Comment – Psalm 78 was written as a statement that had the Samaritans as recipients, the content of which was to tell that God had chosen the tribe of Judah and Mount Zion as the site of his sanctuary, empowering King David over the entire territory of Israel. The goal of the canticle is to describe, to those who come later, how glorious and very powerful the actions of the Lord have been, for being able to achieve wonders, never forgetting however the continuous sin of the people and in particular of the tribe of Efrain, from which the Samaritans were descended.
Psalm 78 complete
[1] Maskil. Asaph My people, give ear to my teaching, listen to the words of my mouth.
[2] I will open my mouth in parables, I will evoke the arcana of ancient times.
[3] What we have heard and known and our fathers have told us,
[4] we will not keep it from their children; we will say to the future generation the praises of the Lord, his power and the wonders that he has accomplished.
[5] He established a testimony in Jacob, he placed a law in Israel: he commanded our fathers to make them known to their children,
[6] so that the future generation knows, the children who will be born. They too will arise to tell their children
[7] so that they may put their trust in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commands.
[8] May they not be like their fathers, rebellious and obstinate generation, generation with an inconstant heart and an unfaithful spirit to God.
[9] The sons of Ephraim, valiant archers, turned their backs on the day of the fight.
[10] They did not keep God's covenant by refusing to follow his law.
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[11] They forgot his works, the wonders he had shown them.
[12] He had done wonders in front of their fathers, in the country of Egypt, in the fields of Tanis.
[13] He divided the sea and let them pass and stopped the waters like an embankment.
[14] He led them with a cloud by day and all night with a glow of fire.
[15] He broke the rocks in the desert and gave them to drink as from the great abyss.
[16] He made streams flow from the cliff and flow the water in torrents.
[17] Yet they continued to sin against him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
[18] In their hearts they tempted God, asking for food for their longings;
[19] they murmured against God saying: "Can God possibly prepare a table in the desert?"
[20] Behold, he smote the cliff and water came forth, and streams overflowed. "Could he also give bread or prepare meat to his people?"
[21] Upon hearing them, the Lord was angry with them; a fire blazed against Jacob and anger exploded against Israel,
[22] because they had no faith in God nor hope in his salvation.
[23] He commanded the clouds from above and opened the gates of heaven;
[24] he rained manna on them for food and gave them bread from heaven:
[25] man ate the bread of angels, gave them plenty of food.
[26] He unleashed the east wind in the sky, blew the australian with power;
[27] on them rained the flesh like dust and the birds like sand of the sea;
[28] they fell in the midst of their camps, all around their tents.
[29] They ate and were well satisfied, satisfied them in their desire.
[30] Their greed was not yet satisfied, they still had food in their mouths,
[31] when the wrath of God arose against them, massacring the most vigorous and bringing down the best of Israel.
[32] With all this they continued to sin and did not believe in his wonders.
[33] Then he blew away their days and years with sudden massacre.
[34] When he made them perish, they sought him, returned, and still turned to God;
[35] they remembered that God is their cliff, and God, the Most High, their savior;
[36] they flattered him with his mouth and lied to him with his tongue;
[37] their hearts were not sincere with him and were not faithful to his covenant.
[38] And he mercifully forgave the guilt, forgave them instead of destroying them. Many times he calmed his anger and held back his fury,
[39] remembering that they are flesh, a breath that goes and does not return.
[40] How many times they rebelled against him in the desert, saddened him in those solitudes!
[41] Again and again they tempted God, exasperated the Holy One of Israel.
[42] They no longer remembered his hand, the day he freed them from the oppressor,
[43] when he worked his wonders in Egypt, his portents in the fields of Tanis.
[44] He changed their rivers and streams into blood so that they would not drink.
[45] He sent tafani to devour them and frogs to harass them.
[46] He gave the caterpillars their harvest, the locusts their labor.
[47] He destroyed their vineyards with hail, their sycamores with frost.
[48] He delivered their cattle to the hail, their flocks to lightning.
[49] He unleashed his fiery anger, anger, indignation, tribulation upon them, and sent messengers of doom.
[50] He gave vent to his anger: he did not spare them from death and gave their lives in plague.
[51] Every firstborn in Egypt struck the first fruits of their vigor in the tents of Cam.
[52] He sent his people out as flocks and led them like flocks into the desert.
[53] He led them safely and without fear and their enemies submerged them in the sea.
[54] He sent them up to his holy place, to the mountain conquered by his right.
[55] He drove out the peoples before them and cast their fortune over their inheritance, causing the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
[56] But they still tempted him, rebelled against God, the Most High, did not obey his commands.
[57] Astray, they betrayed him like their fathers, they failed like a loose bow.
[58] They provoked him with their heights and with their idols made him jealous.
[59] God, upon hearing, was irritated and severely rejected Israel.
[60] He left the home of Silo, the tent that lived among men.
[61] He enslaved his strength, his glory into the power of the enemy.
[62] He gave his people prey to the sword and ignited anger against his inheritance.
[63] The fire devoured the flower of his youth, his virgins had no wedding songs.
[64] His priests fell by the sword and their widows made no complaint.
[65] But then the Lord awoke as if from a sleep, like a brave dozed by wine.
[66] He struck his enemies behind him, inflicted an eternal shame on them.
[67] He repudiated the tents of Joseph, did not choose the tribe of Ephraim;
[68] but elected the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion which he loves.
[69] He built his temple as high as heaven and as a stable earth forever.
[70] He chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds.
[71] He called him after the mother sheep to feed his people Jacob, his inheritance Israel.
[72] He was their shepherd with a whole heart and guided them with a wise hand.
