Psalms 78:59

Psa 78:59 When God heard [this], he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:

Ver. 59. When God heard this] Sin crieth aloud in God’s ears, though it be never so closely and cunningly carried.

And greatly abhorred Israel] As appeareth all along the Book of Judges, whereof this verse is a summary.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ver. 59. When God heard this, he was wroth. The mere report of it filled him with indignation; he could not bear it, he was incensed to the uttermost, and most justly so.

And greatly abhorred Israel. He cast his idolatrous people from his favour, and left them to themselves, and their own devices. How could he have fellowship with idols? What concord hath Christ with Belial? Sin is in itself so offensive that it makes the sinner offensive too. Idols of any sort are highly abhorrent to God, and we must see to it that we keep ourselves from them through divine grace, for rest assured idolatry is not consistent with true grace in the heart. If Dagon sit aloft in any soul, the ark of God is not there. Where the Lord dwells no image of jealousy will be tolerated. A visible church will soon become a visible curse if idols be set up in it, and then the pruning knife will remove it as a dead branch from the vine.

Note that God did not utterly cast away his people Israel even when he greatly abhorred them, for he returned in mercy to them, so the subsequent verses tell us: so now the seed of Abraham, though for awhile under a heavy cloud, will be gathered yet again, for the covenant of salt shall not be broken. As for the spiritual seed, the Lord hath not despised nor abhorred them; they are his peculiar treasure and lie for ever near his heart.

Ver. 59. When God heard this. The psalmist represents the noise of the ill deeds of the people ascending to the ears of the Eternal. Armand de Mestral, in "Commentaire sur le Livre de Psaumes." 1856.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 78:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 59-72.

1. A gloomy sunset, Ps 78:59-60.

2. A baleful might, Ps 59:60-64.

3. A blessed sunrise, Ps 78:65-72. C. D.

Ver. 70-72. Spiritual promotions. See Psalms on "Ps 78:70" for further information.

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

59. (Psa 78:59) God heard and wets indignant, and rejected Israel exceedingly. The same sin is followed by the same retribution as in Psa 78:21. Abhorred is an inadequate translation of the last verb, which denotes not merely an internal feeling, but the outward exhibition of it. It means not merely to abhor, but to reject with abhorrence. See above, on Psa 15:4. The addition of the intensive adverb, very or exceedingly, serves at the same time to enhance and to restrict the meaning of the verb which it qualifies. He abhorred them, not a little but exceedingly, and as a token of his doing so, rejected them exceedingly, yet not utterly or altogether. As there is nothing to restrict the application of this statement, we must understand it in its widest sense, as meaning that the whole people was regarded with displeasure, and punished on account of its transgressions during the ascendancy of Ephraim.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

59 God heard it, and was wroth. The prophet again shows that God, when he found that no good resulted from his long-suffering, which the people abused, yea, even treated with mockery, and perverted as an encouragement to greater excess in sinning, at length proceeded to inflict severe punishments upon them. The metaphor, which he borrows from earthly judges, is frequently to be met with in the Scriptures. When God is said to hear, it is not meant that it is necessary for him to make inquisition, but it is intended to teach us that he does not rush forth inconsiderately to execute his judgments, and thus to prevent any from supposing that he ever acts precipitately. The amount of what is stated is, that the people continued so pertinaciously in their wickedness, that at length the cry of it ascended to heaven; and the very weight of the punishment demonstrated the aggravated nature of the offense.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

59. Cp. Psa_78:21. and greatly abhorred Israel] Better, and utterly rejected Israel. Israel here can hardly mean Ephraim only, as some commentators hold; for neither sin nor punishment was limited to Ephraim, and the sanctuary of Shiloh, though in Ephraimite territory, was the sanctuary of all Israel.

59–64. Once more therefore God punished them for their sins, abandoning them to their enemies and even suffering the Ark to be captured.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh.... The tabernacle which Moses built in the wilderness by the command of the Lord, and according to the pattern showed him; and which, when the Israelites were settled in the land of Canaan, was set up in Shiloh; see Jos 18:1, and here it was in the times of Eli and Samuel, which are here referred to:

the tent which he placed among men; it was as a tent moveable from place to place, and was to continue at longest but for a while, as the whole tabernacle worship and service was to do; here the divine Majesty dwelt, and among men, vile, sinful, wicked, and ungrateful men; which was a wonderful instance of his condescension and goodness, Kg1 8:27, but when their iniquities grew to such a degree as were intolerable, he forsook it and removed it elsewhere; see Jer 7:12, rather the words may be rendered, "the tent", or "tabernacle, which he had fixed in Adam"; as they are by Doctor Lightfoot (q); that is, in the city Adam, which was in the centre of the parting of the waters of Jordan, and where was the station of the tabernacle and ark of the covenant, when Israel entered into them, and passed through them; which is mentioned as a wonderful circumstance, both with respect to the tabernacle and to the people of Israel.

(q) See his Works, vol. 2. p. 82.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

When God heard this - literally, “God heard;” that is, he understood this; he was acquainted with it. He heard their prayers addressed to false gods; he heard their praises sung in honor of idols.

He was wroth - This is language taken from the common manner of speaking among people, for language derived from human conceptions and usages must be employed when we speak of God, though it may be difficult to say what is its exact meaning. The general sense is that his conduct toward them was as if he was angry; or was that which is used by a man who is displeased.

And greatly abhorred Israel - The idea in the word rendered abhorred is that of rejecting them with abhorrence; that is, the reference is not merely to the internal feeling or emotion, but to the act which is the proper accompaniment of such an internal feeling. He cast them off; he treated them as not his own. The addition of the word “greatly” shows how intense this feeling was; how decided was his aversion to their conduct.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Heard, i.e. perceived or understood, as hearing is oft used, as Gen 11:7; 41:15, &c. It is spoken of God after the manner of men.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

59. When God heard—A judicial hearing is intended. The cry of their sins had come before him, and judgment could no longer be delayed. See 1Sa_2:12-36

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

When God heard this, he was wroth (comp. above, ver. 21). And greatly abhorred Israel. Not Israel, as distinct from Judah, but Israel in the broadest sense, the entire nation, as in ver. 55.

God turned against his people.

I THIS AN AWFUL POSSIBILITY. We have an instance here told of. And the history of nations, Churches, individuals, furnish many more.

II BUT GREATLY DISBELIEVED. The devil will do his bad best to make men not believe it. Therefore uses:

1. False theology, wresting the Scriptures. There were people in St. John"s day (see 1Jo 1) who said they had no sin. Some trusted in their Abrahamic descent; others did not believe in sin at all, they counted it to be but infirmity; others talked of the imputed righteousness of Christ, and affirmed that whatever sin they might commit, they, being in Christ, were guiltless; others, as today, believed that God was too merciful to condemn any one.

2. The deceitfulness of sin.

3. The ill example of others.

III MUCH NEEDING, THEREFORE, TO BE INSISTED ON. Slight views of sin lie at the root of well nigh all departures from God, hut such views are impossible when it is seen to what they lead.

IV BUT NEVER TO BE FEARED BY THOSE WHO WILL LIVE IN THE LOVE OF GOD. S.C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Heard - Perceived or understood, it is spoken of God after the manner of men.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.