God’s judgment against Egypt’s livelihood displays His power over nations and serves as a timeless reminder that turning away from Him has real consequences.
The psalmist, identified as Asaph (who served during the reigns of King David around 1010-970 BC and Solomon around 970-930 BC), wrote Psalm 78 as a reminder of God’s mighty actions on behalf of His chosen people and to admonish them not to repeat past mistakes. In recounting the various wonders and judgments the Lord performed, Asaph highlights the consequences of rebellion and unbelief. He specifically looks back to the time when the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, connecting God’s acts of judgment toward Israel’s enemies with His faithfulness to protect and guide His own people. By recalling these events, Asaph emphasizes that all of history is filled with clear demonstrations of God’s power and lovingkindness.
When we reach Psalm 78:46, Asaph reflects on one specific way the Lord disciplined the Egyptians: “He gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust.” (v.46) This statement underscores God’s absolute command over nature. The references to “crops” and “the product of their labor” reveal the devastating toll that swarming insects took upon Egypt’s agricultural livelihood, leaving the nation in dire desperation. Grasshoppers and locusts, known for their ability to ravage entire fields very quickly, served as instruments of judgment that exposed the futility of trusting in worldly power or human achievement.
This verse also echoes the events described in Exodus 10:4-15, where a plague of locusts descended upon Egypt as part of a series of miraculous interventions leading to Israel’s deliverance. In linking this Psalm to those earlier passages, Asaph reminds his readers that all human efforts—even the most robust agricultural or economic pursuits—are ultimately subject to God’s sovereign will. The historical account warns against a hardened heart toward the Lord and encourages God’s people to remember and obey Him, for only in faithfulness do they find blessing, sustenance, and genuine security.
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Psalms 78:46 meaning
The psalmist, identified as Asaph (who served during the reigns of King David around 1010-970 BC and Solomon around 970-930 BC), wrote Psalm 78 as a reminder of God’s mighty actions on behalf of His chosen people and to admonish them not to repeat past mistakes. In recounting the various wonders and judgments the Lord performed, Asaph highlights the consequences of rebellion and unbelief. He specifically looks back to the time when the Israelites were delivered from Egypt, connecting God’s acts of judgment toward Israel’s enemies with His faithfulness to protect and guide His own people. By recalling these events, Asaph emphasizes that all of history is filled with clear demonstrations of God’s power and lovingkindness.
When we reach Psalm 78:46, Asaph reflects on one specific way the Lord disciplined the Egyptians: “He gave also their crops to the grasshopper And the product of their labor to the locust.” (v.46) This statement underscores God’s absolute command over nature. The references to “crops” and “the product of their labor” reveal the devastating toll that swarming insects took upon Egypt’s agricultural livelihood, leaving the nation in dire desperation. Grasshoppers and locusts, known for their ability to ravage entire fields very quickly, served as instruments of judgment that exposed the futility of trusting in worldly power or human achievement.
This verse also echoes the events described in Exodus 10:4-15, where a plague of locusts descended upon Egypt as part of a series of miraculous interventions leading to Israel’s deliverance. In linking this Psalm to those earlier passages, Asaph reminds his readers that all human efforts—even the most robust agricultural or economic pursuits—are ultimately subject to God’s sovereign will. The historical account warns against a hardened heart toward the Lord and encourages God’s people to remember and obey Him, for only in faithfulness do they find blessing, sustenance, and genuine security.