Psa 78:1-9 | Clarke | e4.org | PSALM LXXVIII An enumeration of the principal effects of the goodness of God to his people , 1-16; of their rebellions and punishment , 17-33; their feigned repentance , 34-37; God's compassion towards them , 38, 39; their backsliding, and forgetfulness of his mercy , 40-42; the plagues which he brought upon the Egyptians , 43-51; the deliverance of his own people, and their repeated ingratitude and disobedience , 52-58; their punishment , 59-64; God's wrath against their adversaries , 65, 66; his rejection of the tribes of Israel and his choice of the tribe of Judah, and of David to be king over his people , 67-72. NOTES ON PSALM LXXVIII The title, Maschil of Asaph ; or, according to the margin , A Psalm for Asaph to give instruction ; contains nothing particular. The Arabic has, "A sermon from Asaph to the people." The Psalm was probably not written by David, but after the separation of the ten tribes of Israel, and after the days of Rehoboam, and before the Babylonish captivity, for the temple was still standing, . Calmet supposes that it was written in the days of Asa , who had gained, by the aid of the Syrians, a great victory over the Israelites; and brought back to the pure worship of God many out of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh , and Simeon . See . Verse 1. Give ear, O my people ] This is the exordium of this very pathetic and instructive discourse.

‏ Psalms 78:1-9

PSALM LXXVIII

An enumeration of the principal effects of the goodness of God to his people, 1-16;

of their rebellions and punishment, 17-33;

their feigned repentance, 34-37;

God's compassion towards them, 38, 39;

their backsliding, and forgetfulness of his mercy, 40-42;

the plagues which he brought upon the Egyptians, 43-51;

the deliverance of his own people, and their repeated ingratitude and disobedience, 52-58;

their punishment, 59-64;

God's wrath against their adversaries, 65, 66;

his rejection of the tribes of Israel and his choice of the tribe of Judah, and of David to be king over his people, 67-72.

NOTES ON PSALM LXXVIII

The title, Maschil of Asaph; or, according to the margin, A Psalm for Asaph to give instruction; contains nothing particular. The Arabic has, "A sermon from Asaph to the people." The Psalm was probably not written by David, but after the separation of the ten tribes of Israel, and after the days of Rehoboam, and before the Babylonish captivity, for the temple was still standing, Ps 78:69. Calmet supposes that it was written in the days of Asa, who had gained, by the aid of the Syrians, a great victory over the Israelites; and brought back to the pure worship of God many out of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon. See 2Ch 15:16-16:14.

Verse 1. Give ear, O my people] This is the exordium of this very pathetic and instructive discourse.

Verse 2. In a parable] Or, I will give you instruction by numerous examples; see Ps 49:1-4, which bears a great similarity to this; and see the notes there. The term parable, in its various acceptations, has already been sufficiently explained; but mashal may here mean example, as opposed to torah, law or precept, Ps 78:1.

Verse 3. Which we have heard and known] We have heard the law, and known the facts.

Verse 4. We will not hide them] In those ancient times there was very little reading, because books were exceedingly scarce; tradition was therefore the only, or nearly the only, means of preserving the memory of past events. They were handed down from father to son by parables or pithy sayings, and by chronological poems. This very Psalm is of this kind, and must have been very useful to the Israelites, as giving instructions concerning their ancient history, and recounting the wonderful deeds of the Almighty in their behalf.

Verse 5. A testimony in Jacob] This may signify the various ordinances, rites, and ceremonies prescribed by the law; and the word law may mean the moral law, or system of religious instruction, teaching them their duty to God, to their neighbour, and to themselves. These were commanded to the fathers-the patriarchs and primitive Hebrews, that they should make them known to their children, who should make them known to the generation that was to come, whose children should also be instructed that they might declare them to their children; to the end that their hope might be in God, that they might not forget his works, and might keep his commandments: that they might not be as their fathers, but have their heart right and their spirit steadfast with God, Ps 78:6-8. Five generations appear to be mentioned above: 1. Fathers; 2. Their children; 3. The generation to come; 4. And their children; 5. And their children. They were never to lose sight of their history throughout all their generations. Some think the testimony here may mean the tabernacle.

Verse 9. The children of Ephraim-turned back] This refers to some defeat of the Ephraimites; and some think to that by the men of Gath, mentioned 1Ch 7:21. R. D. Kimchi says this defeat of the Ephraimites was in the desert; and although the story be not mentioned in the law, yet it is written in the Books of the Chronicles, where we read, on the occasion of "Zabad the Ephraimite, and Shuthelah, &c., whom the men of Gath, who were born in the land, slew; and Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him," 1Ch 7:20-22: but to what defeat of the Ephraimites this refers is not certainly known; probably the Israelites after the division of the two kingdoms are intended.