Psalm 78 is Israel’s great history lesson in song - Asaph rehearses five centuries of God’s mighty acts and Israel’s chronic rebellion, from the plagues of Egypt to David’s coronation, framed as a charge to every generation to tell the next.

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

Hear my teaching, my people Turn your ears to the words of my mouth

I will open my mouth in a parable I will utter dark sayings of old Which we have heard and known And our fathers have told us We will not hide them from their children Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD His strength and his wondrous deeds that he has done

For he established a covenant in Jacob And appointed a teaching in Israel Which he commanded our fathers That they should make them known to their children That the generation to come might know Even the children who should be born

That they might set their hope in God And not forget God’s deeds But keep his commandments And might not be as their fathers A stubborn and rebellious generation A generation that didn’t make their hearts loyal

He did marvellous things in the sight of their fathers In the land of Egypt in the field of Zoan He split the sea and caused them to pass through He made the waters stand as a heap In the daytime he also led them with a cloud And all night with a light of fire

He split rocks in the wilderness And gave them drink abundantly as out of the depths He brought streams also out of the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers Yet they still went on to sin against him To rebel against the Most High in the desert

Yet he commanded the skies above And opened the doors of heaven He rained down manna on them to eat And gave them food from the sky Man ate the bread of angels He sent them food to the full

But he, being merciful, forgave iniquity And didn’t destroy them Yes, many times he turned his anger away And didn’t stir up all his wrath He remembered that they were but flesh A wind that passes away and doesn’t come again

Then the Lord awakened as one out of sleep Like a mighty man who shouts by reason of wine He chose David his servant And took him from the sheepfolds From following the ewes that have their young He brought him to be the shepherd of Jacob his people

Listen

Psalms 78 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press