Daily Bible Nugget #687, Psalm 78:41

The Nugget:

Psalm 78:41  Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 78:41 They again challenged God,
and offended the Holy One of Israel. (NET Bible).

My Comment:

Where the King James Version has “limited the Holy One of Israel,” the NET Bible reads “offended the Holy One of Israel.” The NET Bible in a footnote for “offended” states “Or “wounded, hurt.” The verb occurs only here in the OT. [Biblical Studies Press. (2019). The NET Bible (Second Edition). Thomas Nelson.]

The King James Version rendering supports the principle that we can limit what God will do by provoking, grieving, and tempting or testing God by our lack of obedience, patience, and faith as did Israel in the wilderness:

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

Even during the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ this lack of faith in Him was evident when He visited His home town of Nazareth where everyone had known Him and His family since His childhood:

Mar 6:1  And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.
Mar 6:2  And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?
Mar 6:3  Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.
Mar 6:4  But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
Mar 6:5  And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.
Mar 6:6  And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

We in our day need to be extra careful that we not fall into the same trap of the devil. Be careful lest over-familiarity with what we think we know about the truths of the Bible blind and block us from learning something new!

Here for your deeper study are the extensive cross references and notes for Psalm 78:41 from my Bible study resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Psalms 78:41

Yea. Psa 78:57, +*Psa 101:3, *Num 14:4; *Num 14:22, Deut 6:16, 1Sa 15:11, Eze 20:13, *Act 7:39, Heb 3:8, 9, 10, 11, 2Pe 2:21, 22.

and tempted. Psa 78:18; Psa 78:56, Psa 95:9; Psa 106:14, Exo 17:2, Deut 6:16, Mal 3:15, Mat 4:7, Act 5:9.

God. Heb. El, +Exo 15:2.

limited. Hithvu. By entertaining mean and circumscribed notions of His power, and goodness, and faithfulness. (Compare tavah in Num 34:7; Num 34:10,) So they profaned the glory of the Holy One, who had “been sanctified before them” by so many miraculous deeds. Psa 78:19, 20, Gen 18:14; Gen 19:22, Num 11:23; Num 14:11, 2Ki 7:2, *Eze 9:4 (set). *Mat 13:58; Mat 25:24 note. Mar 5:35, 36; *Mar 6:5; *Mar 6:6, Joh 6:9; Joh 11:21.

the Holy One of Israel. Psa 71:22; Psa 89:18, Isa 1:4.

For Matthew 25:24 note see:

Matthew 25:24

Mat 25:24  Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

he which. Note: Our Lord placed the example of negligence in him to whom the least was committed, probably to “intimate,” says Doddridge, “that we are accountable for the smallest advantage with which we are entrusted; but it cannot imply that they who have received much will ordinarily pass their account best; for it is too plain, in fact, that most of those whose dignity, wealth, and genius give them the greatest opportunities of service, seem to forget that they have any Master in heaven to serve, or any future reckoning to expect; and many render themselves much more criminal than this wicked and slothful servant who hid his talent in the earth.” 1Co 1:26.

had received. Note the change from the Aorist to the Perfect. He had received it, and it remained with him (CB).

and said. +Eze 33:20.

Lord. *Mat 7:21, *Luk 6:46.

I knew thee. or, I got to know thee. Gr. ginōskō (S# G1097), Joh 8:55 note. Notice that a wrong conception of who God is will make it impossible to render proper service to Him (+**Psa 9:10, +**Gen 18:25 note). *Mat 20:12, 1Sa 25:3, %+*Job 1:22; +*Job 2:10; Job 21:14, 15, +Psa 9:10 note. +**Pro 19:3, +**Isa 29:24; Isa 58:3, Jer 2:31; Jer 44:16, 17, 18, +*Eze 18:25, 26, 27, 28, 29, Mal 1:12, 13; Mal 3:14, 15, *Luk 15:29; *Luk 19:20, 21, 22, Joh 5:44, Rom 3:3, 4; Rom 8:7; +*Rom 9:14; +*Rom 9:20, +*2Co 11:13.

that thou art. Mat 25:44, Deut 1:27, 1Ki 20:40, 1Ch 13:12, Eze 33:17, Luk 19:21.

an hard man. Mat 20:11, 12, Jer 44:16, 17, 18, Mal 1:13, %**1Jn 5:3.

reaping where. Pro 20:4, %2Co 8:12.

gathering. Isa 18:5.

where. Gr. ehothn (S# G3606, Mat 12:44). Heb 11:19 note.