Yet went they on still to sin against him,

Rebelling against the Most High in the land of drought.

Both the occasions referred to in Psalms 78:15 were connected with murmuring. The names of Massahand Meribahpreserved the memory of Israel's sin in tempting God and striving with Him. And to these sins they added other sins. Note how the words -rebel" and -tempt" recur like a refrain at the beginning of each division of the Psalm (Psalms 78:17; Psalms 40, 41; Psalms 56). Cp. Psalms 95:9; Psalms 106:7; Psalms 106:14; Psalms 106:33; Psalms 106:43; Exodus 17:2; Exodus 17:7; Numbers 14:22; Numbers 20:10; Numbers 20:24; Deuteronomy 1:26; Deuteronomy 1:43; Deuteronomy 6:16; Deuteronomy 9:23; Deuteronomy 33:8; &c. The two words sum up Israel's behaviour: they rebelled against God by constant disobedience to His revealed Will; they tempted Him, by sceptical doubts of His goodness, and insolent demands that He should prove His power.

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