Psalm 78:9 {77:9}
Good News Translation
The Ephraimites, armed with bows and arrows, ran away on the day of battle.

New Revised Standard Version
The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle.

Contemporary English Version
The warriors from Ephraim were armed with arrows, but they ran away when the battle began.

New American Bible
The ranks of Ephraimite archers, retreated on the day of battle.

Douay-Rheims Bible
The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.

the children.

1 Chronicles 7:20-22 And the sons of Ephraim were Suthala, Bared his son, Thahath his son, Elada his son, Thahath his son, and his son Zabad, . . .

; but it probably refers to the conduct and defeat of the ten tribes of which Ephraim was the head. Nothing is recorded in the history of Israel concerning the cowardice of the Ephraimites, as distinct from that of the other tribes: some therefore think, that the children of Ephraim is put by a figure of speech for the nation in general.

Deuteronomy 1:41-44 And you answered me: We have sinned against the Lord: we will go up and fight, as the Lord our God hath commanded. And when you went ready armed unto the mountain, . . .

Joshua 17:16-18 And the children of Joseph answered him: We cannot go up to the mountains, for the Chanaanites that dwell in the low lands, wherein are situate Bethsan with its towns, and Jezrael in the midst of the valley, have chariots of iron. . . .

1 Samuel 4:10 So the Philistines fought, and Israel was overthrown, and every man fled to his own dwelling: and there was an exceeding great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

1 Samuel 31:1 And the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain in mount Gelboe.

carrying.

Judges 9:28,38-40 And Gaal, the son of Obed, cried: Who is Abimelech, and what is Sichem, that we should serve him? Is he not the son of Jerobaal, and hath made Zebul, his servant, ruler over the men of Emor, the father of Sichem? Why then shall we serve him? . . .

Luke 22:33 Who said to him: Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death.

Context
I Will Open My Mouth in Parables
8That they may not become like their fathers, a perverse and exasperating generation. A generation that set not their heart aright: and whose spirit was not faithful to God. 9The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.10They kept not the covenant of God: and in his law they would not walk.…
Cross References
Judges 20:39
And when the children of Israel saw this in the battle, (for the children of Benjamin thought they fled, and pursued them vigorously, killing thirty men of their army)

1 Chronicles 12:2
Bending the bow, and using either hand in hurling stones with slings, and shooting arrows: of the brethren of Saul of Benjamin.

Psalm 78:57
And they turned away, and kept not the covenant: even like their fathers they were turned aside as a crooked bow.

Psalm 78:8
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