Psalms 78:57 · Bible study
Psalms 78:57 Commentary: The Deceitful Bow of Unfaithfulness
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine how the metaphor of a faulty bow reveals Israel's spiritual inconsistency and warns about reliable devotion.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The deceitful bow illustrates Israel's pattern of promising loyalty and then failing under pressure, a picture of spiritual unreliability.
- Key words: וַיִּבְגְּדוּ (acted treacherously, H0898), נֶהְפְּכוּ (they changed, H2015), קֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּה (bow of deceit).
- Main debate: The exact mechanics of the eastern bow (does it spring back or shoot awry?) but the effect, unreliability, is universally agreed.
- Theological theme: Human unfaithfulness contrasted with God's persistent grace; the pastoral warning about having a 'divided heart.'
- Best use: Teaching on spiritual consistency, confessional prayer, sermons about covenant faithfulness and God's renewal despite failure.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They turned back and were faithless like their fathers, twisted like a faulty bow.
WEB World English Bible 2000
but turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers. They were twisted like a deceitful bow.
KJV King James Version 1769
But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers: They were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And they turn back, And deal treacherously like their fathers, They have been turned like a deceitful bow,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they drew back and dealt treacherously like their fathers: they turned like a deceitful bow.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Sino que se volvieron, y se rebelaron como sus padres: volviéronse como arco engañoso.
E voltaram a ser tão infiéis como os seus pais; desviaram-se como um arco enganoso.
Ils s’ éloignèrent et furent infidèles, comme leurs pères,
und fielen zurück und verachteten alles wie ihre Väter und hielten nicht, gleichwie ein loser Bogen,
En zij weken terug, en handelden trouwelooslijk, gelijk hun vaders; zij zijn omgekeerd, als een bedriegelijke boog.
Si trassero indietro e furono sleali come i loro padri; si rivoltarono come un arco fallace;
Ale się odwrócili, i przewrotnie się obchodzili, jako i ojcowie ich; wywrócili się jako łuk omylny.
反倒退後，行詭詐，像他們的祖宗一樣；他們改變，如同翻背的 弓。
Their hearts were turned back and untrue like their fathers; they were turned to one side like a twisted bow.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 78:57
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from across the Protestant and Catholic traditions read the metaphor of a 'deceitful bow' (קֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּה) as a vivid picture of unreliability. Adam Clarke explains that the eastern bow must be curved against its natural shape to be strung; a flawed one springs back dangerously, missing the mark or injuring the archer. Albert Barnes adds that a deceitful bow has arms of uneven tension, causing arrows to fly off course. Matthew Henry and John Gill connect this directly to Israel's pattern: they promised obedience but repeatedly 'turned back' (וַיִּסֹּגוּ) and acted treacherously (וַיִּבְגְּדוּ). The Niphal verb נֶהְפְּכוּ ('they changed') underscores a transformation, not a mere slip, but a deliberate reversal of loyalty. All major interpreters agree the bow illustrates a people who appeared devoted but consistently failed to deliver, and the point is pressed home by the surrounding context: after God's great acts of salvation, they immediately turned to high places and idols (vv.56, 58). The image remains a sobering mirror for any community that calls itself God's own.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse uses the metaphor of a faulty bow to illustrate Israel's pattern of spiritual unfaithfulness and inconsistency in their covenant relationship with God.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of the deceitful bow metaphor | All traditions read the bow as an image of unreliability and broken promise. It illustrates Israel's failure to keep covenant obligations. | Some commentators (e.g., Clarke) emphasise the bow springing back to its original bent due to faulty construction; others (e.g., Barnes) focus on the bow's arms being uneven, causing arrows to miss. Both readings converge on the core point of untrustworthiness. |
| Identity of 'their fathers' | All agree the reference is to the Exodus generation mentioned earlier in Psalm 78 (vv.8, 10, 11, 17, 18). | Some see a specific connection to the generation that died in the wilderness (Numbers 14); others include the patriarchal era. The verse itself is clear enough, and the debate is minor and pastoral rather than doctrinal. |
| Connection to God's judgment in vv.58, 64 | Unanimously, the unfaithfulness described in verse 57 provokes God's anger and leads directly to the judgment recounted in the following verses. | Traditions differ on whether the judgment is primarily historical (the destruction of Shiloh) or typological (prefiguring later exiles and the final judgment). Both readings accept the immediate historical referent. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 78 is a 'historical psalm' composed by Asaph to instruct the generations after him (vv.1, 8). It retells Israel's story from the Exodus to David's kingship, with a recurring rhythm: God's grace, human rebellion, judgment, and renewed mercy. Verse 57 belongs to a section describing the period in Canaan after the conquest (vv.52, 72).
The metaphor of a 'deceitful bow' would have been instantly meaningful to an ancient audience. The Hebrew noun קֶשֶׁת (keshet) denotes a weapon used in hunting and warfare, often shaped from wood, horn, and sinew. In the eastern world, the composite bow was made by gluing layers together under tension. If the materials were defective or the workmanship poor, the bow would not hold its curve when strung: it might 'spring back' to its relaxed state, sending the arrow in an unintended direction, or it could shatter and harm the archer. Such a bow was literally 'of deceit' (רְמִיָּה, remiyah), it promised performance but delivered failure.
The surrounding context confirms this reading. God had led Israel 'safely' as a shepherd leads a flock (v.53), driven out nations, and granted them an inheritance (vv.54, 55). Yet the generation that settled in the land repeated the sins of their wilderness ancestors: they 'tempted and rebelled' (v.56), kept high places, and worshiped idols (v.58). The verb 'turned back' (וַיִּסֹּגוּ) carries the sense of retreating from loyalty, while 'acted treacherously' (וַיִּבְגְּדוּ) is used in Hosea and Jeremiah for covenant unfaithfulness. The deceitful bow, then, captures a systemic failure, a people whose worship was hollow when pressure came. This pattern echoes the Judges cycle, where each generation 'did what was evil in Yahweh's sight' (Judges 3:7, 12). The psalmist uses the image to cut through Israel's self‑deception: they looked like God's people, but at the moment of testing, their devotion bent back into self‑will.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 78:57. The Hebrew text is consistent across the Masoretic tradition and the major medieval manuscripts. The ancient versions (Septuagint, Syriac, Targum) all reflect the same reading.
Reception History
Psalm 78:57 has been widely cited in Christian teaching on backsliding and the dangers of a divided heart. The early church saw the psalm as a warning to the new covenant community against repeating Israel's failures (see 1 Corinthians 10:1, 12). The Reformers, including Calvin and Matthew Henry, emphasized the contrast between God's unwavering goodness and human fickleness; Henry called the deceitful bow 'a sad emblem of hypocritical professors.' In the Wesleyan and evangelical traditions, this verse was preached to call for genuine conversion and perseverance. More recent commentaries (Keil & Delitzsch, Lange) focus on the literary structure, highlighting how the bow metaphor prepares for the psalm's resolution in God's choice of David and Zion. The image has also appeared in hymns that plead for steadfast hearts.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Bow Created for a Purpose, God shaped Israel to be His instrument of blessing, witness, and faithful covenant partner.
- The Bow That Fails, Despite God's faithful acts, Israel's repeated pattern of rebellion reveals a fundamental flaw: a heart that is not steadfast with God (Psalm 78:8, 37).
- The Archer Disappointed, God's response is righteous anger and grief; He abhors the people and abandons the sanctuary at Shiloh (vv.59, 60). Yet the arc of the psalm does not end in judgment, it moves toward a new beginning with David.
Five-Point Outline
- God's Faithful Acts (vv.52, 55), Deliverance, protection, provision, and the gift of land.
- Israel's Unfaithful Response (vv.56, 57), Testing, rebellion, turning back, and acting treacherously.
- The Deceitful Bow as a Mirror (v.57), Their commitment appeared real but bent under pressure; they could not be trusted to keep their promises.
- God's Judgment (vv.58, 64), High places, idols, and the loss of Shiloh, priests, and people.
- God's New Beginning (vv.65, 72), He awakens, defeats enemies, rejects Ephraim, and raises up David and Zion.
Illustration Hooks
- A tool that works at first but fails when you need it most, like a screwdriver that strips a screw halfway in. Israel was God's tool, but they slipped under pressure.
- A promise broken. A friend who says 'I'll be there' but never shows when the going gets tough. The psalm describes a covenant partner who swears loyalty and then disappears.
- An athlete who trains hard but panics on game day. The bow looked strong in the rack, but on the battlefield it couldn't send the arrow straight.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why do I keep falling into the same sins, even after God has been so faithful to me?
- Does my worship mean anything if I am not consistent in my daily walk?
- How can I become someone God can truly rely on, a 'true bow' rather than a deceitful one?
Leading a Discussion
This small‑group guide invites honest reflection on the metaphor of the deceitful bow and what it reveals about our spiritual reliability. Read Psalm 78:56, 57 slowly, then work through the questions together.
Discussion Questions
- What does the image of a bow that 'turns aside' or 'springs back' suggest about Israel's behaviour? Describe in your own words how a faulty bow would have frustrated a soldier.
- Look at the verbs 'turned back' and 'acted treacherously' in verse 57. The Hebrew word bagad (H0898) is also used for covenant unfaithfulness in Hosea 5:7 and 6:7. Why is 'treachery' a stronger charge than simple disobedience?
- The verse says Israel was 'twisted like a deceitful bow.' In what ways can we 'look faithful' outwardly while our hearts are bent in another direction?
- Read Psalm 78:8 and 78:37. How do these earlier verses reinforce the same diagnosis of the people's problem?
- Verse 57 links Israel's failure to the pattern of their fathers. Why do you think each generation repeated the same spiritual failures? What patterns might we be repeating without realising it?
- God judged Israel by withdrawing His presence from Shiloh (v.60). What do we learn about God's heart from both the severity of this judgment and the fact that He later raised up David?
- Practically, how can we strengthen the 'bow' of our faith so that we remain true to God when pressure or temptation comes?
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)
| Judges 3:5 | The children of Israel lived among the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. |
| Judges 3:7 | The children of Israel did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. |
| Judges 3:12 | The children of Israel again did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. |
| Psalms 78:8 | and might not be as their fathers— a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal, whose spirit was not steadfast with God. |
| Psalms 78:10 | They didn’t keep God’s covenant, and refused to walk in his law. |
| Psalms 78:37 | For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant. |
| Psalms 78:41 | They turned again and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel. |
| Ezekiel 20:27 | “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel, and tell them, ‘The Lord Yahweh says: “Moreover, in this your fathers have blasphemed me, in that they have committed a trespass against me. |
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
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke explains that a deceitful bow is one that, when bent backward for use, suddenly springs back to its resting position, making it unreliable. This image captures how the Israelites, when drawn out of their natural state, quickly recoiled and relapsed into their old ways.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes explains that a deceitful bow has uneven arms, so the arrow always misses its target. He applies this image to Israel: their promises, covenant, and loyalty could not be trusted, and they consistently failed to hit the mark of faithfulness. This charge, he observes, fits many professed believers throughout history as well.
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.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that the word "unfaithfully" is better translated "treacherously," indicating a deliberate breach of loyalty. The image of a "deceitful bow" pictures a weapon that fails to hit its mark, disappointing the one who relies on it—a metaphor for Israel's spiritual failure.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note highlights the image of a deceitful bow, a weapon that looks ready but fails to send the arrow where aimed. This pictures Israel's outward appearance of faithfulness that proved unreliable and false, just like their fathers before them.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill uses the image of a deceitful bow to capture Israel's failure: it looks ready to shoot straight but drops the arrow, sends it off course, or snaps under strain. Their apostasy was not a sudden break but a built-in unreliability, promising faithfulness yet always turning away.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the "angels of evil" in this verse are not wicked angels but messengers of misfortune, a grammatical construction meaning calamity-bringing angels. They see the plagues described as streams of fire, death personified as an executioner, and pestilence as a personal foe that forced Pharaoh to release Israel.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry emphasizes that Israel's sin in the wilderness was not ordinary forgetfulness but a deliberate limiting of the Holy One, provoked Him despite witnessing His mighty signs in Egypt. They turned back
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains the image of a deceitful bow as a weapon that fails the archer in two ways: it either snaps under tension or sends the arrow off course. Either way, it completely disappoints the one who trusted it.