Psalms 78

An enumeration of the principal effects of the goodness of God to his people, vv. 1-16; of their rebellions and punishment, vv. 17-33; their feigned repentance, Psalm 78:34-37 ; God's compassion towards them, Psalm 78:38 , Psalm 78:39 ; their backsliding, and forgetfulness of his mercy, Psalm 78:40-42 ; the plagues which he brought upon the Egyptians, Psalm 78:43-51 ; the deliverance of his own people, and their repeated ingratitude and disobedience, Psalm 78:52-58 ; their punishment, Psalm 78:59-64 ; God's wrath against their adversaries, Psalm 78:65 , Psalm 78:66 ; his rejection of the tribes of Israel abut his choice of the tribe of Judah, and of David to be king over his people, Psalm 78:67-72 .

The title, Maschil of Asaph; or, according to the margin, A Psalm for Asaph to give instruction; contains nothing particular. The Arabic has, "A sermon from Asaph to the people." The Psalm was probably not written by David, but after the separation of the ten tribes of Israel, and after the days of Rehoboam, and before the Babylonish captivity, for the temple was still standing, Psalm 78:69 . Calmet supposes that it was written in the days of Asa, who had gained, by the aid of the Syrians, a great victory over the Israelites; and brought back to the pure worship of God many out of the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon. See 2 Chronicles 15 and 2 Chronicles 16:1-14 .