Psalms 78:19

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

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

Hebrew Names Version
Yes, they spoke against God. They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

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

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

New Century Version
Then they spoke against God, saying, "Can God prepare food in the desert?

New English Translation
They insulted God, saying, "Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?

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

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

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

Geneva Bible (1587)
They spake against God also, saying, Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse?

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

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

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

Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, they spoke against God by asking, "Can God spread a table in the desert?

Darby Translation
And they spoke against God: they said, Is God able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

Easy-to-Read Version
They complained about him and said, "Can God give us food in the desert?

George Lamsa Translation
Yea, they complained against God; they said, Can God furnish tables of food in the wilderness?

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

Lexham English Bible
And they spoke against God. They said, "Is God able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

Literal Translation
And they spoke against God, saying, Shall God be able to set a table in the wilderness?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
They tempted God in their hertes, and requyred meate for their lust,

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

Bible in Basic English
They said bitter words against God, saying, Is God able to make ready a table in the waste land?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Yea, they spoke against God; they said: 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

King James Version (1611)
Yea, they spake against God: they said, Can God furnish a table in the wildernes?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
They spake against God: they said, can God prepare a table in the wildernesse?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

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

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei spaken yuel of God; thei seiden, Whether God may make redi a bord in desert?

Update Bible Version
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?

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

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

New Life Bible
Then they spoke against God, saying, "Can God set a table in the desert?

New Revised Standard
They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yea they spake against Elohim, - They said, Can GOD prepare a table in the desert?

Douay-Rheims Bible
(77-19) And they spoke ill of God: they said: Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

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

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

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

Contextual Overview

⁹The Ephraimites, armed to the teeth, ran off when the battle began. They were cowards to God's Covenant, refused to walk by his Word. They forgot what he had done— marvels he'd done right before their eyes. He performed miracles in plain sight of their parents in Egypt, out on the fields of Zoan. He split the Sea and they walked right through it; he piled the waters to the right and the left. He led them by day with a cloud, led them all the night long with a fiery torch. He split rocks in the wilderness, gave them all they could drink from underground springs; He made creeks flow out from sheer rock, and water pour out like a river. ¹⁷All they did was sin even more, rebel in the desert against the High God. They tried to get their own way with God, clamored for favors, for special attention. They whined like spoiled children, "Why can't God give us a decent meal in this desert? Sure, he struck the rock and the water flowed, creeks cascaded from the rock. But how about some fresh-baked bread? How about a nice cut of meat?" ²¹When God heard that, he was furious— his anger flared against Jacob, he lost his temper with Israel. It was clear they didn't believe God, had no intention of trusting in his help. But God helped them anyway, commanded the clouds and gave orders that opened the gates of heaven. He rained down showers of manna to eat, he gave them the Bread of Heaven. They ate the bread of the mighty angels; he sent them all the food they could eat. He let East Wind break loose from the skies, gave a strong push to South Wind. This time it was birds that rained down— succulent birds, an abundance of birds. He aimed them right for the center of their camp; all round their tents there were birds. They ate and had their fill; he handed them everything they craved on a platter. But their greed knew no bounds; they stuffed their mouths with more and more. Finally, God was fed up, his anger erupted— he cut down their brightest and best, he laid low Israel's finest young men. ³²And—can you believe it?—they kept right on sinning; all those wonders and they still wouldn't believe! So their lives dribbled off to nothing— nothing to show for their lives but a ghost town. When he cut them down, they came running for help; they turned and pled for mercy. They gave witness that God was their rock, that High God was their redeemer, But they didn't mean a word of it; they lied through their teeth the whole time. They could not have cared less about him, wanted nothing to do with his Covenant. ³⁸And God? Compassionate! Forgave the sin! Didn't destroy! Over and over he reined in his anger, restrained his considerable wrath. He knew what they were made of; he knew there wasn't much to them, How often in the desert they had spurned him, tried his patience in those wilderness years. Time and again they pushed him to the limit, provoked Israel's Holy God. How quickly they forgot what he'd done, forgot their day of rescue from the enemy, When he did miracles in Egypt, wonders on the plain of Zoan. He turned the River and its streams to blood— not a drop of water fit to drink. He sent flies, which ate them alive, and frogs, which bedeviled them. He turned their harvest over to caterpillars, everything they had worked for to the locusts. He flattened their grapevines with hail; a killing frost ruined their orchards. He pounded their cattle with hail, let thunderbolts loose on their herds. His anger flared, a wild firestorm of havoc, An advance guard of disease-carrying angels to clear the ground, preparing the way before him. He didn't spare those people, he let the plague rage through their lives. He killed all the Egyptian firstborns, lusty infants, offspring of Ham's virility. Then he led his people out like sheep, took his flock safely through the wilderness. He took good care of them; they had nothing to fear. The Sea took care of their enemies for good. He brought them into his holy land, this mountain he claimed for his own. He scattered everyone who got in their way; he staked out an inheritance for them— the tribes of Israel all had their own places.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Yea: Exodus 16:8-10, Numbers 21:5, 2 Chronicles 32:19, Job 34:37, Romans 9:20, Revelation 13:6

Can God: Numbers 11:4, Numbers 11:13

furnish: Heb. order

Reciprocal: Exodus 15:24 - What Leviticus 25:20 - General 2 Kings 7:2 - if the Lord Psalms 78:41 - limited Matthew 14:17 - General Mark 8:4 - From Luke 9:12 - for John 6:9 - but John 11:21 - if John 11:37 - Could

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yea, they spoke against God,.... Not only thought ill of him, and tempted him in their hearts, but they expressed with their mouths what was in their hearts, and spoke against him, his power, and his providence, in plain words, though he had been so good and gracious to them, and had done such wonderful things for them: they said,

can God furnish a table in the wilderness? these are the words which they spoke against him, and by which they tempted him, questioning his power and his goodness, and expressing their dissatisfaction with their present and daily allowance; they were not content with the manna they had every day, but they wanted to have a table ordered and spread with all kind of dainties. The sense of the question is, can the Lord do this for us? give us a plentiful table in the wilderness, as well as drop the manna about our tents? if he can, why does not he? if he does not, it must be either for want in himself, or want of good will to us; and thus tried and tempted the Lord.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Yea, they spake against God - That is, in the manner which is immediately specified - by calling in question his power, or his ability to provide for them in the wilderness. See Numbers 11:4.

They said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness? - In the desert. The word rendered “furnish” is in the margin “order.” It means to arrange; to set in order; and here to arrange and provide for, as at a feast. The precise words used by the complaining Hebrews are not quoted here, but the substance of what they said is retained. The idea is, that what they spake was “equivalent” to saying that God could not prepare a table for them; that is, provide for them, in the desert.