Psalm 78 Introduction

Structure and Formatting

Psalm 78 is a historical wisdom psalm—a maskil—of Asaph. It recounts Israel’s history from the exodus to the reign of David, teaching each generation to trust God and to not repeat the failures of the past. (See: wise) 1. Call to hear and teach the next generation (1–8) 2. Ephraim’s failure and Israel’s forgetfulness (9–11) 3. God’s wonders in Egypt and the wilderness (12–16) 4. Rebellion in the wilderness and God’s provision (17–31) 5. Continued sin and God’s compassion (32–39) 6. Recounting the plagues and the exodus (40–55) 7. Rebellion in the land and God’s judgment (56–64) 8. God’s renewal: choosing Judah, Zion, and David (65–72)The superscription to this psalm identifies it as a “maskil.” See the discussion of that term in the introduction to Psalms.

About the Psalm

Psalm 78 is the second longest psalm in the Psalter (after Psalm 119). It belongs to the Asaph collection (Psalms 73–83) and follows a pattern of historical recitation similar to [Psalm 15](../psa/015/001.md), [Psalm 16](../psa/016/001.md), and [Nehemiah 9](../neh/09/01.md). The psalm opens with a didactic framework (verses 1–8) in which Asaph calls his audience to hear a “parable” and “riddles from antiquity.” He establishes the purpose of the recitation: each generation must pass on the knowledge of God’s deeds to the next, so that future generations will trust God and keep his commandments commandments rather than repeating the pattern of rebellion.The historical narrative unfolds in two main cycles. The first cycle (verses 9–39) moves from Ephraim’s failure through the exodus, God’s provision of water, manna and quail, the people’s rebellious demands, God’s judgment, and then his compassion. The second cycle (verses 40–64) returns to the plagues in Egypt, recounts the exodus and conquest, and then describes Israel’s idolatry in the land, culminating in God’s abandonment of Shiloh and the capture of the ark. The psalm concludes (verses 65–72) with God choosing Judah, Zion, and David as shepherd-king over his people.The historical events alluded to include the exodus and sea crossing ([Exodus 14](../exo/14/01.md)), the wilderness provision of water, manna, and quail ([Exodus 16–17](../exo/16/01.md), [Numbers 11](../num/11/01.md)), the plagues of Egypt ([Exodus 7–12](../exo/07/01.md)), the conquest of Canaan ([Joshua 13–21](../jos/13/01.md)), the capture of the ark at Shiloh ([1 Samuel 4](../1sa/04/01.md)), and God’s choice of David ([2 Samuel 5–7](../2sa/05/01.md)).

Translation Issues in This Psalm

God’s “nose” as an idiom for anger

The Hebrew word for “nose” is used throughout the psalm to represent God’s anger (verses 21, 31, 38, 49, 50). This is a common Hebrew idiom based on the physical signs of anger (flared nostrils, heavy breathing). Translators should be aware of this recurring pattern and handle it consistently. See the notes on individual verses for guidance.

Anthropomorphism in verse 65

Verse 65 describes Yahweh awakening “as one sleeping” and “as a mighty man shouting from wine.” This portrays God as having been inactive during the period of judgment, then suddenly rousing himself to action. These comparisons convey sudden, vigorous action after a period of apparent inactivity, not that God was literally asleep or intoxicated.