Mazmur 78:1

Psalm 78 ¹ 

A well-written song ²  by Asaph.

78:1 Pay attention, my people, to my instruction!

Listen to the words I speak! ³ 

Mazmur 96:1

Psalm 96 ⁴ 

96:1 Sing to the Lord a new song! ⁵ 

Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Mazmur 96:7

96:7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the nations,

ascribe to the Lord splendor and strength!

Mazmur 119:115

119:115 Turn away from me, you evil men,

so that I can observe ⁶  the commands of my God. ⁷ 

[78:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 78. The author of this lengthy didactic psalm rehearses Israel’s history. He praises God for his power, goodness and patience, but also reminds his audience that sin angers God and prompts his judgment. In the conclusion to the psalm the author elevates Jerusalem as God’s chosen city and David as his chosen king.

[78:1]  ² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 74.

[78:1]  ³ tn Heb “Turn your ear to the words of my mouth.”

[96:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 96. The psalmist summons everyone to praise the Lord, the sovereign creator of the world who preserves and promotes justice in the earth.

[96:1]  ⁵ sn A new song is appropriate because the Lord is constantly intervening in the world as its just king. See also Pss 33:3; 40:3; 98:1.

[119:115]  ⁶ tn The cohortative verbal form with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose/result after the preceding imperative.

[119:115]  ⁷ tn The psalmist has already declared that he observes God’s commands despite persecution, so here the idea must be “so that I might observe the commands of my God unhindered by threats.”