Psalms 78:20 Explained in Context

Read It With

• Psalms 78:17–31
• Psalms 78:1–72

Read Psalms 78:20 with 78:17–31 and 78:1–72. Read alone, “Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the…” could lose the communal voice, the parallel line or movement it develops, and the psalm's outcome. The complete movement establishes: Within Psalms 78:17–31, the communal voice carries the movement “Craving, provision, and judgment” as part of “A teaching poem retells rebellion and mercy.” Its historical-wisdom form and poetic parallelism hold the petitions, images, memories, or praise together before any single line is applied.

Why This Verse Appears Here

Psalms 78:17–31 contrasts with “Ephraim's failure and wilderness wonders” within Psalm 78 by carrying “Craving, provision, and judgment.” The turn from “He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers” to “And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness” explains why this movement occurs here. Within that relationship, Psalm 78:20 poses the poem's question through “Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed” and leaves the surrounding lines to answer, intensify, or hold it open.