Psalm 78:19
New International Version
They spoke against God; they said, “Can God really spread a table in the wilderness?

New Living Translation
They even spoke against God himself, saying, “God can’t give us food in the wilderness.

English Standard Version
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

Berean Standard Bible
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?

King James Bible
Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

New King James Version
Yes, they spoke against God: They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

New American Standard Bible
Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

NASB 1995
Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

NASB 1977
Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

Amplified Bible
Then they spoke against God; They said, “Can God prepare [food for] a table in the wilderness?

Christian Standard Bible
They spoke against God, saying, “Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
They spoke against God, saying,” Is God able to provide food in the wilderness?

American Standard Version
Yea, they spake against God; They said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

Contemporary English Version
They challenged God by saying, "Can God provide food out here in the desert?

English Revised Version
Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
They spoke against God by saying, "Can God prepare a banquet in the desert?

Good News Translation
They spoke against God and said, "Can God supply food in the desert?

International Standard Version
They spoke against God by asking, "Is God able to prepare a feast in the desert?

Majority Standard Bible
They spoke against God, saying, ?Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness?

NET Bible
They insulted God, saying, "Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?

New Heart English Bible
Yes, they spoke against God. They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

Webster's Bible Translation
Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

World English Bible
Yes, they spoke against God. They said, “Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And they speak against God—they said: “Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?”

Young's Literal Translation
And they speak against God -- they said: 'Is God able to array a table in a wilderness?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And they will speak against God; they said, Will God be able to arrange a table in the desert?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And they spoke badly about God. They said, “Would God be able to prepare a table in the desert?

New American Bible
They spoke against God, and said, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

New Revised Standard Version
They spoke against God, saying, “Can God spread a table in the wilderness?
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Yea, they complained against God; they said, Can God furnish tables of food in the wilderness?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And they complained against God and they said, "Can God arrange tables for us in the wilderness?"
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Yea, they spoke against God; They said 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
18They willfully tested God by demanding the food they craved. 19They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? 20When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”…

Cross References
Numbers 11:4-6
Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, “Who will feed us meat? / We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic. / But now our appetite is gone; there is nothing to see but this manna!”

Numbers 11:18-20
And say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, because you have cried out in the hearing of the LORD, saying: ‘Who will feed us meat? For we were better off in Egypt!’ Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat. / You will eat it not for one or two days, nor for five or ten or twenty days, / but for a whole month—until it comes out of your nostrils and makes you nauseous—because you have rejected the LORD, who is among you, and have cried out before Him, saying, ‘Why did we ever leave Egypt?’”

Numbers 11:31-33
Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey in every direction around the camp. / All that day and night, and all the next day, the people stayed up gathering the quail. No one gathered less than ten homers, and they spread them out all around the camp. / But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the anger of the LORD burned against the people, and the LORD struck them with a severe plague.

Exodus 16:2-3
And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. / “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!”

Exodus 16:7-8
and in the morning you will see the LORD’s glory, because He has heard your grumbling against Him. For who are we, that you should grumble against us?” / And Moses added, “The LORD will give you meat to eat this evening and bread to fill you in the morning, for He has heard your grumbling against Him. Who are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.”

Exodus 16:12-15
“I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” / That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. / When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground. ...

Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

2 Kings 7:2
But the officer on whose arm the king leaned answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” replied Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it.”

2 Kings 7:19
And the officer had answered the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD were to make windows in heaven, could this really happen?” So Elisha had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!”

Isaiah 49:10
They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them. For He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.

Isaiah 55:2
Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods.

John 6:31-33
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” / Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. / For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

John 6:49-51
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. / This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. / I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

John 6:58
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your fathers, who ate the manna and died, the one who eats this bread will live forever.”

Matthew 4:4
But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”


Treasury of Scripture

Yes, they spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

yea

Exodus 16:8-10
And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD…

Numbers 21:5
And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.

2 Chronicles 32:19
And they spake against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.

Can God

Numbers 11:4,13
And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? …

furnish.

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Psalm 78
1. An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9. The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67. The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David.














They spoke against God
This phrase highlights the rebellious nature of the Israelites during their wilderness journey. The Hebrew root for "spoke against" is "דָּבַר" (dabar), which often implies not just speaking, but speaking with intent or purpose. In this context, it suggests a deliberate act of defiance and disbelief. Historically, this reflects the Israelites' recurring pattern of doubt and complaint against God's provision and guidance, despite witnessing His miraculous works. This serves as a cautionary tale for believers today, reminding us of the importance of faith and trust in God's promises.

Can God
The phrase "Can God" reflects a questioning of God's power and ability. The Hebrew word for "can" is "יָכוֹל" (yakol), which means to be able or to have the power to do something. This question is not just about God's capability but also about His willingness to act on behalf of His people. It reveals a lack of faith and understanding of God's omnipotence. For contemporary believers, this serves as a reminder to trust in God's infinite power and His willingness to provide for His children.

prepare a table
The imagery of "prepare a table" is rich with meaning. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a table signifies abundance, provision, and fellowship. The Hebrew word "עָרַךְ" (arak) means to arrange or set in order, often used in the context of preparing a meal. This phrase suggests God's ability to provide abundantly even in the most desolate circumstances, such as the wilderness. It is a powerful reminder of God's provision and care, encouraging believers to trust in His ability to meet all needs.

in the wilderness?
The "wilderness" represents a place of testing and trial. The Hebrew word "מִדְבָּר" (midbar) refers to a desert or uninhabited land, often associated with hardship and scarcity. For the Israelites, the wilderness was a place where their faith was tested, and their dependence on God was paramount. In a broader spiritual sense, the wilderness symbolizes the trials and challenges believers face in life. This phrase encourages Christians to trust in God's provision and guidance, even in the most challenging and barren times.

(19, 20) A comparison of these verses with the references in the margin shows how the ancient narratives fared under poetical treatment.

Furnish a table.--Comp. Psalm 23:5, Note

Gushed out.--Comp. Psalm 105:41.

Verse 19. - Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? (see Numbers 11:4). But the psalmist either feels himself at liberty to expand the account given in the Pentateuch, or has a further knowledge of the real feelings of the people, which has come to him by tradition (compare the comment on ver. 12).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
They spoke
וַֽיְדַבְּר֗וּ (way·ḏab·bə·rū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

against God,
בֵּֽאלֹ֫הִ֥ים (bê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

saying,
אָ֭מְרוּ (’ā·mə·rū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“Can
הֲי֣וּכַל (hă·yū·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3201: To be able, have power

God
אֵ֑ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

really prepare
לַעֲרֹ֥ךְ (la·‘ă·rōḵ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6186: To set in a, row, arrange, put in order

a table
שֻׁ֝לְחָ֗ן (lə·ḥān)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7979: A table, a meal

in the wilderness?
בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (bam·miḏ·bār)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech


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OT Poetry: Psalm 78:19 Yes they spoke against God (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 78:18
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