Psalm 78 tells of all the miracles that G-d did for Israel, from the exodus from Egypt to the coronation of David as king over Israel. King David glorifies those miracles in this psalm. Jews must always consider miracles and nourish their souls with them. By internalizing the miracles, Jews realize that anything is possible. The Jews feel favored by G-d, and with His Torah, Jews can overcome all difficulties. Psalm 78 is also a reminder not to follow those who rebelled, but to be like David.
- Text Psalm 78
- Hebrew text of Psalm 78 – תהילים עח
- Listen to Psalm 78
- Explanation of Psalm 78 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
- Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 78
- Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
- Psalm 1 to 92
Text Psalm 78
A maskil of Asaph. Listen, my people, to my instruction; put your ear to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will express riddles from time immemorial. That we heard and we knew them, and our ancestors told us. We will not hide from their sons; to the last generation they will recite the praises of the Lord, and His might, and His wonders which He performed. And He established a testimony in Jacob, and established a Torah in Israel, which He commanded our forefathers to make known to their sons.
….And He built His Sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth which He established forever. And He chose His servant David, and took him from the sheepfolds. From behind the suckling ewes He brought him to Jacob the shepherd, his people and Israel his heritage. And He guided them according to the integrity of His heart, and with the skill of His hands He guided them.
Hebreeuwse tekst van Psalm 78 – Psalms 8
A wise man, to add:
Hear my people, my law; Bow your ears, to the words of Phi. I will open with a proverb; I have spoken riddles, from before.3 What we have heard, and we know; And our ancestors, tell us.
4 We will not perish, from their builders – to the last generation, recounting the praises of Jehovah; and let him move and marvel, which he did. : As he commanded, our forefathers — to inform them, to their children.
And in order to know, the last generation–sons will be born; Let them arise, and tell their sons. And his creations will become Christians. 8 And they will not be, like their fathers– D. A generation, rebellious and a teacher:
A generation, did not prepare his heart; And she did not believe in the spirit of God. Turn, on the day of battle. They did not keep, God’s covenant; And in his Torah, from us to go. 11 And his plots will be forgotten; And his feet, which fell, were amazed.
12 Against their fathers, he did a miracle; In the land of Egypt, Sde-Za’an. 13 The sea parted, and passed over them; And he set water like a moving hand and rested in the cloud of their day; And all night long, by the light of a fire, he will make a fire in the desert; And he drank, with many tears.
16 And liquids came out of a rock; And he came down like rivers of water. 17 And they added more, to sin unto him– to transgress on high, in obedience. 17 And they tried in their hearts– to ask God for food for their souls. And they spoke, in God: O Meru, the one who can set a table, in the desert.
So they will strike the wall, and water will pour out– and streams will wash: the bread, too, will be eaten; If he prepares a remnant for his people. 2 Therefore, Yahweh heard — and he passed: and fire, kissed Jacob; And again, it went up in Israel. 22 Because they did not believe in God; And they did not trust in his salvation.
23 And clouds came out from above; And the gates of heaven were opened, and it rained down on them manna to eat; And the grain of heaven, he gave to him. This is the bread of knights, the food of a man; Zida sent to them for seven days. And he will rule in Yemen.
27 And it rained down upon them like the dust of a lion; And as blue as the sea, a winged bird. Strong and fell, in the middle of his camp; around, to his dwellings. 19 And they ate and were very satisfied; And their lusts, he will come to them. Do not turn away from their lusts; More, eat them in their mouths.
No, and against God, he went up in them, and killed them, in their fatness; And we did not believe in his wonders. Their days were wasted; And the two of them, Baba Hala.
Ld im-hargam and preached it; And they returned, and worshiped God and remembered, because God is angry; And to the Most High, they redeemed him, and they were deceived in their mouths; And with their tongue, they will lie to him. And in their hearts, it is not right with him; And we did not believe, in his covenant. Let him be merciful, he will atone for iniquity– and he will not destroy:
and he will multiply, to repay his father; And he didn’t wake up, all his anger. And he remembered, because it was flesh; A spirit that goes, and will not return. Like moths, they will wander in the desert; They will grieve, in Bishimon. But they will return and flee to God; And the Holy of Israel was drawn.
Because they did not remember his hand; Day, which was redeemed from the tribulation, which was in Egypt, its signs; And his followers, in the field of Tsi’an. Measured and turned to blood, they shot them; And their water, in the water . and a frog, and you will destroy them.
And he gave Hashil their crops; And they came, to the Arabah. Mez will be killed in the hail of Gafnam; And they arose, in the heat of the morning, and the hail closed in their city; And from them, to the rascals. Matt will send them, Haron Ap and–Abra and anger and trouble; Mission, evil angels.
N Yphles Nativ, to him: not dark from the death of their soul; And they lived, according to the closing word. At the head of Onim, in the tents of Ham. Neb and his people went like sheep; And we behaved like a flock in the desert.
Ng and he was comforted for safety, and they were not afraid; And the sea covered their enemies and brought them to his holy border; This mountain, Kantah on his right hand. And he drove out from before them, the Gentiles– and he divided them, with the rope of an inheritance;
Come and try and say, God Most High; And his witnesses, they did not keep. And they retreated and betrayed, like their fathers; They were overturned, like the bow of Ramiah. And in their idols, God heard , and he moved; And it was very expensive, in Israel.
And he left, his dwelling place; A tent, dwell in Adam. And he was slain by the hand of Tzar. Seb, and he put his people to the sword; And in his estate, he became pregnant. His sons ate fire ; And his virginity, they were not fooled.
Sed his priests fell by the sword; And his widows, you will not weep. As a hero, from the throne of Mein. Su and his enemies back; The shame of the world, he gave to his mother, Sez and Imas, in Yosef’s tent; And the tribe of Ephraim did not choose.
He went and chose, the tribe of Judah; Mount Zion, which he loved and built as a temple, As a land, it was established forever. And he chose, David his servant; And they took him, from the sheep pens. Aa from behind the leaves, he brought and: to feed, in Jacob his people; And in Israel, his possession.
Eb and he thundered, his heart was black; And with his wisdom he will be comforted.
Listen to Psalm 78
Listen to Psalm 78 in Hebrew.
Explanation of Psalm 78 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
According to Rabbi Rubin, the Torah is so deep and wonderful that G-d helps the Jews to understand the contents of the Torah through stories and parables. After all, human understanding is limited. But even with those stories and parables, the Jews are still faced with many riddles and questions. Still, they will eventually understand everything.
When Jewish children understand where they come from, they will automatically be able to live according to Torah laws. Jews are the descendants of Jacob who saw the great deeds of G-d and accepted the Torah at Sinai. This acceptance determines Jewish identity. Jews must realize that they have ancestors who saw great things and that this merit is theirs too. The Torah Jew has nourished his being with the mitzvot and will therefore overcome any eventuality.
The Psalm continues by telling what took place in the past: the keeping of the laws and the neglect of the laws. Jews have experienced what happens when they do not keep the laws and the power they have when they remain faithful to the laws.
Commentary by Rashi on Psalm 78
Per verse the commentary of Rashi, the Jewish Bible commentator who lived from 1040-1105. Rashi is considered the teacher of teachers. All traditional Jews regard Rashi as an authority on the Jewish Bible and Talmud. Hence it is important to record his commentary on the Psalms. Rashi uses new Hebrew supplemented with Old French words. His language is sometimes somewhat oracularly short. For further explanation it is wise to consult an orthodox Jewish rabbi.
Verse 2
I will open my mouth with a parable; I will express riddles from time immemorial.
open my mouth with a parable : They are the words of Torah.
Verse 4
We will not hide ourselves from their sons; to the last generation they will recite the praises of the Lord, and His might, and His wonders which He performed.
We will not hide ourselves from their sons : Nor will we hide [these words] from the sons of our fathers by not letting them know what they have told us.
Verse 7
And they must put their hope in G-d and not forget the deeds of G-d and keep his commandments.
their hope : Hebrew כסלם, their hope, and so (Job 31:24): ,If I made gold my hope (כסלי).,
Verse 8
And they should not be like their forefathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not prepared, and whose spirit was not faithful to G‑d.
as their forefathers , who were in Egypt and in the wilderness.
Verse 9
The sons of Ephraim, armed archers, withdrew on the day of battle.
The sons of Ephraim : who left Egypt by force before the end [of the captivity], and trusted in their might and their arrows. Finally they withdrew and fled on the day of the battle, as delineated (I Chronicles 7:21): ,and the men of Gath, which were born in the land, slew them.,
archers : Hebrew רומי, who throws and shoots, as (Exodus 15:1): ,cast (רמה) into the sea.,
Verse 12
He did wonders for their fathers in the land of Egypt, the field of Zoan.
For their forefathers He performed miracles : (Nevertheless Shem Ephraim) Later, when the end came, they too “continued to sin against Him,” as he further concludes. (Another explanation Shem Ephraim)
To their forefathers : Abraham, Isaac and Jacob passed by the sea and the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them how He redeemed their children.
Verse 13
He parted the sea and took it over; He made the waters stand in a heap.
like a heap : Hebrew נד, a great heap, as Onkelos renders (Exodus 15:8): ,the flowing waters stood up like a נֵד,, stood up like a wall.
Verse 15
He split rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as from great deeps.
He split rocks : (Exodus 17:6): ,and thou shalt smite the rock.,
and gave them to drink as [from] great deeps : in the great deeps. Even when they passed through the midst of the sea, whose waters are salt, He sweetened fountains for them in the midst of the sea.
Verse 16
He took flowing water from a rock and brought down water like rivers.
and brought down water like rivers : [Water] that flowed out of the well. The princes would make a line with their staff, and the water would be drawn to them into the camp of each tribe, as the case states (Numbers 21:18): by the commandment of the lawgiver, with their staff, ‘As it is explained in tract Makkoth.
Verse 17
But they continued to sin against Him, provoking the Most High in the wilderness.
to provoke : Hebrew למרות, to provoke, as (Deuteronomy 9:7): ,you are provoking (ממרים).,
Verse 20
It is true that He struck a rock, and waters flowed and streams flowed. Can He also give meat? Can He prepare meat for His people? ,
flesh : Hebrew שְׁאֵר, flesh.
Verse 21
Therefore G‑d heard and was wroth; fire was kindled against Jacob, and wrath also arose upon Israel.
fire was kindled against Jacob : Hebrew נשקה, ashes (Ezekiel 39:9): ,and make fires and heat up (והשיקו),” which is an expression of heating and burning. As it is written (Numbers 11:1), “and God’s fire broke out against them.”
Verse 25
The people ate the bread of the mighty. ; He sent them provisions for contentment.
the bread of mighty men : Bread of the angels. Another explanation: אַבִּירִים means אֵבָרִים, limbs, for it was absorbed into the limbs and they did not need to be excreted.
Verse 26
He sent in the east wind ascended the heavens and guided the south wind by His power.
He caused the east wind to ascend : (Numbers 11:31): “And a wind arose from the Lord, and it caused quails to fly.”
Verse 30
They were not alienated from their desire; while their food was still in their mouths,
They were not alienated from their desire : They were not alienated from their desire, for they achieved all their desire. Another explanation: לא זרוּ מתאותם They were not removed from their desire until the retribution came upon them: ,While their food was yet in their mouths, the wrath of the Lord (sic), etc.,
Verse 31
The wrath of G-d rose upon them and killed [some] of their mightiest and caused the chosen ones of Israel to fall.
and the elect of Israel : The elect of them and the men of the congregation, הָאסַפסוּף (Numbers 11:4). They are the elders, as it is said (Numbers 11:16): “Gather (אספו) to Me, etc.”
Verse 34
When He killed them, they would seek Him and repent and pray to G-d.
When He slew them, etc. : Yet all this was not in truth, but with deceit in their mouths, and by lying with their tongues.
Verse 37
Their hearts were not right with Him; they were not faithful in His covenant.
Their heart was not sincere as their mouth.
Verse 38
But He is merciful; He forgives iniquity and does not destroy; often He withdraws His wrath and does not stir up all His wrath.
But He is merciful to them and continually exposes their iniquity, and He does not destroy them.
often : Many times He withdraws His wrath from them, and even when He punishes them, He does not stir up all His wrath but little by little, because He remembers that they are flesh and that the evil inclination is hidden in their hearts. That is a spirit that goes away when they die, and that spirit does not return to them in the world to come. When they are aroused, the evil inclination will have no control over them. “A spirit that goes away and does not return” cannot be interpreted as their spirit of life, for to say so is to deny the resurrection of the dead. This is how it is explained in Aggadath Tehillim (Midrash Psalm 78:8).
Verse 40
How often did they provoke Him in the wilderness, torment Him in the wasteland!
How often : [How many] times.
they tormented Him always in the wilderness.
Verse 41
They returned and tried God, and they sought a sign from the Holy One of Israel.
they sought a sign : Hebrew התוו, an expression of a sign, as (Ezekiel 9:4): ,and set a mark (והתוית תו)., “A mark” is an expression of a miracle and a trial. They asked him for a sign and a mark (Exodus 17:7): ,Is the Lord among us, or not?,
Verse 45
He set up a mixture of wild beasts, which devoured them, and frogs, which maimed them.
who mutilated them : They would pull out their testicles.
Verse 47
He killed their vines with hail and their plane trees with locusts.
with locusts : Hebrew בחנמל, the name of the locust. According to the Midrash (Midrash Psalm 78:13) [it consists of the following words]: בָּא חָן מָל, it comes, camps and cuts. It cut off the greenery of the tree and the grass and ate it.
Verse 48
He delivered their beasts to the hail, and their cattle to the darts of fire.
He gave their animals over to the hail : When the hail began to fall, the Egyptian drove his sheep (his animal) into the house and the hail came before him like a wall. The Egyptian killed it [the animal] and put it on his shoulder to take it to his house to eat it, but the birds came and took it from him. That is [the meaning of] “and their cattle for the birds (לרשפים),” as (Job. 5:7): “but flying creatures (בני רשף) fly up.” This is his midrashic interpretation (Midrash Psalm 78:14), but according to his simple meaning רשפים are fires of fire, as it is written (Exodus 9:24): ,and fire flaming in the hail.,
Verse 50
He prepared a path for His anger; He did not withhold their souls from death, and He gave their bodies to pestilence.
He prepared a path for His wrath : Though the plagues were sent in anger, they only did their bidding; whatever they were commanded to kill, they killed, but nothing else. They went their way. In other comments I found the following:
He prepared a path for His wrath : When He smote every firstborn in Egypt, He showed the way for [the angel] who destroyed with wrath to enter the houses of the Egyptians, but not the houses of the children of Israel.
and…their body : Hebrew וחיתם, their body.
Verse 55
He drove out nations before them, and granted them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
He drove out…before them, the seven nations.
in their tents : of the nations.
Verse 56
Yet they sought to provoke the Most High God and did not keep His testimonies.
Still tried to provoke : during the days of the Judges.
Verse 57
They returned and acted treacherously as their fathers did; they turned around like a deceptive arc.
like a deceitful bow : which does not shoot the arrow where the archer desires.
Verse 61
He delivered His power into captivity and His glory into the hand of the adversary.
He delivered His power into captivity : He gave the Ark and the tablets into the hands of the Philistines.
Verse 63
Fire consumed his youth, and his maidens were not married.
Fire consumed his youth : [The fire of] His wrath.
were not married : Hebrew לא הוללו. They were not married by being brought into a nest [under] a canopy because the young ones died in battle. הוּלָלוּ is an expression of prenuptial agreement (הִלוּלָא) in Aramaic. However, our sages explained it with reference to Nadab and Abihu (Midrash Psalm 78:18), but I feel unsure about explaining it that way because he already started with the Tabernacle of Shiloh.
Verse 64
His priests fell by the sword, but his widows did not weep.
His priests fell by the sword : Hophni and Phinehas.
but his widows wept not : Even his widow was not allowed to grieve him, for she also died on the day of the news, as it is said (I Samuel 4:19): ‘And she knelt and gave birth, for her pain was suddenly over came to her.
Verse 65
And the Lord awoke as one that slept, as a mighty man, crying with wine.
crying : Hebrew מתרונן, to awake and strengthen himself with speech to awake from his wine. מתרונן is an expression of רנה, shouting.
Verse 66
And He smote His adversaries from behind; He gave them eternal shame.
And He struck His adversaries from behind : Plague from behind with hemorrhoids, which is a shame of eternal ridicule for them.
Verse 67
He rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim.
He rejected Joseph’s tent : That is Shiloh, which is in Joseph’s territory.
Verse 69
And He built His sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth which He established forever.
And He built His sanctuary like the high heavens : Like the heavens and the earth, of which two hands are mentioned, as it is said (Isaiah 48:13): ,My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand measured the heavens with handbreadths., Also the Temple was two-handed, as it is said (Exodus 15:17): ,Your hands are established, (cf. Mechilta, Shirah 10, Keth. 5a, Rashi to Exodus 15:17.) Another explanation:
And He built His Sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth which He established forever. : Just as heaven and earth have no substitute, neither does the Temple have any substitute for resting the Shechinah.
Verse 70
And He chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds.
and took him from the sheepfolds : Hebrew ממכלאת צאן, from the folds of the sheep, as (Hub. 3:16): ,The flock shall be cut off from the flock (ממכלה).,
Verse 71
From behind the suckling ewes He brought him to Jacob the shepherd, his people and Israel his inheritance.
From behind the suckling ewes He brought him : For he would keep the suckling sheep for his father, because he was merciful and would bring the children first and give them the top tips of the grasses, which are tender. Then after them he would bring out the goats, who would eat the grass, and then he would bring out the older ones, who would eat the roots. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: ,This one is fit to serve My to shepherd the people.,
Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
A miracle (nes (נס) in Hebrew) is an exalted and uplifting event. According to the Torah, it is an extraordinary phenomenon in which people can clearly perceive the hand of G-d. When people experience a miracle they are elevated. According to the Torah, they gain new insight into the meaning of the everyday in their lives and realize that they too are the work of G-d.
According to Rabbi Tzvi Ashkenazi (1660-1718), nature itself is also a miracle. But people don’t realize this because it is taken for granted. When the Jews ate manna that fell from heaven in the desert for 40 years, it was a miracle. But for a child who was born then and saw it happen every day, it was no wonder. It came naturally to him. Just as people today are not surprised that a tree grows from a seed or an embryo develops into a complete human being. The Talmud says: ,The one to whom the miracle happens does not recognize the miracle., According to the Torah, extraordinary miracles make people aware that all of life is a miracle. In fact, miracles happen so often that human life cannot be considered natural. Of these hidden, intra-natural miracles the psalmist sings, “To the one who alone works miracles, for His goodness endures forever.” (Psalms 136:4). Only G-d knows the miracles.
How do miracles work? According to the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides, G-d ‘pre-programmed’ miracles at the time of creation. For example, it was already known at the time of creation that the Sea of Reeds would part when Jews left Egypt. G-d does miracles without the recipient being aware of it. Maimonides calls everyday miracles hidden miracles. G-d sneaks in when no one is looking. Examples include the Purim story, the story of the Maccabees, the Six Day War, the fact that the Jewish people still exist despite all the persecution, and many other events. Ramban (Nachmanides) points out that the divine reward and punishment promised in the Torah are precisely these: promises that nature will provide miracles. Jews therefore pray daily for the miracles that G-d performs for them. They hope to notice all the miracles that G-d performs for them. This will also happen according to the prophet Micah in Micah 7:15: As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt, I will show him wonders. Shemot Rabbah 19:7 reports on miracles in the Messianic age: The miracles that I will do for the children will not be the same as the miracles that I did for their ancestors. For their ancestors I consulted My heavenly court. But for the children I will do the miracles all by myself. Why alone? Because only G-d can crack the system without disturbing it. The heavenly court cannot do this.
By the way, Psalm 78 is not said in any official prayer (for miracles) other than during the monthly cycles of Tehillim. Jews thank G-d for miracles with Hallel on certain dates. Hallel (literally ,praise,) is a collection of Psalms (chapters 113-118) included in the morning service on Jewish holidays, Rosh Chodesh (the new moon), and Passover evening. The psalms are usually sung or quoted joyfully and the last verses (beginning at Psalms 118:21) are repeated twice.
Psalm 1 to 92
Would you like to read more Psalms with a Jewish interpretation? Go to: Psalms 1 through 92.