781 Listen, dear friends, to God's truth, bend your ears to what I tell you. 2 I'm chewing on the morsel of a proverb; I'll let you in on the sweet old truths, 3 Stories we heard from our fathers, counsel we learned at our mother's knee. 4 We're not keeping this to ourselves, we're passing it along to the next generation - God's fame and fortune, the marvelous things he has done. 5 He planted a witness in Jacob, set his Word firmly in Israel, Then commanded our parents to teach it to their children 6 So the next generation would know, and all the generations to come - Know the truth and tell the stories 7 can trust in God, Never forget the works of God but keep his commands to the letter.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 78:1-7
Commentary on Psalm 78:1-8
(Read Psalm 78:1-8)
These are called dark and deep sayings, because they are carefully to be looked into. The law of God was given with a particular charge to teach it diligently to their children, that the church may abide for ever. Also, that the providences of God, both in mercy and in judgment, might encourage them to conform to the will of God. The works of God much strengthen our resolution to keep his commandments. Hypocrisy is the high road to apostacy; those that do not set their hearts right, will not be stedfast with God. Many parents, by negligence and wickedness, become murderers of their children. But young persons, though they are bound to submit in all things lawful, must not obey sinful orders, or copy sinful examples.