And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- BSB Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
- NKJV And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
- NASB And not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not prepare its heart And whose spirit was not faithful to God.
- NLT Then they will not be like their ancestors— stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful, refusing to give their hearts to God.
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
They were to avoid becoming like their stubborn, rebellious fathers whose hearts were not loyal to God.
Overview
The psalmist sets the negative example of past generations who proved unfaithful and unsteadfast. The warning is that knowledge can be squandered through a disloyal heart. This sober contrast urges each generation to learn from history's failures and cultivate hearts truly steadfast toward God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 27
- Ps 78:37For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
- Exod 32:9And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
- 2 Kgs 17:14Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God.
- Ezek 20:18But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
- Deut 31:27For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death?
- Acts 7:51Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
- Deut 9:24Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.
- Exod 33:5For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
- Exod 33:3Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
- Matt 23:31–33Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.
- Deut 9:13Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
- Ezek 2:3–8And he said unto me, Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me: they and their fathers have transgressed against me, even unto this very day.
- Ezek 20:8But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.
- 2 Chr 30:7And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.
- 2 Chr 12:14And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.
- Deut 9:6–7Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.
- Deut 4:4But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.
- Josh 14:8–9Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
- 2 Chr 19:3Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the groves out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God.
- 2 Chr 20:33Howbeit the high places were not taken away: for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.
- Exod 34:9And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O LORD, let my LORD, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
- 2 Chr 30:19That prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.
- Job 11:13If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him;
- Acts 11:23Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
- Ps 68:6God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
- Ps 106:7Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies; but provoked him at the sea, even at the Red sea.
- Isa 30:9That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
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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 78:8 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
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