Psalms 78:2-6

78:2 I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;

I will make insightful observations about the past. ¹ 

78:3 What we have heard and learned ²  –

that which our ancestors ³  have told us –

78:4 we will not hide from their ⁴  descendants.

We will tell the next generation

about the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, ⁵ 

about his strength and the amazing things he has done.

78:5 He established a rule ⁶  in Jacob;

he set up a law in Israel.

He commanded our ancestors

to make his deeds known to their descendants, ⁷ 

78:6 so that the next generation, children yet to be born,

might know about them.

They will grow up and tell their descendants about them. ⁸ 

[78:2]  ¹ tn Heb “I will open with a wise saying my mouth, I will utter insightful sayings from long ago.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word pair חִידָה+מָשָׁל (mashal + khidah) refers to a taunt song (Hab 2:6), a parable (Ezek 17:2), proverbial sayings (Prov 1:6), and an insightful song that reflects on the mortality of humankind and the ultimate inability of riches to prevent death (Ps 49:4).

[78:3]  ² tn Or “known.”

[78:3]  ³ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 5, 8, 12, 57).

[78:4]  ⁴ tn The pronominal suffix refers back to the “fathers” (“our ancestors,” v. 3).

[78:4]  ⁵ tn Heb “to a following generation telling the praises of the Lord.” “Praises” stand by metonymy for the mighty acts that prompt worship. Cf. Ps 9:14.

[78:5]  ⁶ tn The Hebrew noun עֵדוּת (’edut) refers here to God’s command that the older generation teach their children about God’s mighty deeds in the nation’s history (see Exod 10:2; Deut 4:9; 6:20-25).

[78:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their sons.” The plural suffix “them” probably refers back to the Lord’s mighty deeds (see vv. 3-4).

[78:6]  ⁸ tn Heb “in order that they might know, a following generation, sons [who] will be born, they will arise and will tell to their sons.”