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
78:7 Then they will place their confidence in God.
They will not forget the works of God,
and they will obey 9 his commands.
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).
2 tn Or “known.”
3 tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 5, 8, 12, 57).
4 tn The pronominal suffix refers back to the “fathers” (“our ancestors,” v. 3).
5 tn Heb “to a following generation telling the praises of the
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).
7 tn Heb “which he commanded our fathers to make them known to their sons.” The plural suffix “them” probably refers back to the
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.”
9 tn Heb “keep.”