Psalms 77:9
The sons of Ephraim who bend and shoot with the bow: they have turned back in the day of battle.
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- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Filii Ephrem, intendentes et mittentes arcum, conversi sunt in die belli.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- υἱοὶ Ἐφράιμ ἐντείνοντες καὶ βάλλοντες τόξον ἐστράφησαν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πολέμου·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 78:9
- בְּֽנֵי אֶפְרַ֗יִם נוֹשְׁקֵ֥י רוֹמֵי קָ֑שֶׁת הָ֝פְכ֗וּ בְּי֣וֹם קְרָֽב
Haydock's commentary
Battle. Many of this tribe were cut off by the men of Geth, (1 Paralipomenon vii. 21.; Chaldean; Geier.) as they fought without God's command, Numbers xiv. (Worthington)
They did not defend the ark against the Philistines, though they seemed more bound to do so than the rest, since it was brought from their city, Silo, and they also set the others a pattern of infidelity; (1 Kings iv.; Abenezra) whence they are singled out likewise by Osee. (Berthier)
The famous victory of Abia against Jeroboam may be also designated, 2 Paralipomenon xiii. (Calmet)
This had not yet taken place, no more than (Haydock) their captivity, under Salmanazar, which is enigmatically foretold. After this reproach, the whole body of the Israelites is condemned, ver. 10. (Berthier)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm LXXVIII
8. Lastly, “The sons of Ephrem bending and shooting bows, have been turned back in the day of war” ( ver. 9 ). Following after the law of righteousness, unto the law of righteousness they have not attained. Why? Because they were not of faith. For they were that generation whereof the spirit hath not been trusted with God: but they were, so to speak, of works: because they did not, as they bended and shot their bows (which are outward actions, as of the works of the law), so guide their heart also, wherein the just man doth live by faith, which worketh by love; whereby men cleave to God, who worketh in man both to will and work according to good will. …