Psalm 78

Revised Version 1895

Maschil of Asaph.

1GiveH238 earH241, O my peopleH5971, to my lawH8451; inclineH5186 your earsH241 to the wordsH561 of my mouthH6310.

2I will openH6605 my mouthH6310 in a parableH4912; I will utterH5042 darkH2420 sayingsH2420 of old:

3WhichH834 weH834 have heardH8085 and knownH3045, and our fathersH1 have toldH5608 usH3045.

4WeH834 will notH3808 hideH3582 them from their childrenH1121, tellingH5608 to the generationH1755 to comeH314 the praisesH8416 of the LORDH3068, and his strengthH5807, and his wondrousH6381 worksH6381 that he hath doneH6213.

5For he establishedH6965 a testimonyH5715 in JacobH3290, and appointedH7760 a lawH8451 in IsraelH3478, whichH834 he commandedH6680 our fathersH1, that they should makeH7760 them knownH3045 to their childrenH1121:

6That the generationH1755 to comeH314 might knowH3045 them, even the childrenH1121 which should be bornH3205; who should ariseH6965 and tellH5608 them to their childrenH1121:

7That they might setH7760 their hope in GodH430, and notH3808 forgetH7911 the worksH4611 of GodH430, but keepH5341 his commandmentsH4687:

8And might notH3808 be as their fathersH1, a stubbornH5637 and rebelliousH4784 generationH1755; a generationH1755 that setH3559 notH3808 their heartH3820 aright, and whose spiritH7307 was notH3808 stedfast with GodH410.

9The childrenH1121 of EphraimH669, beingH1121 armed and carrying bowsH7198, turnedH2015 backH2015 in the dayH3117 of battleH7128.

10They keptH8104 notH3808 the covenantH1285 of GodH430, and refusedH3985 to walk in his lawH8451;

11And they forgat his doings, and his wondrousH6381 worksH6381 that he had shewed them.

12Marvelous things didH6213 he in the sightH5048 of their fathersH1, in the landH776 of EgyptH4714, in the fieldH7704 of ZoanH6814.

13He clave the seaH3220, and caused them to passH5674 throughH5674; and he made the watersH4325 to standH5324 as an heap.

14In the day-time also he ledH5148 them with a cloudH6051, and allH3605 the nightH3915 with a lightH216 of fireH784.

15He clave rocksH6697 in the wildernessH4057, and gaveH8248 them drinkH8248 abundantlyH7227 as outH1234 of the depthsH8415.

16He broughtH3318 streamsH5104 also outH3318 of the rockH5553, and caused watersH4325 to runH3381 downH3381 like riversH5104.

17Yet wentH3254 they on stillH5750 to sinH2398 againstH2398 him, to rebelH4784 againstH2398 the Most High in the desertH6723.

18And they temptedH5254 GodH410 in their heartH3824 by askingH7592 meat for their lustH3824.

19Yea, they spake againstH1696 GodH430; they saidH559, CanH3201 GodH430 prepareH6186 a tableH7979 in the wildernessH4057?

20BeholdH2005, he smoteH5221 the rockH6697, that watersH4325 gushedH2100 outH3559, and streamsH5158 overflowed; canH3201 he giveH5414 breadH3899 also? will he provideH5414 fleshH7607 for his peopleH5971?

21Therefore the LORDH3068 heardH8085, and was wroth: and a fireH784 was kindled againstH5927 JacobH3290, and angerH639 also wentH5927 upH5927 againstH5927 IsraelH3478;

22BecauseH3588 they believedH539 notH3808 in GodH430, and trustedH982 notH3808 in his salvationH3444.

23Yet he commandedH6680 the skiesH7834 aboveH4605, and openedH6605 the doorsH1817 of heavenH8064;

24And he rainedH4305 downH4305 mannaH4478 uponH5921 them to eatH398, and gaveH5414 them of the corn of heavenH8064.

25ManH376 didH376 eatH398 the breadH3899 of the mightyH47: he sentH7971 them meat to the fullH7648.

26He caused the eastH6921 windH6921 to blowH5265 in the heavenH8064: and by his powerH5797 he guided the southH8486 windH6921.

27He rainedH4305 fleshH7607 also uponH5921 them as the dustH6083, and wingedH3671 fowlH5775 as the sandH2344 of the seasH3220:

28And he let it fallH5307 in the midstH7130 of their campH4264, roundH5439 aboutH5439 their habitations.

29SoH935 they did eatH398, and were wellH3966 filledH7646; and he gaveH935 them that they lusted afterH1992.

30They were notH3808 estranged from their lust, their meat was yet in their mouthsH6310,

31When the angerH639 of GodH430 wentH5927 upH5927 againstH5927 them, and slewH2026 of the fattest of them, and smote downH3766 the youngH970 menH970 of IsraelH3478.

32For allH3605 this they sinnedH2398 stillH5750, and believedH539 notH3808 in his wondrousH6381 worksH6381.

33Therefore their daysH3117 didH3117 he consumeH3615 in vanityH1892, and their yearsH8141 in terrorH928.

34When he slewH2026 them, then they inquiredH1875 afterH1875 him: and they returnedH7725 and soughtH1875 GodH410 early.

35And they rememberedH2142 that GodH430 was their rockH6697, and the Most High GodH430 their redeemerH1350.

36But they flattered him with their mouthH6310, and liedH3576 unto him with their tongueH3956.

37For their heartH3820 was notH3808 rightH3559 with him, neitherH3808 were they faithfulH539 in his covenantH1285.

38But he, being fullH3605 of compassion, forgave their iniquityH5771, and destroyedH7843 them notH3808: yea, manyH7235 a time turnedH7725 he his angerH639 awayH7725, and didH3808 notH3808 stirH5782 upH5782 allH3605 his wrathH2534.

39And he rememberedH2142 that they were but fleshH1320; a windH7307 that passeth awayH7725, and cometh notH3808 againH7725.

40HowH4100 oft didH4100 they rebelH4784 againstH4784 him in the wildernessH4057, and grieveH6087 him in the desertH3452!

41And they turnedH7725 againH7725 and temptedH5254 GodH410, and provoked the HolyH6918 One of IsraelH3478.

42They rememberedH2142 notH3808 his handH3027, norH3808 the dayH3117 when he redeemedH6299 them from the adversary.

43HowH834 he setH7760 his signsH226 in EgyptH4714, and his wondersH4159 in the fieldH7704 of ZoanH6814;

44And turnedH2015 their riversH2975 intoH2015 bloodH1818, and their streamsH2975, that they could notH1077 drinkH8354.

45He sentH7971 among them swarmsH6157 of fliesH6157, whichH6157 devouredH398 them; and frogsH6854, whichH6157 destroyedH7843 them.

46He gaveH5414 also their increaseH2981 unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locustH697.

47He destroyedH2026 their vinesH1612 with hailH1259, and their sycomore treesH8256 with frostH2602.

48He gaveH5462 over their cattleH4735 also to the hailH1259, and their flocksH4735 to hot thunderbolts.

49He castH7971 upon them the fiercenessH2740 of his angerH639, wrathH5678, and indignationH2195, and troubleH7451, a bandH4917 of angelsH4397 of evilH7451.

50He made a pathH5410 for his angerH639; he sparedH2820 notH3808 their soulH5315 from deathH4194, but gaveH5462 their lifeH5315 over to the pestilenceH1698;

51And smoteH5221 allH3605 the firstbornH1060 in EgyptH4714, the chief of their strengthH202 in the tentsH168 of HamH2526:

52But he ledH5090 forthH5265 his own peopleH5971 like sheepH6629, and guided them in the wildernessH4057 like a flockH6629.

53And he ledH5148 them safelyH983, soH3808 that they feared notH3808: but the seaH3220 overwhelmedH3680 their enemiesH341.

54And he broughtH935 them to the borderH1366 of his sanctuaryH6944, to this mountainH2022, whichH2088 his rightH3225 handH3225 had purchasedH7069.

55He droveH1644 outH1644 the nationsH1471 also beforeH6440 them, and allottedH5307 them for an inheritanceH5159 by lineH2256, and made the tribesH7626 of IsraelH3478 to dwellH7931 in their tentsH168.

56Yet they temptedH5254 and rebelledH4784 againstH8104 the Most High GodH430, and keptH8104 notH3808 his testimonies;

57But turnedH2015 backH5472, and dealtH898 treacherouslyH898 like their fathersH1: they were turnedH2015 asideH2015 like a deceitfulH7423 bowH7198.

58For they provokedH3707 him to angerH3707 with their highH1116 placesH1116, and moved him to jealousyH7065 with their gravenH6456 imagesH6456.

59When GodH430 heardH8085 this, he was wroth, and greatlyH3966 abhorred IsraelH3478:

60So that he forsookH5203 the tabernacleH4908 of ShilohH7887, the tentH168 which he placed among menH120;

61And deliveredH5414 his strengthH5797 intoH3027 captivityH7628, and his gloryH8597 intoH3027 the adversary’s handH3027.

62He gaveH5462 his peopleH5971 over also unto the swordH2719; and was wroth with his inheritanceH5159.

63FireH784 devouredH398 their youngH970 menH970; and their maidensH1330 had noH3808 marriage-song.

64Their priestsH3548 fellH5307 by the swordH2719; and their widowsH490 made noH3808 lamentation.

65Then the LordH136 awaked as one out of sleepH3463, like a mightyH1368 manH1368 that shouteth by reason of wineH3196.

66And he smoteH5221 his adversaries backwardH268: he putH5414 them to a perpetualH5769 reproachH2781.

67Moreover he refusedH3808 the tentH168 of JosephH3130, and choseH977 notH3808 the tribeH7626 of EphraimH669;

68But choseH977 the tribeH7626 of JudahH3063, the mountH2022 ZionH6726 whichH834 he lovedH157.

69And he builtH1129 his sanctuaryH4720 like the heightsH7311, like the earthH776 whichH3245 he hath establishedH3245 for everH5769.

70He choseH977 DavidH1732 also his servantH5650, and tookH3947 him from the sheepfolds:

71From followingH310 the ewesH5763 that giveH5159 suck he broughtH935 him, to feedH7462 JacobH3290 his peopleH5971, and IsraelH3478 his inheritanceH5159.

72So he fed them according to the integrityH8537 of his heartH3824; and guidedH5148 them by the skilfulness of his handsH3709.

Commentaries on Psalms 78

Revised Version 1895 — 1895 — Public Domain