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Welcome to the Overview of Psalm 78

This page will introduce and provide orientation to Psalm 78 as a whole. It includes the following sections:

Introduction to Psalm 78

Author

Book

Book 3 of the Psalter (Chapters 73-89)

Psalm 78: A Brief Summary

Psalm 78 uses the frame of a riddle, with the problem of how Israel would respond to God’s extravagant provision only by repeated rebellion, and with the solution of how God chose David to lead Israel, in place of the old, failed leadership. Within that frame are multiple historical recitals, recalling the wilderness wanderings, especially the miraculous food of manna and quail. The food which ought to have brought great pleasure and thankfulness, instead was only connected with more grumbling, disbelief, and judgment. God provided food for his people where there was none, and he destroyed the food of the Egyptian enemies where it was abundant, and yet, still, his people stubbornly refused to believe him. Not until God chose David was there hope, and exactly why David would change things is never made explicit. David’s leadership will bring an end to the seemingly endless rebellion.

"Rebellion Solved" This title is a memorable phrase that helps remember the unique character and content of this psalm.

The repeated pattern of rebellion can only stop if YHWH’s people will follow David as their shepherd. This is why “Rebellion solved” fits Psalm 78: rebellion is an enormous problem, but there is a solution, in the choice of David as king.

Purpose The Purpose was the psalmist's probable intent or reason for writing this psalm.

To argue that David is God's solution to the people's ongoing rebellion

Content The Content is a concise summary of the whole psalm's content.

Listen to these puzzling problems:

Our ancestors repeatedly forgot YHWH's goodness, instead of recognizing it.
YHWH repeatedly chose to turn back his anger and instead shepherd his people.

Pay attention to the solution found in this parable:

YHWH has chosen David as the shepherd who would be able to lead his flock with integrity and wisdom.

Message The Message is the main idea the psalmist probably wanted the audience to remember upon or after hearing the psalm.

The repeated pattern of rebellion can only stop if YHWH's people will follow David as their shepherd.

Psalm 78 At-a-Glance

These sections divide the content of the psalm into digestible pieces , and are determined based on information from many of our layers, including Semantics, Poetics, and Discourse. The columns, left to right, contain: the verse numbers; the main title of the section; a brief summary of the content of that section (quote marks indicate the text is taken directly from the English text of the psalm (as per our Close-but-Clear translation); and an icon to visually represent and remember the content.

v. 1 A maskil. By Asaph. Listen, my people, to my teaching; turn your ear to the words of my mouth.	Superscription
v. 2 Let me open up my mouth with a parable; let me pour out puzzling problems from long ago.	A parable	Listen and pass on this parable and these puzzles our ancestors told us, so that we will not forget God's deeds but will put our hope in him.	hope
v. 3 The things which we heard, and which we learned and our ancestors told us,
v. 4 we will not hide from their children in the latest generation, proclaiming the praiseworthy deeds of YHWH and his power and his wonderful deeds which he has accomplished:
v. 5 how he established a testimony among Jacob and set up a teaching among Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,
v. 6 so that the latest generation might know —children who were yet to be born— [that] they might begin to tell their children
v. 7 and they might put their trust in God, [so that] they might not forget God's deeds but might obey his commands
v. 8 and might not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation who did not keep their heart committed and whose mind was not faithful to God.
v. 9 Ephraimites, armed [with a bow], archers, turned back on a day of battle.	Rebellion: In the wilderness	Our ancestors were defeated in battle because they had forgotten God's wonders. God provided food and water, but his people grumbled in the wilderness, forgetting his provision.	astonishment
v. 10 They did not keep the covenant of God and they refused to walk in his teaching,
v. 11 in that they forgot his deeds and [they forgot] his wonders which he had shown them.
v. 12 In front of their ancestors he performed miracles in the land of Egypt, the region of Zoan.
v. 13 He divided the sea and brought them through; he made the waters stand like a heap.
v. 14 He led them by cloud during the day and [he led them] all night by fire light.
v. 15 He would split rocks in the wilderness and provide drinking water abundantly, as from oceans.
v. 16 He would bring streams out from rock and make water flow down like rivers.
v. 17 But again they sinned against him; again they rebelled against the Most High in the desert.		YHWH’s anger flared up against Israel, when he continued to provide and they continued to not believe.	awe
v. 18 They put God to the test in their thoughts, by asking for food for their throat.
v. 19 They spoke against God saying: Is God not able to prepare a table in the wilderness?
v. 20 Since he struck a rock so that waters gushed out and streams began to flow, is he not able to give bread, too? Or can he not provide meat for his people?
v. 21 Therefore, when YHWH heard he became furious; fire flared up against Jacob and also anger rose against Israel,
v. 22 because they had not believed in God and they had not trusted in his provision.
v. 23 So he ordered clouds from above and opened heavenly doors;
v. 24 he rained down upon them manna to eat and he gave them grain from heaven.
v. 25 People ate bread of angels; he sent them provisions until they were satisfied.
v. 26 He caused an east wind to blow in the sky and he drove a south wind with his might.
v. 27 So he made meat rain upon them like dust and [he made] winged birds [rain upon them] like the sand on the seashore,
v. 28 and he made them fall inside his camp, all around his tents.
v. 29 So they ate and were completely satisfied when he brought them what they craved.
v. 30 They had not turned away from the object of their craving —their food was still in their mouth—
v. 31 when the anger of God rose against them and he killed some of their strong men and he struck down young men of Israel.
v. 32 In spite of this, they sinned again and did not trust in his wonderful deeds,
v. 33 so he made them spend their days in vain and [he made them spend] their years in anguish.	Temporary solution: The people wander	That generation was left to wander the wilderness. Nevertheless, YHWH had compassion and remembered that they were but flesh, so repeatedly he turned back his anger.	solemnity
v. 34 Whenever he killed them, then they would seek him and again look for God.
v. 35 They would remember that God was their rock and [that] God, the Most High, was their redeemer.
v. 36 But they were trying to deceive him with their mouth and with their tongue were lying to him.
v. 37 Their heart was not committed to him and they were not faithful to his covenant.
v. 38 But he is compassionate. He forgives iniquity and does not destroy. He repeatedly turned back his anger. And he would not stir up all his wrath.
v. 39 He remembered that they were flesh, a breeze that goes by and will not return.
v. 40 How often did they rebel against him in the wilderness! [How often] did they grieve him in the desert!	Rebellion: In the promised land	They still did not remember his signs and miracles in Egypt:	contempt
v. 41 Again they put God to the test and they provoked the Holy One of Israel.
v. 42 They did not remember his strength; [they did not remember] the day in which he saved them from an adversary.
v. 43 [They did not remember the day] in which he displayed his signs in Egypt and [displayed] his miracles in the region of Zoan—
v. 44 how he turned their rivers into blood and they could not drink [from] their streams.
v. 45 He sent a swarm of insects among them and it devoured them; [he sent] a plague of frogs [among them] and it destroyed them.		YHWH destroyed the Egyptians' food and water, unleashing his anger on his people's enemies.	solemnity
v. 46 He gave their crops to young locusts and [he gave] the fruit of their labor to locusts.
v. 47 He killed their vines with hail and [he killed] their sycamore trees with frost.
v. 48 He gave their livestock over to hail and [he gave] their herds [over] to lightning.
v. 49 He sent among them the wrath of his anger: fury and indignation and trouble, by a deputation of angels bringing disaster.
v. 50 He cleared a path for his anger; he did not spare their soul from death but gave their life over to plague.
v. 51 He killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstfruits of strength among the tents of Ham,
v. 52 but he led out his people like a flock and guided them in the wilderness like a herd.		He led his people out of Egypt like his own flock. Nevertheless, their leadership became covenantally useless.	confidence ... disgust
v. 53 He led them securely and they were not afraid, but the sea covered their enemies.
v. 54 He brought them to his holy territory, the hill-country which his right hand had acquired.
v. 55 He drove out nations from their presence and allotted them as an inheritance by measurement; he let the clans of Israel live in their dwelling places.
v. 56 But they rebelliously put God, the Most High, to the test, and they did not observe his testimonies,
v. 57 but they went astray and acted unfaithfully, like their ancestors. They became like a slack bow.
v. 58 They made him angry with their high places of worship and with their carved images made him jealous.
v. 59 God heard and he became furious, so that he completely rejected Israel		God became furious and abandoned Shiloh and their failed leadership. His people were defeated in battle.	alarm
v. 60 and he abandoned the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent which he had set up among mankind.
v. 61 He gave his strength into captivity and [he gave] his glory into the possession of an adversary.
v. 62 He gave his people over to the sword and against his inheritance he raged.
v. 63 Fire consumed his young men and his young women were not sung to.
v. 64 His priests fell by the sword and his widows could not mourn.
v. 65 Now the Lord arose like one who had been asleep, like a warrior shouting from [the effects of] wine,	Permanent solution: God chooses his shepherd-king	The Lord arose, struck back his adversaries, and chose his servant David to shepherd his people with integrity and wisdom.	hope
v. 66 and he struck back his adversaries. He gave them eternal shame.
v. 67 But he rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the clan of Ephraim,
v. 68 but he chose the clan of Judah, Mount Zion which he loves,
v. 69 and he built his holy place like heaven, like the earth which he has established forever.
v. 70 He chose David, his servant, and took him from a sheep pen.
v. 71 From [looking] after nursing animals he brought him to shepherd Jacob, his people, and [to shepherd] Israel, his inheritance.
v. 72 He shepherded them with the integrity of his heart and with his wise actions he led them.

Background Orientation for Psalm 78

Following are the common-ground assumptionsCommon-ground assumptions include information shared by the speaker and hearers. In our analysis, we mainly use this category for Biblical/Ancient Near Eastern background. which are the most helpful for making sense of the psalm.

A parable (מָשָׁל) is "an utterance, often in poetic style, that has a specific message" (SDBH), while puzzling problems (חִידוֹת) are "event[s] that perplex the mind and require wisdom in order to be dealt with" (SDBH). After figuring out the solution, however, it is all the more memorable for the hearer.
Covenant unfaithfulness can result in military defeat (Josh 7; Judges; 1 Sam 4).
Shiloh was located in Ephraimite territory. The Ephraimites were residents of what was the legitimate place of centralized worship before Jerusalem (see Josh 18; Judg 18:31; 21:19), yet it was destroyed due to Israel's unfaithfulness. The destruction of Shiloh and its Ephraimite inhabitants was used as a later warning against future unfaithfulness (Jer 7:12–15; 26:1–15).
The narrative of 1 Samuel presents Samuel as the one who established the Israelite monarchy (1 Sam 8–10) and anointed David (1 Sam 16). He also declared the judgment on the priestly rule at Shiloh, following the rejection of Eli's family in 1 Samuel 2:27–36.
The anointed king David was from the southern family of Judah. When David became king, he moved the place of centralized worship to Jerusalem, also known as Zion (see 2 Sam 5–6).
In this psalm, the terms "Jacob" and "Israel" refer to northern and southern families together. David's kingship and worship in Zion was intended for all.

Background Situation for Psalm 78

The background situation is the series of events leading up to the time in which the psalm is spoken. These are taken from the story triangle – whatever lies to the left of the star icon.

Participants in Psalm 78

There are 6 participants/characters in Psalm 78:

Asaph

David's flock

The latest generation (vv. 4, 6)

The latest generation's children (v. 6)

Israel/Jacob (vv. 71-72)

YHWH

"YHWH" (vv. 4, 21)

"God" (אֵל) (vv. 7, 8, 18, 19)

"God" (אֱלֹהִים) (vv. 7, 10, 19, 22, 31, 35, 59)

"the Most High" (עֶלְיוֹן) (v. 17)

"God, the Most High" (אֵל עֶלְיוֹן; אֱלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן) (vv. 35, 56)

"their rock" (v. 35)

"their redeemer" (v. 35)

"the holy one of Israel" (v. 41)

"the Lord" (אֲדֹנָי) (v. 65)

The ancestors

"the ancestors" (vv. 3, 5, 8)

"Ephraimites" (v. 9)

"Israel" (v. 59)

"his [God's] people/inheritance" (v. 62)

"tent of Joseph / clan of Ephraim" (v. 67)

The ancestors' ancestors

"their ancestors" (v. 12, 57)

"his [God's] people" (vv. 20, 71)

"Jacob/Israel" (vv. 21, 71)

Egyptians

The Canaanite nations

The Philistines

David

"David" (v. 70)

"his [God's] servant" (v. 70)

Judah (v. 68)

The psalmist is identified as Asaph (which may refer to one of the "sons of Asaph"—see the phrase-level note—though not necessarily) begins reciting the psalm in first person singular, before joining the chorus of the community of the righteous in the latest generation.
David's flock is identified those who submit to his rule. At the beginning of the psalm this consists of the latest generation, both Asaph('s descendant) and his group as well as the addressee of the psalm (see the notes on accompanying the text table), who are to proclaim the teaching of the psalm, while also receiving it and passing it on to their children. At the end of the psalm, both Jacob, God's people, and Israel, God's inheritance, are marvelously identified with this group as being shepherded by David.
YHWH is referred to by a multitude of different divine names, as listed in the participant set, while also characterized as Israel's rock and redeemer (v. 35).
As is characteristic of Psalms 78–80 as a whole, the antagonists of the psalm are the community's ancestors.^[1] In contrast to the mention of Judah in v. 68, the ancestors are largely referred to by generic names which encapsulate the entire nation, such as "Jacob" and "Israel," or those associated with Shiloh as a locality, such as "Ephraim" and "Joseph." Despite playing the role of antagonist, to which the latest generation should aspire not to be like, a "stubborn and rebellious generation" (v. 8), they also never cease to be YHWH's people (vv. 20, 58; see also the 3ms suffixes in vv. 28, 62-64).
The foreign nations play a subservient role of displaying God's miraculous acts for his people throughout their history—primarily in Egypt throughout the Exodus event (vv. 42-53), but also in the conquest of Canaan (v. 54) and the defeat of the Philistines (v. 66). In the latter instance, the vessel of punishment for his people (vv. 60-64) in turn receive their own justice (vv. 65-66).
Following the rejection of Joseph/Ephraim (v. 67) as the center of covenant administration, and the choice of Judah and Zion (v. 68), David is further chosen as the shepherd who will lead the renewed community (vv. 70-72).

↑ See Ray 2023.

[1] See Ray 2023.

[1]

Psalm 78 Overview

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Psalm 78