (kəqešeṯ) - "like a bow." The bow was a primary weapon for hunting and warfare, requiring straightness, strength, and tension to be effective and accurate.
  • רְמִיָּה (rəmîyāh) - "deceit," "unreliability," "treachery." When applied to a bow, it refers to one that is slack, improperly strung, warped, or broken, which either fails to launch an arrow correctly or shoots it off target, rendering it useless or even dangerous to the user.
  This word-group metaphor powerfully describes Israel's spiritual condition: they were like an unreliable weapon, unable to "shoot straight" in their covenant relationship with God. They appeared ready for service, but their heart was not fully committed, causing them to constantly miss the mark of obedience or even turn their "arrow" of devotion in a perverse direction. They were unreliable as an instrument in God's hands.

Commentary

Psalm 78:57 vividly portrays the deep-seated spiritual unreliability of Israel, echoing a consistent theme throughout their history. It highlights a deliberate turning away from God's established ways, not merely a passive wandering but an active treachery and covenant-breaking. Their behavior was not novel; it mirrored the pattern of disobedience exhibited by previous generations, reinforcing the idea of a persistent heart problem. The comparison to a "deceitful bow" is especially poignant, as it conveys utter futility and potential harm. Just as a warped bow fails to hit its intended target, sending its arrow awry, Israel consistently missed God's standard of faithfulness, unable to maintain a true and consistent trajectory of devotion. This verse serves as a sober warning against a shallow or half-hearted commitment to God, emphasizing the devastating consequences of an unreliable spiritual posture.

Bonus section

The "deceitful bow" imagery is a direct and forceful critique of Israel's character as God's chosen people. They were meant to be an instrument in His hand, to bear witness to His truth and be effective in fulfilling His purposes. Instead, their inherent unreliability made them unfit for divine use. This goes beyond simple failing; it suggests active self-sabotage and counter-effectiveness. The psalm doesn't offer solutions here, but merely narrates this persistent historical defect, serving as a pedagogical tool for future generations to learn from and avoid such repeated patterns of disloyalty.

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