Psalm 78:26
New International Version
He let loose the east wind from the heavens and by his power made the south wind blow.

New Living Translation
He released the east wind in the heavens and guided the south wind by his mighty power.

English Standard Version
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;

Berean Standard Bible
He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.

Berean Literal Bible
An east wind He caused to blow in the heavens, and He guided by His power the south wind.

King James Bible
He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

New King James Version
He caused an east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He brought in the south wind.

New American Standard Bible
He made the east wind blow in the sky And by His power He directed the south wind.

NASB 1995
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His power He directed the south wind.

NASB 1977
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; And by His power He directed the south wind.

Legacy Standard Bible
He led forth the east wind in the heavens And by His strength He guided the south wind.

Amplified Bible
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His [unlimited] power He guided the south wind.

Berean Annotated Bible
He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.

Christian Standard Bible
He made the east wind blow in the skies and drove the south wind by his might.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He made the east wind blow in the skies and drove the south wind by His might.

American Standard Version
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens; And by his power he guided the south wind.

Contemporary English Version
God's mighty power sent a strong wind from the southeast,

English Revised Version
He caused the east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he guided the south wind.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He made the east wind blow in the heavens and guided the south wind with his might.

Good News Translation
He also caused the east wind to blow, and by his power he stirred up the south wind;

International Standard Version
He stirred up the east wind in the heavens and drove the south wind by his might.

NET Bible
He brought the east wind through the sky, and by his strength led forth the south wind.

New Heart English Bible
He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.

Webster's Bible Translation
He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.

World English Bible
He caused the east wind to blow in the sky. By his power he guided the south wind.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
He causes an east wind to journey in the heavens, "" And leads a south wind by His strength,

Berean Literal Bible
An east wind He caused to blow in the heavens, and He guided by His power the south wind.

Young's Literal Translation
He causeth an east wind to journey in the heavens, And leadeth by His strength a south wind,

Smith's Literal Translation
He will cause the east wind to go forth in the heavens, and by his strength he will lead the south wind.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
He removed the south wind from heaven: and by his power brought in the southwest wind.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He transferred the south wind from heaven, and, in his virtue, he brought in the Southwest wind.

New American Bible
He stirred up the east wind in the skies; by his might God brought on the south wind.

New Revised Standard Version
He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
He caused winds to blow in the skies; and by his power he brought in the south wind.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
He made the wind blow in the sky and he led the southern sky by his strength.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
He caused the east wind to set forth in heaven; And by His power He brought on the south wind.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the south-west wind.

Additional Translations ...



Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
25Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance. 26He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might. 27He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea.…

Cross References
He stirred the east wind from the heavens

Exodus 10:13
So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.

Exodus 14:21
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided,

Psalm 135:7
He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He generates the lightning with the rain and brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
and drove the south wind by His might.

Numbers 11:31-32
Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail from the sea, and brought them near the camp, about two cubits above the surface of the ground, for a day’s journey in every direction around the camp. / All that day and night, and all the next day, the people stayed up gathering the quail. No one gathered less than ten homers, and they spread them out all around the camp.

Psalm 105:40
They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

Songs 4:16
Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.
Exodus 16:13
That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp.

John 6:31-33
Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” / Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. / For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

Nehemiah 9:20-21
You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst. / For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.

1 Corinthians 10:3-4
They all ate the same spiritual food / and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.

Exodus 16:4
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions.

Numbers 11:9
When the dew fell on the camp at night, the manna would fall with it.

John 6:49-51
Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. / This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that anyone may eat of it and not die. / I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And this bread, which I will give for the life of the world, is My flesh.”

Deuteronomy 8:3
He humbled you, and in your hunger He gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your fathers had known, so that you might understand that man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Matthew 4:4
But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Exodus 16:35
The Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land where they could settle; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.


Treasury of Scripture

He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.

he caused

Psalm 135:7
He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

Numbers 11:31
And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

blow.

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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.












He stirred the east wind from the heavens

God commanded the winds to bring quail into Israel’s wilderness camp. Their arrival was not a chance event but a direct act of His rule over creation.

Exo 10:13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt…
Exo 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,…
Psa 135:7 He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.…

and drove the south wind by His might.

The winds carried the birds to the people in abundance, providing the meat they demanded. Yet God’s provision did not excuse Israel’s unbelief and greed, which soon brought judgment.

Num 11:31-32 Now a wind sent by the LORD came up, drove in quail…
Psa 105:40 They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them…
Sng 4:16 Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind.…

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
The central figure in this verse, demonstrating His sovereign power over nature.

2. East Wind
Often associated with God's judgment or provision in the Bible, symbolizing His control over creation.

3. South Wind
Represents another aspect of God's command over the natural world, used here to fulfill His purposes.

4. Heavens
The realm from which God commands the winds, indicating His supreme authority.

5. Israelites in the Wilderness
The broader context of Psalm 78 recounts God's provision and guidance for the Israelites during their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.
Teaching Points
God's Sovereignty Over Nature
God commands the winds, demonstrating His ultimate authority over the natural world. This should remind us of His power and control over all aspects of our lives.

Provision in the Wilderness
Just as God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness, He is faithful to provide for our needs today. Trust in His provision, even when circumstances seem dire.

Response to Complaints
The Israelites' complaints led to God's provision of quail. This teaches us to bring our needs to God in prayer rather than grumbling, trusting in His timing and methods.

Symbolism of the Wind
The wind symbolizes the unseen yet powerful work of God. We should be attentive to the ways God is moving in our lives, even when we cannot see the full picture.

Faith in God's Power
Recognizing God's power over creation should bolster our faith, encouraging us to rely on Him in every situation, knowing He is capable of doing the impossible.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Psalm 78:26?

2. How does Psalm 78:26 demonstrate God's control over nature and provision?

3. What lessons on obedience can we learn from God's actions in Psalm 78:26?

4. How does Psalm 78:26 connect with God's provision in Exodus 16:13?

5. How can we trust God's provision in our lives, as shown in Psalm 78:26?

6. What does Psalm 78:26 teach about God's faithfulness despite human rebellion?

7. How does Psalm 78:26 demonstrate God's control over nature and weather?

8. What historical events might Psalm 78:26 be referencing?

9. How does Psalm 78:26 fit into the overall theme of divine provision in the Bible?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Psalm 78?


(26) East wind . . . south wind.--Probably the very winds that brought the flights of quails, and not merely poetical details. (See Smith's Biblical Dictionary, art. "Quails.")

Verse 26. - He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind. Here, again, tradition seems to speak. The narrative in the Pentateuch has only, "There went forth a wind from the Lord" (Numbers 11:81).

Psalm 78:26 records a historical, literal act of God: He activated and steered the winds to meet Israel’s need for food. The verse magnifies His sovereignty over every element of creation, His faithfulness to provide, and His unmatched power to orchestrate natural forces for redemptive ends.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He stirred
יַסַּ֣ע (yas·sa‘)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5265: To pull up, the tent-pins, start on a, journey

the east wind
קָ֭דִים (qā·ḏîm)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6921: The fore, front part, the East

from the heavens
בַּשָּׁמָ֑יִם (baš·šā·mā·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

and drove
וַיְנַהֵ֖ג (way·na·hêḡ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 5090: To drive forth, lead, carry away, to proceed, to sigh

the south wind
תֵימָֽן׃ (ṯê·mān)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8486: South, south wind

by His might.
בְּעֻזּ֣וֹ (bə·‘uz·zōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 5797: Strength, might


Additonal Resources
Psalm 78:26 Blue Letter Bible
Psalm 78:26 Bible Gateway
Psalm 78:26 Bible.com

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Psalm 78:26 Study Bible
Psalm 78:26 Biblia Paralela
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Psalm 78:26 Catholic Bible

OT Poetry: Psalm 78:26 He caused the east wind to blow (Psalm Ps Psa.)

Psalm 78:25
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