Psalms 78:18 · Bible study
Psalms 78:18 Commentary: The Sin of Tempting God in the Heart
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What made Israel's request for food a sin of testing God? This study examines the heart attitude and contrasts with faithful prayer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel’s request for food was a sin of tempting God because it arose from a heart of unbelief, craving, and dissatisfaction, not from humble trust.
- Key words: nasah (test/tempt), levav (heart), nephesh (soul/appetite). The heart is the seat of the sin; the request targets gratification.
- Main debate: Whether the primary allusion is to the demand for meat (Numbers 11) or the doubt about bread (Exodus 16). Both interpretations highlight unbelief.
- Theological theme: The sin of testing God: demanding that He prove Himself rather than trusting His prior faithfulness.
- Best use: A cautionary lens for examining the motives behind our own prayers and recognizing the danger of a dissatisfied heart.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They tempted God in their heart by asking food according to their desire.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they tempted God in their heart By asking food according to their desire.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And they try God in their heart, To ask food for their lust.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they tempted God in their heart, by asking meat for their lust;
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Pues tentaron á Dios en su corazón, pidiendo comida á su gusto.
E tentaram a Deus nos seus corações, pedindo comida para o desejo de suas almas.
Ils tentèrent Dieu dans leur cœur,
und versuchten Gott in ihrem Herzen, daß sie Speise forderten für ihre Seelen,
En zij verzochten God in hun hart, begerende spijs naar hun lust.
e tentarono Dio in cuor loro, chiedendo cibo a lor voglia.
I kusili Boga w sercu swem, żądając pokarmu według lubości swojej.
他們心中 試探 神，隨自己所欲的 求 食物，
Testing God in their hearts, requesting meat for their desire.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 78:18
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse describes a sin of the heart: unbelief and rebellious craving dressed as a request for food. Barnes notes that the phrase ‘in their heart’ marks the source of the sin, an internal spirit of complaint and dissatisfaction, not merely an outward act. The request was not for necessary sustenance but for gratification. The Hebrew לְנַפְשָׁם (le·naf·shām), ‘for their soul,’ is rendered ‘for their lust’ in older translations; it points to appetite and self-centred desire (Gill, Wesley). Calvin links this failure directly to Israel’s failure to trust God after the plagues and redemption. Cambridge Bible suggests the allusion is to the doubt whether God could provide food at all (Exodus 16), while others (Barnes, Gill) focus on the craving for meat (Numbers 11). In either case, the sin is testing God: demanding a proof of His power and goodness while refusing to rest on His proven character. This contrasts with legitimate prayer, which the same commentators describe as humble, trustful, and satisfied with what God gives.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Israel's request for food was a sin motivated by unbelief and craving, not by humble trust in God's provision.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The specific historical event referenced | The verse refers to Israel's wilderness murmuring about food after the Exodus. | Some interpreters (Cambridge Bible) emphasize the doubt about bread (Exodus 16), while others (Barnes, Gill) focus on the craving for meat (Numbers 11). Both are possible, as the psalmist may fuse the two incidents into one pattern of rebellion. |
| The location of the sin | All commentators note that the sin began 'in their heart', internal and unseen. | There is no significant debate; all stress that outward murmuring flowed from inward rebellion. Some (Calvin, Matthew Henry) particularly emphasize the heart's deceitfulness. |
| The nature of 'tempting God' | Tempting God involved testing His power, faithfulness, and goodness through unbelief. | A minor nuance: some (Cambridge) see it as doubting God's power to provide at all, while others (Barnes) see it as doubting His willingness to satisfy their desires. Both are forms of testing. |
| The legitimacy of the request for food | Asking for food is not inherently sinful; the sin lies in the motive, demanding for self-gratification rather than trusting for daily need. | All agree the request was sinful, but the precise line between legitimate prayer and testing is left to spiritual discernment. The verse does not define a rule but exposes a heart condition. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 78 recounts the wilderness generation’s rebellion after the Exodus. Verses 14, 16 describe God’s abundant provision: a cloud by day, fire by night, water from rock. Then verse 17 says, ‘Yet they still went on to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.’ Verse 18 sharpens the indictment: the rebellion was internal, they tempted God in their heart.
The incident fuses two moments of complaint. In Exodus 16, the whole congregation murmured against Moses and Aaron for lack of bread, and God sent manna. In Numbers 11, the mixed multitude lusted for meat, and God sent quails, but also judgment. The verb ‘tempted’ (H5254, nasah) means ‘to put to the test’ or ‘prove.’ It recalls Massah (Exodus 17:2,7), where Israel tested the Lord by demanding water. Here the testing is compounded by the size of the request: ‘Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?’ (v.19). They had just seen water gush from rock; they had manna daily. Yet they doubted and demanded.
Cultural background: manna was called ‘angels’ food’ (v.25), a miraculous bread sustaining life. To ‘ask food for their soul’ meant craving something beyond what God had given, desiring a change of diet for pleasure, not necessity. In the Ancient Near East, food was a sign of a god’s care. By grumbling against manna, Israel implicitly charged God with neglect. This is why the psalmist ties the sin to unbelief (v.22). The heart is the seat of trust; when the heart tempts, the entire covenant relationship is tested.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 78:18. The Hebrew text is consistent across manuscripts.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Psalm 78:18 has been read as a warning against the sin of murmuring and testing God. The early church saw in it an example of the dangers of unbelief, citing the incident in 1 Corinthians 10:1, 11 as a caution for Christians. Reformation-era commentators such as Calvin and Luther used the verse to illustrate the hardness of the human heart and the necessity of trusting God’s promises rather than demanding signs. Wesley and Gill applied it pastorally, urging believers to examine their own motives when asking for temporal blessings. In modern preaching, this verse is often paired with Psalm 106:14, 15 to teach that God sometimes grants requests but in judgment. It remains a sobering call to gratitude and faith in the midst of daily provision.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Sin Begins in the Heart, They tempted God ‘in their heart.’ Outward murmuring flowed from inward rebellion. The heart can nurture dissatisfaction even when God is actively providing.
- Desire Disguised as Need, They asked food ‘for their soul’, not because they were starving, but because manna no longer satisfied. Legitimate prayer asks for daily bread; this request demanded luxury and doubted God’s goodness.
- Testing God vs. Trusting God, Testing demands that God prove Himself on our terms. Trust rests on what He has already shown. The cross-reference in 1 Corinthians 10:6 warns Christians to learn from Israel’s example: do not lust after evil things.
Five-point outline
- The Context of Grace (vv.14, 17): God had just provided water, cloud, fire. Grace preceded the sin.
- The Hidden Rebellion (v.18a): ‘They tempted God in their heart’, unseen but known to God.
- The Request Itself (v.18b): ‘Asking food according to their desire’, the nephesh craving what is not necessary.
- The Spoken Blasphemy (vv.19, 20): The heart’s doubt becomes public: ‘Can God prepare a table?’
- The Divine Response (vv.21, 22): God’s anger and judgment, because they did not believe or trust in His salvation.
Illustration hooks
- The family that always wants a new car, even when the old one runs perfectly, because it’s not flashy enough. The request isn’t evil; the attitude is.
- The employee who regularly asks for a raise with a sense of entitlement, refusing to see the steady paycheck and benefits already provided. That’s not petition; that’s testing the employer’s fairness.
- A child complaining about dinner while the table is full, because the meal doesn’t match a craving. The parent sees the real issue: ingratitude, not hunger.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know if my prayer for provision is faith or presumption?
- What do I do when I feel dissatisfied with what God has given?
- Is it always wrong to ask God for something more, or can that be done in faith?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 78:18 challenges us to examine not just what we ask for, but why we ask. The Israelites had manna, bread from heaven, yet they craved something else. Their request was not a plea for survival but a test of God's willingness to give them what they wanted. This passage invites small groups to explore the line between honest petition and demanding unbelief.
Discussion questions
- Read the context: verses 14, 17. What had God recently done for Israel? How does that make their sin worse?
- The verse says they tempted God ‘in their heart.’ Why does Scripture highlight the heart as the location of this sin? (See also Matthew 15:19.)
- Look at the Hebrew word nephesh translated ‘soul’ or ‘lust.’ How does knowing that the request was ‘for their soul’ change your understanding of their motive?
- Compare this verse with Psalm 106:14, 15: ‘they tested God in the wasteland’ and ‘He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.’ What warning does this hold for our own prayer lives?
- How can we tell when our requests to God arise from trust and when they arise from a testing spirit? Give a personal example if comfortable.
- Read 1 Corinthians 10:6. Paul says these events ‘were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.’ What does ‘lust after evil things’ look like in a modern, comfortable life?
- How does this passage help you pray for your daily needs with a thankful heart instead of a demanding one?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 16:2 | The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; |
| Exodus 16:3 | and the children of Israel said to them, “We wish that we had died by Yahweh’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” |
| Numbers 11:4 | The mixed multitude that was among them lusted exceedingly; and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? |
| Deuteronomy 6:16 | You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah. |
| Psalms 95:9 | when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work. |
| Psalms 106:14 | but gave in to craving in the desert, and tested God in the wasteland. |
| Psalms 106:15 | He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul. |
| I Corinthians 10:6 | Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that the Hebrew phrase "for their souls" actually means "for their lives." The people believed the manna could not sustain them, revealing a completely carnal mindset: earthly, animal, and devilish, with no spiritual awareness at all.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights a crucial distinction: asking God for better provision is not wrong in itself, but the motive behind the request matters. These people asked with a complaining, self-indulgent spirit, not out of genuine need. He also notes that the original Hebrew word often translated as lusts is actually souls — they asked food for themselves.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees this psalm as a deliberate two-sided contrast: God's tender adoption and constant care for His chosen people, and their repeated, treacherous rebellion against such a generous Father. He also highlights a distinct act of renewed grace—God's second election in choosing David to rule, showing God's goodness persisting despite human faithlessness.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that the sin was not merely asking for food but demanding it out of selfish craving. This was a temptation of God from the heart: they let their own lust drive them to test His provision, treating Him as one who must serve their appetite rather than their true need.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that the people's offense was internal: they harbored hard thoughts of God and secretly murmured, discontent with what they had. Their request for meat came not from genuine need but from selfish craving, asking for more than necessary to satisfy their lusts.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that the word translated "lust" is literally "soul" or "desire," and they connect the ideas of provoking and tempting with the people's absurd doubts. The commentator highlights how inner desire drives the rebellion described.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley distinguishes the temptation as a demand for a display of God's power, not a request for basic food. He stresses that the desire came from an excessive, luxurious appetite rather than genuine need. The sin was not in wanting bread, but in craving a sign beyond what God had already provided.