Logos Bible Study

Psalm 78:title–8

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A well-written song33 by Asaph.

78:1Pay attention, my people, to my instruction!

Listen to the words I speak!1

78:2I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;

I will make insightful observations about the past.2

78:3What we have heard and learned3—

that which our ancestors4 have told us—

78:4we will not hide from their5 descendants.

We will tell the next generation

about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,6

about his strength and the amazing things he has done.

78:5He established a rule7 in Jacob;

he set up a law in Israel.

He commanded our ancestors

to make his deeds known to their descendants,8

78:6so that the next generation, children yet to be born,

might know about them.

They will grow up and tell their descendants about them.9

78:7Then they will place their confidence in God.

They will not forget the works of God,

and they will obey10 his commands.

78:8Then they will not be like their ancestors,

who were a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation that was not committed

and faithful to God.11

Read in Logos
Psalm 78:4: We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.

Footnotes

  1. 33 The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of .
  2. 1 Heb “Turn your ear to the words of my mouth.”
  3. 2 Heb “I will open with a wise saying my mouth, I will utter insightful sayings from long ago.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה+מָשָׁל (mashal + khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6), and an insightful song that reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent death (Ps 49:4).
  4. 3 Or “known.”
  5. 4 Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 5, 8, 12, 57).
  6. 5 The pronominal suffix refers back to the “fathers” (“our ancestors,” v. 3).
  7. 6 Heb “to a following generation telling the praises of the Lord.” “Praises” stand by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt worship. Cf. Ps 9:14.
  8. 7 The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to God’s command that the older generation teach their children about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history (see Exod 10:2; Deut 4:9; 6:20–25).
  9. 8 Heb “which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their sons.” The plural suffix “them” probably refers back to the Lord’s mighty deeds (see vv. 3–4).
  10. 9 Heb “in order that they might know, a following generation, sons [who] will be born, they will arise and will tell to their sons.”
  11. 10 Heb “keep.”
  12. 11 Heb “a generation that did not make firm its heart and whose spirit was not faithful with God.” The expression “make firm the heart” means “to be committed, devoted” (see 1 Sam 7:3).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

A Maskil of Asaph.

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;

incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

I will open my mouth in a parable;

I will utter dark sayings from of old,

things that we have heard and known,

that our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children,

but tell to the coming generation

the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might,

and the wonders that he has done.

He established a testimony in Jacob

and appointed a law in Israel,

which he commanded our fathers

to teach to their children,

that the next generation might know them,

the children yet unborn,

and arise and tell them to their children,

so that they should set their hope in God

and not forget the works of God,

but keep his commandments;

and that they should not be like their fathers,

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation whose heart was not steadfast,

whose spirit was not faithful to God.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

A maskil of Asaph.

My people, hear my teaching;

listen to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth with a parable;

I will utter hidden things, things from of old—

things we have heard and known,

things our ancestors have told us.

We will not hide them from their descendants;

we will tell the next generation

the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,

his power, and the wonders he has done.

He decreed statutes for Jacob

and established the law in Israel,

which he commanded our ancestors

to teach their children,

so the next generation would know them,

even the children yet to be born,

and they in turn would tell their children.

Then they would put their trust in God

and would not forget his deeds

but would keep his commands.

They would not be like their ancestors—

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

whose hearts were not loyal to God,

whose spirits were not faithful to him.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

A Maskil of Asaph.

My people, hear my instruction;

listen to the words from my mouth.

I will declare wise sayings;

I will speak mysteries from the past—

things we have heard and known

and that our ancestors have passed down to us.

We will not hide them from their children,

but will tell a future generation

the praiseworthy acts of the Lord,

his might, and the wondrous works

he has performed.

He established a testimony in Jacob

and set up a law in Israel,

which he commanded our ancestors

to teach to their children

so that a future generation—

children yet to be born—might know.

They were to rise and tell their children

so that they might put their confidence in God

and not forget God’s works,

but keep his commands.

Then they would not be like their ancestors,

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation whose heart was not loyal

and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

NLTNew Living Translation

A psalm of Asaph.

O my people, listen to my instructions.

Open your ears to what I am saying,

for I will speak to you in a parable.

I will teach you hidden lessons from our past—

stories we have heard and known,

stories our ancestors handed down to us.

We will not hide these truths from our children;

we will tell the next generation

about the glorious deeds of the Lord,

about his power and his mighty wonders.

For he issued his laws to Jacob;

he gave his instructions to Israel.

He commanded our ancestors

to teach them to their children,

so the next generation might know them—

even the children not yet born—

and they in turn will teach their own children.

So each generation should set its hope anew on God,

not forgetting his glorious miracles

and obeying his commands.

Then they will not be like their ancestors—

stubborn, rebellious, and unfaithful,

refusing to give their hearts to God.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

A maskil of Asaph.

Listen, O my people, to my teaching.

Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will offer a parable with my mouth.

I will pour out riddles from long ago,

that we have heard and known,

and our ancestors have told us.

We will not hide them from their children,

telling the next generation the praises of Yahweh,

and his power and his wonders that he has done.

For he established a testimony in Jacob,

and appointed a law in Israel,

which he commanded our ancestors

to teach to their children,

so that the next generation might know—

children yet to be born—

that they might rise up and tell their children,

that they might set their confidence in God,

and not forget the deeds of God,

but keep his commandments,

and not be like their ancestors,

a stubborn and rebellious generation,

a generation that did not make ready its heart,

whose spirit was not faithful to God.

KJV 1900King James Version

Maschil of Asaph.

Give ear, O my people, to my law:

Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in a parable:

I will utter dark sayings of old:

Which we have heard and known,

And our fathers have told us.

We will not hide them from their children,

Shewing to the generation to come

The praises of the Lord, and his strength,

And his wonderful works that he hath done.

For he established a testimony in Jacob,

And appointed a law in Israel,

Which he commanded our fathers,

That they should make them known to their children:

That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born;

Who should arise and declare them to their children:

That they might set their hope in God,

And not forget the works of God,

But keep his commandments:

And might not be as their fathers,

A stubborn and rebellious generation;

A generation that set not their heart aright,

And whose spirit was not stedfast with God.