Psalm 78:20
New International Version
True, he struck the rock, and water gushed out, streams flowed abundantly, but can he also give us bread? Can he supply meat for his people?”

New Living Translation
Yes, he can strike a rock so water gushes out, but he can’t give his people bread and meat.”

English Standard Version
He struck the rock so that water gushed out and streams overflowed. Can he also give bread or provide meat for his people?”

Berean Standard Bible
When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”

King James Bible
Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

New King James Version
Behold, He struck the rock, So that the waters gushed out, And the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide meat for His people?”

New American Standard Bible
“Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He also provide bread? Will He prepare meat for His people?”

NASB 1995
“Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?”

NASB 1977
“Behold, He struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide meat for His people?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He prepare meat for His people?”

Amplified Bible
“Behold, He struck the rock so that waters gushed out And the streams overflowed; Can He give bread also? Or will He provide meat for His people?”

Christian Standard Bible
Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out; torrents overflowed. But can he also provide bread or furnish meat for his people? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Look! He struck the rock and water gushed out; torrents overflowed. But can He also provide bread or furnish meat for His people?”

American Standard Version
Behold, he smote the rock, so that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
If he struck the flint and the waters flowed and he made torrents flow, can he not also give bread to us, or food prepared for his people?

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Forasmuch as he smote the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?

Contemporary English Version
It's true God struck the rock and water gushed out like a river, but can he give his people bread and meat?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
Because he struck the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can he also give bread, or provide a table for his people?

English Revised Version
Behold, he smote the rock, that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed; can he give bread also? will he provide flesh for his people?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
True, he did strike a rock, and water did gush out, and the streams did overflow. But can he also give us bread or provide us, his people, with meat?"

Good News Translation
It is true that he struck the rock, and water flowed out in a torrent; but can he also provide us with bread and give his people meat?"

International Standard Version
It's true that Moses struck the rock so that water flowed forth and torrents of water gushed out, but is he also able to give bread or to supply meat for his people?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
Behold, He smote the rock, that waters gushed out, And streams overflowed; Can He give bread also? Or will He provide flesh for His people?'

Literal Standard Version
Behold, He has struck a rock, | And waters flow, indeed, streams overflow. “Also, [is] He able to give bread? Does He prepare flesh for His people?”

Majority Standard Bible
When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?”

New American Bible
True, when he struck the rock, water gushed forth, the wadies flooded. But can he also give bread, or provide meat to his people?”

NET Bible
Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out, streams gushed forth. But can he also give us food? Will he provide meat for his people?"

New Revised Standard Version
Even though he struck the rock so that water gushed out and torrents overflowed, can he also give bread, or provide meat for his people?”

New Heart English Bible
Look, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide flesh for his people?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

World English Bible
Behold, he struck the rock, so that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed. Can he give bread also? Will he provide meat for his people?”

Young's Literal Translation
Lo, He hath smitten a rock, And waters flow, yea, streams overflow. 'Also -- bread is He able to give? Doth He prepare flesh for His people?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
19They spoke against God, saying, “Can God really prepare a table in the wilderness? 20When He struck the rock, water gushed out and torrents raged. But can He also give bread or supply His people with meat?” 21Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel,…

Cross References
Numbers 11:4
Meanwhile, the rabble among them had a strong craving for other food, and again the Israelites wept and said, "Who will feed us meat?

Numbers 11:18
And say to the people: Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you will eat meat, because you have cried out in the hearing of the LORD, saying: 'Who will feed us meat? For we were better off in Egypt!' Therefore the LORD will give you meat, and you will eat.

Numbers 20:11
Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with his staff, so that a great amount of water gushed out, and the congregation and their livestock were able to drink.

Psalm 68:10
Your flock settled therein; O God, from Your bounty You provided for the poor.

Psalm 78:15
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as abundant as the seas.

Psalm 78:16
He brought streams from the stone and made water flow down like rivers.

Isaiah 48:21
They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out.


Treasury of Scripture

Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

he smote

Exodus 17:6,7
Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel…

Numbers 20:11
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

can he give

Psalm 78:41
Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Genesis 18:12-14
Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also? …

Numbers 11:21-23
And Moses said, The people, among whom I am, are six hundred thousand footmen; and thou hast said, I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month…

Jump to Previous
Able Abundantly Bread Cut Flesh Flow Flowed Food Gushed Meat Open Overflow Overflowed Overflowing Power Prepare Provide Rock Rushing Smitten Smote Streams Struck Supply Water Waters
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Able Abundantly Bread Cut Flesh Flow Flowed Food Gushed Meat Open Overflow Overflowed Overflowing Power Prepare Provide Rock Rushing Smitten Smote Streams Struck Supply Water Waters
Psalm 78
1. An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9. The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67. The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David.














Verse 20. - Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams (literally, the torrent courses) overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people? These were probably the people's thoughts rather than their words. An "evil heart of unbelief" underlay their clamours and their murmurings. They doubted God's power to relieve their wants, notwithstanding all the proofs that they had had of his omnipotence.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When
הֵ֤ן (hên)
Interjection
Strong's 2005: Lo! behold!

He struck
הִכָּה־ (hik·kāh-)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5221: To strike

the rock,
צ֨וּר ׀ (ṣūr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6697: A cliff, a rock, boulder, a refuge, an edge

water
מַיִם֮ (ma·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

gushed out
וַיָּז֣וּבוּ (way·yā·zū·ḇū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 2100: To flow freely, to have a, flux, to waste away, to overflow

and torrents
וּנְחָלִ֪ים (ū·nə·ḥā·lîm)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5158: A stream, a winter torrent, a, valley, a shaft

overflowed.
יִ֫שְׁטֹ֥פוּ (yiš·ṭō·p̄ū)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7857: To gush, to inundate, cleanse, to gallop, conquer

But can
י֣וּכַל (yū·ḵal)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3201: To be able, have power

He also
הֲגַם־ (hă·ḡam-)
Conjunction
Strong's 1571: Assemblage, also, even, yea, though, both, and

give
תֵּ֑ת (têṯ)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5414: To give, put, set

bread
לֶ֭חֶם (le·ḥem)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3899: Food, bread, grain

or
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

supply
יָכִ֖ין (yā·ḵîn)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3559: To be erect

His people
לְעַמּֽוֹ׃ (lə·‘am·mōw)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

with meat?”
שְׁאֵ֣ר (šə·’êr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7607: Flesh, as living, for, food, food of any kind, kindred by blood


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OT Poetry: Psalm 78:20 Behold he struck the rock so that (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 78:19
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