Commentary on Psalms 78

Psalm 78 is a long, narrative psalm that retells the history of Israel from the exodus to the reign of David. It is a wisdom psalm, a teaching psalm, and a warning. The psalmist, Asaph, calls the people to listen to a parable, a dark saying from of old, so that they might not repeat the stubborn rebellion of their ancestors. The central tension is between God's relentless faithfulness and Israel's repeated unfaithfulness. The chapter builds toward a climactic resolution: God chooses David, a man after his own heart, to shepherd his people, pointing forward to the ultimate Shepherd-King, Jesus Christ.

Historical context

Psalm 78 is attributed to Asaph, a Levite and chief musician appointed by David (1 Chr 16:4-7). The psalm is a maskil, a contemplative or instructive poem. Its historical scope, from Egypt to David, suggests it was composed during the united monarchy, likely during David's reign or early in Solomon's. The northern tribes (Ephraim) are singled out for their failure (v. 9), which may reflect the simmering tensions between north and south that would eventually lead to the divided kingdom. The psalm's purpose is explicitly pedagogical: to teach the next generation (v. 4-6) so they do not repeat the sins of their fathers. It is a sermon in song, using history as its text. The cultural backdrop includes the covenant structure of blessing and curse (Deuteronomy 28-30), the centrality of the Exodus and Sinai, and the deep significance of the Davidic covenant as God's chosen means of shepherding his people.

Verse by verse

• 1:

  The psalm opens with a direct call: Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! This is the language of a prophet or a sage, not merely a singer. The word for 'teaching' (torah) is the same word used for the Law. Asaph is claiming divine authority for his instruction. He is not offering opinions; he is passing on revelation.

• 2:

  I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old. A 'parable' (mashal) is a comparison, a proverb, a story with a deeper meaning. 'Dark sayings' (chidot) are riddles or enigmatic sayings. Asaph is not being obscure for its own sake; he is saying that history itself is a riddle that requires spiritual insight to decode. The surface story (the exodus, the wilderness, the conquest) conceals a deeper truth about the human heart and the character of God.

• 9:

  The Ephraimites, armed with the bow, turned back on the day of battle. This is a shocking statement. Ephraim was the leading tribe of the northern confederation, the descendants of Joseph's son. They were blessed by Jacob (Gen 48:19-20). Yet they failed in battle. The text does not specify which battle, but the point is clear: human strength, even with divine blessing and superior weaponry, is no guarantee of success. Their failure is a type of Israel's larger spiritual failure.

• 12:

  In the sight of their fathers he performed wonders in the land of Egypt, in the fields of Zoan. Zoan was an ancient city in the Nile Delta, a center of Egyptian power. By naming a specific location, the psalmist grounds the story in real geography and history. The wonders of the exodus were not myths; they were public, verifiable events. God's power was displayed openly, leaving Israel without excuse for their subsequent unbelief.

• 17:

  Yet they sinned still more against him, rebelling against the Most High in the desert. This is the tragic refrain of the psalm. Despite the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, the manna, the water from the rock, the people continued to sin. The word 'still more' (yosefu) suggests an escalation. Their rebellion was not a one-time lapse; it was a pattern of the heart. The desert, the place of God's provision, became the place of their testing and failure.

• 25:

  Man ate the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. The manna is described as 'the bread of the angels' (lehem abbirim, literally 'bread of the mighty ones'). This is a poetic way of saying that the food came from heaven, from the very storehouse of God. It was a gift of sheer grace, a daily miracle. Yet the people despised it (Num 21:5). The contrast between the gift and the response is almost unbearable.

• 36:

  But they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues. This is a devastating diagnosis of Israel's worship. Their words of repentance and devotion were not genuine; they were flattery, a form of manipulation. The Hebrew word for 'flattered' (yephatuhu) carries the sense of being smooth or deceptive. They said the right things, but their hearts were far from God. This is a warning against all empty ritual and insincere confession.

• 41:

  They tested God again and again and provoked the Holy One of Israel. The phrase 'Holy One of Israel' is a title that emphasizes God's transcendence, his otherness, his moral purity. To provoke him is not merely to break a rule; it is to treat the holy as common, to drag the infinite into the mud of human rebellion. The repetition ('again and again') shows that this was not a momentary lapse but a settled disposition of the heart.

• 56:

  Yet they tested and rebelled against the Most High God and did not keep his testimonies. This verse summarizes the pattern of the entire wilderness generation and the period of the judges. The cycle is relentless: deliverance, rebellion, judgment, cry for help, deliverance. The people never learned. The word 'testimonies' (edotav) refers to the stipulations of the covenant, the terms of the relationship. They broke the covenant not because they were ignorant, but because they were rebellious.

• 70:

  He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds. After the long, dark history of failure, the psalm ends with a bright, unexpected turn. God does not abandon his people. Instead, he chooses a new kind of leader: not a warrior-prince from a powerful tribe, but a shepherd boy from the fields. David's anointing is a paradigm of grace. God chooses the lowly, the overlooked, the one after his own heart (1 Sam 13:14).

• 72:

  With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand. The psalm concludes with an ideal portrait of Davidic kingship. David's leadership is characterized by two things: integrity of heart (tom levav) and skillfulness of hand (tebunot kappayim). He was not perfect, but he was a genuine shepherd. This verse sets the standard for all future kings and ultimately points to the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who perfectly combines a heart of love with the power to save.

Key themes

• História como Parábola
• A Infidelidade Humana e a Fidelidade de Deus
• O Julgamento e a Graça de Deus
• A Liderança Davídica como Esperança
• A Importância do Ensino às Próximas Gerações

Application

Psalm 78 is a mirror held up to the church. It asks a painful question: do we learn from the past, or are we doomed to repeat it? The psalmist does not simply record history; he interprets it as a 'parable' (v. 2), a story with a meaning that demands a response. The first response is humility. We are no different from the Ephraimites who turned back on the day of battle (v. 9). Our strength, our resources, our good intentions are not enough. We need a Shepherd.

The second response is hope. The psalm does not end in the wilderness of judgment; it ends in the sheepfold of grace. God chose David, and through David's line, he sent Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). Our failures are real, but they are not final. The same God who brought water from the rock (v. 20) brings life from the grave. The gospel is not a call to try harder; it is an invitation to trust the Shepherd who has already succeeded where we have failed. We teach our children not merely a list of rules, but a story of redemption.

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