Psalms 78:1

A maskil of Asaph.

1 [a]My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.

Psalms 78:1 in Other Translations

KJV
1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
ESV
1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
NLT
1 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying,
MSG
1 Listen, dear friends, to God's truth, bend your ears to what I tell you.
CSB
1 My people, hear my instruction; listen to what I say.

Psalms 78:1 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 78:1

Give ear, O my people
The Jews were Christ's people, he descending from their fathers according to the flesh; they were his own, to whom he came, though rejected by them; they were his nation and people that delivered him up into the hands of the Romans; see ( Romans 9:4 Romans 9:5 ) ( John 1:11 ) ( 18:35 ) thus it is usual with persons to call those, who are of the same nation with them, their people, ( Esther 7:3 Esther 7:4 ) ( Jeremiah 9:1 Jeremiah 9:2 ) and especially for kings to call their subjects so; see ( 1 Chronicles 28:2 ) ( 29:14 ) , and such was Christ; he was King of the Jews, though they would not have him reign over them; and therefore he here speaks as one having royal authority, and requires attention to him, and obedience to his word, which he calls his law:

to my law;
meaning neither the moral nor the ceremonial law, but the doctrine of the Gospel, or law of faith, called the Messiah's law, ( Isaiah 2:3 ) ( 42:4 ) ( Romans 3:27 ) . This is the doctrine which he as man received of his Father, and which he taught and delivered to his disciples, and which concerns himself, his person, office, and grace, and is sometimes called the doctrine of Christ, ( 2 John 1:9 ) ,

incline your ears to the words of my mouth;
the several doctrines of the everlasting Gospel preached by him, which were words of wisdom and of grace, of righteousness and eternal life, of peace, pardon, and everlasting salvation: these ought to be heard and diligently attended to; the matter contained in them requires attention; the office Christ bears demands it of men; all that have ears to hear should hear; all Christ's sheep do hear his voice, understand it, and act according to it: hear ye him was the instruction of Moses, and the direction of Christ's heavenly Father, ( Deuteronomy 18:15 ) ( Matthew 17:5 ) , and great is the danger such incur who hear him not, but neglect and despise his word, ( Hebrews 2:2 Hebrews 2:3 ) ( 12:25 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F6 (Poal) (tw asaf) , Sept. "ipsi Asaph", Pagninus, Montanus; "tradita Asapho", Piscator.

Psalms 78:1 In-Context

1 My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 things we have heard and known, things our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD, his power, and the wonders he has done.
5 He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children,

Cross References 1

  • 1. Isaiah 51:4; Isaiah 55:3

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. Title: Probably a literary or musical term
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