Psalms 78:20 Meaning: "Can He Give Bread Also?"
Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”
Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?
Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?
Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. `Also--bread is He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'
Behold, he smote the rock, and waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; is he able to give bread also, or provide flesh for his people?
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 78:20 shows Israel doubting God after the miracle of water from the rock. They asked if He could also provide bread and meat.
Context
Psalm 78 is a long history lesson set to music. Asaph, the writer, tells Israel's story from Egypt to the wilderness, not just to record facts but to teach future generations. In verse 20, the people have just watched water explode from a rock in a dry desert. They drank. They were satisfied. But then their stomachs growled for food, and suddenly the miracle seemed like old news. They asked a question that sounds almost absurd: if God can split stone and flood a desert, can He also handle breakfast and dinner? The verse catches them mid-thought, holding onto the wonder with one hand and shaking a fist with the other.
Key Words
The Hebrew word hen, translated "Behold," is like a finger pointing. "Look at this!" The writer wants us to see the rock and the water before we hear the question. What we see should shape what we ask. Then comes yakhol, the word for "able" or "can." It carries the sense of having power to accomplish something. The people are not asking if God is willing; they are questioning whether He has the capacity. They had seen His power in the water, but somehow they thought that power had limits. The words for "bread" and "meat" are ordinary terms for daily food. The question is not about exotic miracles but about the next meal. And that is where doubt often lives, not in the big, distant things, but in the ordinary needs of today.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have seen this verse as a mirror of the human heart. Some, like Matthew Henry, read it as an example of how quickly we forget God's works and test His patience. Others, following Calvin, emphasize the psalm's structure: it contrasts God's relentless goodness with Israel's habitual rebellion. The Anglican Cambridge Bible notes that the psalm fuses two separate events from Exodus and Numbers, showing that the doubt was not a one-time slip but a pattern. Across traditions, the verse is understood not as a record of a reasonable question but as a warning that unbelief often speaks in the language of doubt after clear evidence of God's power.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the Israelites asked an honest question, as if they were genuinely curious about what God could do. In fact, the context shows this was a test. They had already seen God do the impossible with water. Their question was not a search for information but a complaint disguised as a query. The psalm calls it rebellion.
Living This Out
You saw God come through last month. You felt His provision, His healing, His direction. But now a new need has appeared, smaller, maybe, or more immediate, and you wonder if He can handle this one too. The doubt is familiar. This verse invites you to pause and look back: if He brought water from a rock, can He not bring food for the table? The connection is the same today as it was in the desert. God's power does not shrink between miracles.
Main takeaway: The God who brought water from a rock is the same God who can provide your daily bread and more.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God gave the people water from a rock. But then they asked if He could give them food. They forgot that God can do anything. He can give us what we need.
For ages 9, 12
The Israelites saw God do a big miracle, water pouring out of a rock in the desert. But when they got hungry, they wondered if God could also provide bread and meat. They forgot that the same God who did the first miracle can do the next one. When you need something, remember what God has already done for you. He doesn't run out of power.
Questions People Ask
Why did the Israelites ask if God could give bread after seeing water from a rock?
They were testing God. They had seen His power but doubted He could provide food. The question was a complaint, not a request for information.
What does 'Behold' indicate in this verse?
The Hebrew word 'hen' calls attention, 'Look at this!' It highlights the miracle before the doubt, making the question more striking.
Did God provide meat for the Israelites later?
Yes. Numbers 11 describes God sending quail, but because the people complained with lust, He also sent judgment. The provision came, but not without consequences.
How does this verse connect to the New Testament?
Some Christians see a parallel with Jesus providing bread and fish, showing God's provision in Christ. The same power displayed in the wilderness is present in Jesus.
Why is this verse in a psalm of instruction?
Psalm 78 is a teaching psalm meant to warn future generations against repeating Israel's mistakes. This verse serves as a caution against doubting God after clear evidence of His power.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study