Psalms 78:1

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, Psalms 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 2 Chronicles 15:16-14.

Verse Psalms 78:1. Give ear, O my people] This is the exordium of this very pathetic and instructive discourse.