Their hearts were not loyal to him. They did not keep 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.
- BSB Their hearts were disloyal to Him, and they were unfaithful to 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.
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 neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn’t right before God.
- Ps 78:8and 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.
- Ps 51:10Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
- Hos 7:14They haven’t cried to me with their heart, but they howl on their beds. They assemble themselves for grain and new wine. They turn away from me.
- Hos 7:16They return, but not to the Most High. They are like a faulty bow. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt.
- Ps 119:80Let my heart be blameless toward your decrees, that I may not be disappointed. KAF
- Hos 10:2Their heart is divided. Now they will be found guilty. He will demolish their altars. He will destroy their sacred stones.
- Deut 31:20For when I have brought them into the land which I swore to their fathers, flowing with milk and honey, and they have eaten and filled themselves, and grown fat; then they will turn to other gods, and serve them, and despise me, and break my covenant.
- Ps 44:17–18All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you, Neither have we been false to 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.