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Psalms 78
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New American Standard Bible 1995

Psalms 78

God’s Guidance of His People in Spite of Their Unfaithfulness.

A Possibly, Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful PsalmMaskil of Asaph.

11Listen, O my people, to my 2instruction; 3Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.2I will 4open my mouth in a parable; I will utter 5dark sayings of old,3Which we have heard and known, And 6our fathers have told us.4We will 7not conceal them from their children, But 8tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, And His strength and His 9wondrous works that He has done.

5For He established a 10testimony in Jacob And appointed a 11law in Israel, Which He 12commanded our fathers That they should 1314teach them to their children,615That the generation to come might know, even 16the children yet to be born, That they may arise and 17tell them to their children,7That they should put their confidence in God And 18not forget the works of God, But 19keep His commandments,8And 20not be like their fathers, A 21stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that 22did not 23prepare its heart And whose spirit was not 24faithful to God.

9The sons of Ephraim 25were 26archers equipped with bows, Yet 27they turned back in the day of battle.10They 28did not keep the covenant of God And refused to 29walk in His law;11They 30forgot His deeds And His 31miracles that He had shown them.1232He wrought wonders before their fathers In the land of Egypt, in the 33field of Zoan.13He 34divided the sea and caused them to pass through, And He made the waters stand 35up like a heap.14Then He led them with the cloud by 36day And all the night with a 37light of fire.15He 38split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.16He 39brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers.

17Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To 40rebel against the Most High in the desert.18And in their heart they 41put God to the test By asking 42food according to their desire.19Then they spoke against God; They said, “43Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?20Behold, He 44struck the rock so that waters gushed out, And streams were overflowing; Can He give bread also? Will He provide 4546meat for His people?”

21Therefore the Lord heard and 47was 48full of wrath; And a fire was kindled against Jacob And anger also mounted against Israel,22Because they 49did not believe in God And did not trust in His salvation.23Yet He commanded the clouds above And 50opened the doors of heaven;24He 51rained down manna upon them to eat And gave them 5253food from heaven.25Man did eat the bread of 54angels; He sent them 55food 5657in abundance.26He 58caused the east wind to blow in the heavens And by His 59power He directed the south wind.27When He rained 60meat upon them like the dust, Even 61winged fowl like the sand of the seas,28Then He let them fall in the midst of 62their camp, Round about their dwellings.29So they 63ate and were well filled, And their desire He gave to them.3064Before they had satisfied their desire, 65While their food was in their mouths,31The 66anger of God rose against them And killed 67some of their 68stoutest ones, And 69subdued the choice men of Israel.32In spite of all this they 70still sinned And 71did not believe in His wonderful works.33So He brought 72their days to an end in 73futility And their years in sudden terror.

34When He killed them, then they 74sought Him, And returned and searched 75diligently for God;35And they remembered that God was their 76rock, And the Most High God their 77Redeemer.36But they 78deceived Him with their mouth And 79lied to Him with their tongue.37For their heart was not 80steadfast toward Him, Nor were they faithful in His covenant.38But He, being 81compassionate, 8283forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He 8485restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.39Thus 86He remembered that they were but 87flesh, A 8889wind that passes and does not return.

40How often they 90rebelled against Him in the wilderness And 91grieved Him in the 92desert!41Again and again they 9394tempted God, And pained the 95Holy One of Israel.42They 96did not remember 97His 98power, The day when He 99redeemed them from the adversary,43When He performed His 100signs in Egypt And His 101marvels in the field of Zoan,44And 102turned their rivers to blood, And their streams, they could not drink.45He sent among them swarms of 103flies which devoured them, And 104frogs which destroyed them.46He gave also their crops to the 105grasshopper And the product of their labor to the 106locust.47He 107destroyed their vines with 108hailstones And their sycamore trees with frost.48He gave over their 109cattle also to the hailstones And their herds to bolts of lightning.49He 110sent upon them His burning anger, Fury and indignation and trouble, 111A band of destroying angels.50He leveled a path for His anger; He did not spare their soul from death, But 112gave over their life to the plague,51And 113smote all the firstborn in Egypt, The 114first issue of their virility in the tents of 115Ham.52But He 116led forth His own people like sheep And guided them in the wilderness 117like a flock;53He led them 118safely, so that they did not fear; But 119the sea engulfed their enemies.

54So 120He brought them to His holy 121land, To this 122123hill country 124which His right hand had gained.55He also 125drove out the nations before them And 126apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement, And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.56Yet they 127128tempted and 129rebelled against the Most High God And did not keep His testimonies,57But turned back and 130acted treacherously like their fathers; They 131turned aside like a treacherous bow.58For they 132provoked Him with their 133high places And 134aroused His jealousy with their 135graven images.59When God heard, He 136was filled with 137wrath And greatly 138abhorred Israel;60So that He 139abandoned the 140dwelling place at Shiloh, The tent 141which He had pitched among men,61And gave up His 142strength to captivity And His glory 143into the hand of the adversary.62He also 144delivered His people to the sword, And 145was filled with wrath at His inheritance.63146Fire devoured 147His young men, And 148His 149virgins had no wedding songs.64150His 151priests fell by the sword, And 152His 153widows could not weep.

65Then the Lord 154awoke as if from sleep, Like a 155warrior 156overcome by wine.66He 157158drove His adversaries backward; He put on them an everlasting reproach.67He also 159rejected the tent of Joseph, And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,68But chose the tribe of Judah, Mount 160Zion which He loved.69And He 161built His sanctuary like the heights, Like the earth which He has founded forever.70He also 162chose David His servant And took him from the sheepfolds;71From 163164the care of the 165ewes 166with suckling lambs He brought him To 167shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel 168His inheritance.72So he shepherded them according to the 169integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.

Notes

  1. 1. Psalms 78:1 Is 51:4 ↩
  2. 2. Psalms 78:1 Or law, teaching ↩
  3. 3. Psalms 78:1 Is 55:3 ↩
  4. 4. Psalms 78:2 Ps 49:4; Matt 13:35 ↩
  5. 5. Psalms 78:2 Prov 1:6 ↩
  6. 6. Psalms 78:3 Ps 44:1 ↩
  7. 7. Psalms 78:4 Ex 12:26; Deut 6:7; 11:19; Job 15:18; Ps 145:4; Is 38:19; Joel 1:3 ↩
  8. 8. Psalms 78:4 Ex 13:8, 14; Ps 22:30 ↩
  9. 9. Psalms 78:4 Job 37:16; Ps 26:7; 71:17 ↩
  10. 10. Psalms 78:5 Ps 19:7; 81:5; Is 8:20 ↩
  11. 11. Psalms 78:5 Ps 147:19 ↩
  12. 12. Psalms 78:5 Deut 6:4-9 ↩
  13. 13. Psalms 78:5 Lit make them known ↩
  14. 14. Psalms 78:5 Deut 4:9 ↩
  15. 15. Psalms 78:6 Ps 102:18 ↩
  16. 16. Psalms 78:6 Ps 22:31 ↩
  17. 17. Psalms 78:6 Deut 11:19 ↩
  18. 18. Psalms 78:7 Deut 4:9; 6:12; 8:14 ↩
  19. 19. Psalms 78:7 Deut 4:2; 5:1, 29; 27:1; Josh 22:5 ↩
  20. 20. Psalms 78:8 2 Kin 17:14; 2 Chr 30:7; Ezek 20:18 ↩
  21. 21. Psalms 78:8 Ex 32:9; Deut 9:7, 24; 31:27; Judg 2:19; Is 30:9 ↩
  22. 22. Psalms 78:8 Job 11:13; Ps 78:37 ↩
  23. 23. Psalms 78:8 Or put right ↩
  24. 24. Psalms 78:8 Ps 51:10 ↩
  25. 25. Psalms 78:9 Or being ↩
  26. 26. Psalms 78:9 1 Chr 12:2 ↩
  27. 27. Psalms 78:9 Judg 20:39; Ps 78:57 ↩
  28. 28. Psalms 78:10 Judg 2:20; 1 Kin 11:11; 2 Kin 17:15; 18:12 ↩
  29. 29. Psalms 78:10 Ps 119:1; Jer 32:23; 44:10, 23 ↩
  30. 30. Psalms 78:11 Ps 106:13 ↩
  31. 31. Psalms 78:11 Or wonderful works ↩
  32. 32. Psalms 78:12 Ex chs 7-12; Ps 106:22 ↩
  33. 33. Psalms 78:12 Num 13:22; Ps 78:43; Is 19:11; 30:4; Ezek 30:14 ↩
  34. 34. Psalms 78:13 Ex 14:21; Ps 74:13; 136:13 ↩
  35. 35. Psalms 78:13 Ex 15:8; Ps 33:7 ↩
  36. 36. Psalms 78:14 Ex 13:21; Ps 105:39 ↩
  37. 37. Psalms 78:14 Ex 14:24 ↩
  38. 38. Psalms 78:15 Ex 17:6; Num 20:11; Ps 105:41; 114:8; Is 48:21; 1 Cor 10:4 ↩
  39. 39. Psalms 78:16 Num 20:8, 10, 11 ↩
  40. 40. Psalms 78:17 Deut 9:22; Is 63:10; Heb 3:16 ↩
  41. 41. Psalms 78:18 Ex 17:6; Deut 6:16; Ps 78:41, 56; 95:9; 106:14; 1 Cor 10:9 ↩
  42. 42. Psalms 78:18 Num 11:4 ↩
  43. 43. Psalms 78:19 Ex 16:3; Num 11:4; 20:3; 21:5; Ps 23:5 ↩
  44. 44. Psalms 78:20 Num 20:11; Ps 78:15, 16 ↩
  45. 45. Psalms 78:20 Lit flesh ↩
  46. 46. Psalms 78:20 Num 11:18 ↩
  47. 47. Psalms 78:21 Or became infuriated ↩
  48. 48. Psalms 78:21 Num 11:1 ↩
  49. 49. Psalms 78:22 Deut 1:32; 9:23; Heb 3:18 ↩
  50. 50. Psalms 78:23 Gen 7:11; Mal 3:10 ↩
  51. 51. Psalms 78:24 Ex 16:4 ↩
  52. 52. Psalms 78:24 Lit grain ↩
  53. 53. Psalms 78:24 Ps 105:40; John 6:31 ↩
  54. 54. Psalms 78:25 Lit mighty ones ↩
  55. 55. Psalms 78:25 Or provision ↩
  56. 56. Psalms 78:25 Lit to satiation ↩
  57. 57. Psalms 78:25 Ex 16:3 ↩
  58. 58. Psalms 78:26 Num 11:31 ↩
  59. 59. Psalms 78:26 Or strength ↩
  60. 60. Psalms 78:27 Lit flesh ↩
  61. 61. Psalms 78:27 Ex 16:13; Ps 105:40 ↩
  62. 62. Psalms 78:28 Lit His ↩
  63. 63. Psalms 78:29 Num 11:19, 20 ↩
  64. 64. Psalms 78:30 Lit They were not estranged from ↩
  65. 65. Psalms 78:30 Num 11:33 ↩
  66. 66. Psalms 78:31 Num 11:33, 34; Job 20:23 ↩
  67. 67. Psalms 78:31 Lit among their fat ones ↩
  68. 68. Psalms 78:31 Is 10:16 ↩
  69. 69. Psalms 78:31 Lit caused to bow down ↩
  70. 70. Psalms 78:32 Num chs 14, 16, 17 ↩
  71. 71. Psalms 78:32 Num 14:11; Ps 78:11 ↩
  72. 72. Psalms 78:33 Num 14:29, 35 ↩
  73. 73. Psalms 78:33 Lit vanity, a mere breath ↩
  74. 74. Psalms 78:34 Num 21:7; Hos 5:15 ↩
  75. 75. Psalms 78:34 Ps 63:1 ↩
  76. 76. Psalms 78:35 Deut 32:4 ↩
  77. 77. Psalms 78:35 Ex 15:13; Deut 9:26; Ps 74:2; Is 41:14 ↩
  78. 78. Psalms 78:36 Ex 24:7, 8; Ezek 33:31 ↩
  79. 79. Psalms 78:36 Ex 32:7, 8; Is 57:11 ↩
  80. 80. Psalms 78:37 Ps 51:10; 78:8; Acts 8:21 ↩
  81. 81. Psalms 78:38 Ex 34:6 ↩
  82. 82. Psalms 78:38 Lit covered over, atoned for ↩
  83. 83. Psalms 78:38 Num 14:18-20 ↩
  84. 84. Psalms 78:38 Lit turned away ↩
  85. 85. Psalms 78:38 Is 48:9 ↩
  86. 86. Psalms 78:39 Job 10:9; Ps 103:14 ↩
  87. 87. Psalms 78:39 Gen 6:3 ↩
  88. 88. Psalms 78:39 Or breath ↩
  89. 89. Psalms 78:39 Job 7:7, 16; Ps 103:14; James 4:14 ↩
  90. 90. Psalms 78:40 Ps 95:8, 9; 106:43; 107:11; Heb 3:16 ↩
  91. 91. Psalms 78:40 Ps 95:10; Is 63:10; Eph 4:30 ↩
  92. 92. Psalms 78:40 Ps 106:14 ↩
  93. 93. Psalms 78:41 Or put God to the test ↩
  94. 94. Psalms 78:41 Num 14:22 ↩
  95. 95. Psalms 78:41 2 Kin 19:22; Ps 89:18 ↩
  96. 96. Psalms 78:42 Judg 8:34 ↩
  97. 97. Psalms 78:42 Ps 44:3 ↩
  98. 98. Psalms 78:42 Lit hand ↩
  99. 99. Psalms 78:42 Ps 106:10 ↩
  100. 100. Psalms 78:43 Ps 105:27 ↩
  101. 101. Psalms 78:43 Ex 4:21; 7:3 ↩
  102. 102. Psalms 78:44 Ex 7:20; Ps 105:29 ↩
  103. 103. Psalms 78:45 Ex 8:24; Ps 105:31 ↩
  104. 104. Psalms 78:45 Ex 8:6; Ps 105:30 ↩
  105. 105. Psalms 78:46 1 Kin 8:37; Ps 105:34 ↩
  106. 106. Psalms 78:46 Ex 10:14 ↩
  107. 107. Psalms 78:47 Lit was killing ↩
  108. 108. Psalms 78:47 Ex 9:23-25; Ps 105:32 ↩
  109. 109. Psalms 78:48 Ex 9:19 ↩
  110. 110. Psalms 78:49 Ex 15:7 ↩
  111. 111. Psalms 78:49 Lit A deputation of angels of evil ↩
  112. 112. Psalms 78:50 Ex 12:29, 30 ↩
  113. 113. Psalms 78:51 Ex 12:29; Ps 105:36; 135:8; 136:10 ↩
  114. 114. Psalms 78:51 Gen 49:3 ↩
  115. 115. Psalms 78:51 Ps 105:23, 27; 106:22 ↩
  116. 116. Psalms 78:52 Ex 15:22 ↩
  117. 117. Psalms 78:52 Ps 77:20 ↩
  118. 118. Psalms 78:53 Ex 14:19, 20 ↩
  119. 119. Psalms 78:53 Ex 14:27, 28; Ps 106:11 ↩
  120. 120. Psalms 78:54 Ex 15:17 ↩
  121. 121. Psalms 78:54 Lit border, territory ↩
  122. 122. Psalms 78:54 Or mountain ↩
  123. 123. Psalms 78:54 Ps 68:16; Is 11:9 ↩
  124. 124. Psalms 78:54 Ps 44:3 ↩
  125. 125. Psalms 78:55 Josh 11:16-23; Ps 44:2 ↩
  126. 126. Psalms 78:55 Josh 13:7; 23:4; Ps 105:11; 135:12 ↩
  127. 127. Psalms 78:56 Or put to the test ↩
  128. 128. Psalms 78:56 Ps 78:18 ↩
  129. 129. Psalms 78:56 Judg 2:11-13; Ps 78:40 ↩
  130. 130. Psalms 78:57 Ezek 20:27, 28 ↩
  131. 131. Psalms 78:57 Hos 7:16 ↩
  132. 132. Psalms 78:58 Deut 4:25; Judg 2:12; 1 Kin 14:9; Is 65:3 ↩
  133. 133. Psalms 78:58 Lev 26:30; 1 Kin 3:2; 2 Kin 16:4; Jer 17:3 ↩
  134. 134. Psalms 78:58 Deut 32:16, 21; 1 Kin 14:22 ↩
  135. 135. Psalms 78:58 Ex 20:4; Lev 26:1; Deut 4:25 ↩
  136. 136. Psalms 78:59 Or became infuriated ↩
  137. 137. Psalms 78:59 Deut 1:34; 9:19; Ps 106:40 ↩
  138. 138. Psalms 78:59 Lev 26:30; Deut 32:19; Amos 6:8 ↩
  139. 139. Psalms 78:60 1 Sam 4:11; Ps 78:67; Jer 7:12, 14; 26:6 ↩
  140. 140. Psalms 78:60 Josh 18:1 ↩
  141. 141. Psalms 78:60 Some ancient versions read where He dwelt ↩
  142. 142. Psalms 78:61 Ps 63:2; 132:8 ↩
  143. 143. Psalms 78:61 1 Sam 4:17 ↩
  144. 144. Psalms 78:62 Judg 20:21; 1 Sam 4:10 ↩
  145. 145. Psalms 78:62 Or became infuriated ↩
  146. 146. Psalms 78:63 Num 11:1; 21:28; Is 26:11; Jer 48:45 ↩
  147. 147. Psalms 78:63 Or their ↩
  148. 148. Psalms 78:63 Or their ↩
  149. 149. Psalms 78:63 Jer 7:34; 16:9; Lam 2:21 ↩
  150. 150. Psalms 78:64 Or their ↩
  151. 151. Psalms 78:64 1 Sam 4:17; 22:18 ↩
  152. 152. Psalms 78:64 Or their ↩
  153. 153. Psalms 78:64 Job 27:15; Ezek 24:23 ↩
  154. 154. Psalms 78:65 Ps 44:23; 73:20 ↩
  155. 155. Psalms 78:65 Is 42:13 ↩
  156. 156. Psalms 78:65 Or sobered up from ↩
  157. 157. Psalms 78:66 Lit smote ↩
  158. 158. Psalms 78:66 1 Sam 5:6 ↩
  159. 159. Psalms 78:67 Ps 78:60 ↩
  160. 160. Psalms 78:68 Ps 87:2; 132:13 ↩
  161. 161. Psalms 78:69 1 Kin 6:1-38 ↩
  162. 162. Psalms 78:70 1 Sam 16:11, 12 ↩
  163. 163. Psalms 78:71 Lit following ↩
  164. 164. Psalms 78:71 2 Sam 7:8; Is 40:11 ↩
  165. 165. Psalms 78:71 Lit ewes which gave suck, He... ↩
  166. 166. Psalms 78:71 Gen 33:13 ↩
  167. 167. Psalms 78:71 2 Sam 5:2; 1 Chr 11:2; Ps 28:9 ↩
  168. 168. Psalms 78:71 1 Sam 10:1 ↩
  169. 169. Psalms 78:72 1 Kin 9:4 ↩

Commentaries on Psalms 78

New American Standard Bible 1995 — © 1960–1995 The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.