Psalms 78:40
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!
Original Language Analysis
כַּ֭מָּה
How
H4100
כַּ֭מָּה
How
Strong's:
H4100
Word #:
1 of 5
properly, interrogative what? (including how? why? when?); but also exclamation, what! (including how!), or indefinitely what (including whatever, and
יַמְר֣וּהוּ
oft did they provoke
H4784
יַמְר֣וּהוּ
oft did they provoke
Strong's:
H4784
Word #:
2 of 5
to be (causatively, make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively, to provoke)
בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר
him in the wilderness
H4057
בַמִּדְבָּ֑ר
him in the wilderness
Strong's:
H4057
Word #:
3 of 5
a pasture (i.e., open field, whither cattle are driven); by implication, a desert
Historical Context
The 40-year wilderness period contained numerous rebellions: bitter waters at Marah, quail-lust, water-striking at Meribah, golden calf, Kadesh-barnea, Korah, bronze serpent incident, Baal-peor. Each "How oft" recalled specific covenant violations witnesses could enumerate.
Questions for Reflection
- What rebellions in your life might be causing God grief despite His abundant provision?
- How does knowing God grieves over your sin differ from merely knowing He judges it?
- In what "wilderness" experiences are you most prone to provoke God through unbelief?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert! The rhetorical kammâ (כַּמָּה, "how oft") expresses exasperation at Israel's countless rebellions. Mārah (מָרָה, "provoke") means to rebel or embitter—the same root as Marah, the bitter waters (Exodus 15:23). ʿĀṣaḇ (עָצַב, "grieve") conveys emotional pain, used of God's grief before the flood (Genesis 6:6).
The parallelism of "wilderness" (midbar, מִדְבָּר) and "desert" (yĕšîmôn, יְשִׁימוֹן—desolate wasteland) emphasizes the setting: despite miraculous provision in the harshest environment, they repeatedly rebelled. Their ingratitude multiplied in direct proportion to God's miracles—the more He gave, the more they complained.
Divine grief reveals God's pathos—He is not unmoved by human rebellion. His holiness requires justice, yet His love experiences pain when His children rebel. This anticipates the prophets' imagery of God as grieved husband (Hosea 11:8) and finds fullest expression in Christ's weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).