Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to His covenant.
Parallel translations
- WEB For their heart was not right with him, neither were they faithful in his covenant.
- KJV For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
- NKJV For their heart was not steadfast with Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.
- NASB For their heart was not steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful with His covenant.
- NLT Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep his covenant.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Their hearts were not loyal to God nor faithful to His covenant. The flaw was inward unfaithfulness.
Overview
Asaph exposes the core problem: their 'heart was not right' and they were not 'faithful in his covenant.' Outward religion cannot substitute for inward fidelity. This diagnosis anticipates the gospel promise of a circumcised heart, given through the Spirit by the work of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Acts 8:21You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
- Ps 78:8Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
- Ps 51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
- Hos 7:14They do not cry out to Me from their hearts when they wail upon their beds. They slash themselves for grain and new wine, but turn away from Me.
- Hos 7:16They turn, but not to the Most High; they are like a faulty bow. Their leaders will fall by the sword for the cursing of their tongue; for this they will be ridiculed in the land of Egypt.
- Ps 119:80May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, that I may not be put to shame.
- Hos 10:2Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.
- Deut 31:20When I have brought them into the land that I swore to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. Then they will turn to other gods and worship them, and they will reject Me and break My covenant.
- Ps 44:17–18All this has come upon us, though we have not forgotten You or betrayed Your covenant.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 78:37 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.