Psalm 78

NASB

Psalm 78

God’s Guidance of His People in Spite of Their Unfaithfulness.

^{Tools
1} A ^(a)Maskil of Asaph.

^(A)Listen, O my people, to my ^(b)instruction;
^(B)Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

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I will ^(C)open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter ^(D)dark sayings of old,

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Which we have heard and known,
And ^(E)our fathers have told us.

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We will ^(F)not conceal them from their children,
But ^(G)tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His ^(H)wondrous works that He has done.

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For He established a ^(I)testimony in Jacob
And appointed a ^(J)law in Israel,
Which He ^(K)commanded our fathers
That they should ^(c)^(L)teach them to their children,

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^(M)That the generation to come might know, even ^(N)the children yet to be born,
That they may arise and ^(O)tell them to their children,

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That they should put their confidence in God
And ^(P)not forget the works of God,
But ^(Q)keep His commandments,

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And ^(R)not be like their fathers,
A ^(S)stubborn and rebellious generation,
A generation that ^(T)did not ^(d)prepare its heart
And whose spirit was not ^(U)faithful to God.

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The sons of Ephraim ^(e)were ^(V)archers equipped with bows,
Yet ^(W)they turned back in the day of battle.

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They ^(X)did not keep the covenant of God
And refused to ^(Y)walk in His law;

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They ^(Z)forgot His deeds
And His ^(f)miracles that He had shown them.

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^(AA)He wrought wonders before their fathers
In the land of Egypt, in the ^(AB)field of Zoan.

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He ^(AC)divided the sea and caused them to pass through,
And He made the waters stand ^(AD)up like a heap.

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Then He led them with the cloud by ^(AE)day
And all the night with a ^(AF)light of fire.

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He ^(AG)split the rocks in the wilderness
And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths.

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He ^(AH)brought forth streams also from the rock
And caused waters to run down like rivers.

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Yet they still continued to sin against Him,
To ^(AI)rebel against the Most High in the desert.

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And in their heart they ^(AJ)put God to the test
By asking ^(AK)food according to their desire.

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Then they spoke against God;
They said, “^(AL)Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

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“Behold, He ^(AM)struck the rock so that waters gushed out,
And streams were overflowing;
Can He give bread also?
Will He provide ^(g)^(AN)meat for His people?”

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Therefore the Lord heard and ^(h)was ^(AO)full of wrath;
And a fire was kindled against Jacob
And anger also mounted against Israel,

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Because they ^(AP)did not believe in God
And did not trust in His salvation.

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Yet He commanded the clouds above
And ^(AQ)opened the doors of heaven;

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He ^(AR)rained down manna upon them to eat
And gave them ⁽ⁱ⁾^(AS)food from heaven.

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Man did eat the bread of ^(j)angels;
He sent them ^(k)food ^(l)^(AT)in abundance.

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He ^(AU)caused the east wind to blow in the heavens
And by His ^(m)power He directed the south wind.

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When He rained ⁽ⁿ⁾meat upon them like the dust,
Even ^(AV)winged fowl like the sand of the seas,

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Then He let them fall in the midst of ^(o)their camp,
Round about their dwellings.

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So they ^(AW)ate and were well filled,
And their desire He gave to them.

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^(p)Before they had satisfied their desire,
^(AX)While their food was in their mouths,

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The ^(AY)anger of God rose against them
And killed ^(q)some of their ^(AZ)stoutest ones,
And ^(r)subdued the choice men of Israel.

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In spite of all this they ^(BA)still sinned
And ^(BB)did not believe in His wonderful works.

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So He brought ^(BC)their days to an end in ^(s)futility
And their years in sudden terror.

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When He killed them, then they ^(BD)sought Him,
And returned and searched ^(BE)diligently for God;

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And they remembered that God was their ^(BF)rock,
And the Most High God their ^(BG)Redeemer.

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But they ^(BH)deceived Him with their mouth
And ^(BI)lied to Him with their tongue.

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For their heart was not ^(BJ)steadfast toward Him,
Nor were they faithful in His covenant.

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But He, being ^(BK)compassionate, ^(t)^(BL)forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them;
And often He ^(u)^(BM)restrained His anger
And did not arouse all His wrath.

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Thus ^(BN)He remembered that they were but ^(BO)flesh,
A ^(v)^(BP)wind that passes and does not return.

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How often they ^(BQ)rebelled against Him in the wilderness
And ^(BR)grieved Him in the ^(BS)desert!

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Again and again they ^(w)^(BT)tempted God,
And pained the ^(BU)Holy One of Israel.

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They ^(BV)did not remember ^(BW)His ^(x)power,
The day when He ^(BX)redeemed them from the adversary,

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When He performed His ^(BY)signs in Egypt
And His ^(BZ)marvels in the field of Zoan,

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And ^(CA)turned their rivers to blood,
And their streams, they could not drink.

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He sent among them swarms of ^(CB)flies which devoured them,
And ^(CC)frogs which destroyed them.

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He gave also their crops to the ^(CD)grasshopper
And the product of their labor to the ^(CE)locust.

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He ^(y)destroyed their vines with ^(CF)hailstones
And their sycamore trees with frost.

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He gave over their ^(CG)cattle also to the hailstones
And their herds to bolts of lightning.

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He ^(CH)sent upon them His burning anger,
Fury and indignation and trouble,
^(z)A band of destroying angels.

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He leveled a path for His anger;
He did not spare their soul from death,
But ^(CI)gave over their life to the plague,

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And ^(CJ)smote all the firstborn in Egypt,
The ^(CK)first issue of their virility in the tents of ^(CL)Ham.

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But He ^(CM)led forth His own people like sheep
And guided them in the wilderness ^(CN)like a flock;

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He led them ^(CO)safely, so that they did not fear;
But ^(CP)the sea engulfed their enemies.

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So ^(CQ)He brought them to His holy ^(aa)land,
To this ^(ab)^(CR)hill country ^(CS)which His right hand had gained.

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He also ^(CT)drove out the nations before them
And ^(CU)apportioned them for an inheritance by measurement,
And made the tribes of Israel dwell in their tents.

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Yet they ^(ac)^(CV)tempted and ^(CW)rebelled against the Most High God
And did not keep His testimonies,

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But turned back and ^(CX)acted treacherously like their fathers;
They ^(CY)turned aside like a treacherous bow.

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For they ^(CZ)provoked Him with their ^(DA)high places
And ^(DB)aroused His jealousy with their ^(DC)graven images.

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When God heard, He ^(ad)was filled with ^(DD)wrath
And greatly ^(DE)abhorred Israel;

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So that He ^(DF)abandoned the ^(DG)dwelling place at Shiloh,
The tent ^(ae)which He had pitched among men,

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And gave up His ^(DH)strength to captivity
And His glory ^(DI)into the hand of the adversary.

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He also ^(DJ)delivered His people to the sword,
And ^(af)was filled with wrath at His inheritance.

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^(DK)Fire devoured ^(ag)His young men,
And ^(ah)His ^(DL)virgins had no wedding songs.

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^(ai)His ^(DM)priests fell by the sword,
And ^(aj)His ^(DN)widows could not weep.

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Then the Lord ^(DO)awoke as if from sleep,
Like a ^(DP)warrior ^(ak)overcome by wine.

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He ^(al)^(DQ)drove His adversaries backward;
He put on them an everlasting reproach.

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He also ^(DR)rejected the tent of Joseph,
And did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

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But chose the tribe of Judah,
Mount ^(DS)Zion which He loved.

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And He ^(DT)built His sanctuary like the heights,
Like the earth which He has founded forever.

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He also ^(DU)chose David His servant
And took him from the sheepfolds;

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From ^(am)^(DV)the care of the ^(an)ewes ^(DW)with suckling lambs He brought him
To ^(DX)shepherd Jacob His people,
And Israel ^(DY)His inheritance.

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So he shepherded them according to the ^(DZ)integrity of his heart,
And guided them with his skillful hands.

Footnotes:

a. Psalm 78:1: ['Possibly, ', Contemplative, ', or ', Didactic, ', or ', Skillful Psalm]

b. Psalm 78:1: ['Or ', law, teaching]

c. Psalm 78:5: ['Lit ', make them known]

d. Psalm 78:8: ['Or ', put right]

e. Psalm 78:9: ['Or ', being]

f. Psalm 78:11: ['Or ', wonderful works]

g. Psalm 78:20: ['Lit ', flesh]

h. Psalm 78:21: ['Or ', became infuriated]

i. Psalm 78:24: ['Lit ', grain]

j. Psalm 78:25: ['Lit ', mighty ones]

k. Psalm 78:25: ['Or ', provision]

l. Psalm 78:25: ['Lit ', to satiation]

m. Psalm 78:26: ['Or ', strength]

n. Psalm 78:27: ['Lit ', flesh]

o. Psalm 78:28: ['Lit ', His]

p. Psalm 78:30: ['Lit ', They were not estranged from]

q. Psalm 78:31: ['Lit ', among their fat ones]

r. Psalm 78:31: ['Lit ', caused to bow down]

s. Psalm 78:33: ['Lit ', vanity, a mere breath]

t. Psalm 78:38: ['Lit ', covered over, atoned for]

u. Psalm 78:38: ['Lit ', turned away]

v. Psalm 78:39: ['Or ', breath]

w. Psalm 78:41: ['Or ', put God to the test]

x. Psalm 78:42: ['Lit ', hand]

y. Psalm 78:47: ['Lit ', was killing]

z. Psalm 78:49: ['Lit ', A deputation of angels of evil]

aa. Psalm 78:54: ['Lit ', border, territory]

ab. Psalm 78:54: ['Or ', mountain]

ac. Psalm 78:56: ['Or ', put to the test]

ad. Psalm 78:59: ['Or ', became infuriated]

ae. Psalm 78:60: ['Some ancient versions read ', where He dwelt]

af. Psalm 78:62: ['Or ', became infuriated]

ag. Psalm 78:63: ['Or ', their]

ah. Psalm 78:63: ['Or ', their]

ai. Psalm 78:64: ['Or ', their]

aj. Psalm 78:64: ['Or ', their]

ak. Psalm 78:65: ['Or ', sobered up from]

al. Psalm 78:66: ['Lit ', smote]

am. Psalm 78:71: ['Lit ', following]

an. Psalm 78:71: ['Lit ', ewes which gave suck, He.., '.']

Cross references:

A. Psalm 78:1: Isaiah 51:4

B. Psalm 78:1: Isaiah 55:3

C. Psalm 78:2: Psalm 49:4; Matthew 13:35

D. Psalm 78:2: Proverbs 1:6

E. Psalm 78:3: Psalm 44:1

F. Psalm 78:4: Exodus 12:26; Deuteronomy 6:7; Deuteronomy 11:19; Job 15:18; Psalm 145:4; Isaiah 38:19; Joel 1:3

G. Psalm 78:4: Exodus 13:8; Exodus 13:14; Psalm 22:30

H. Psalm 78:4: Job 37:16; Psalm 26:7; Psalm 71:17

I. Psalm 78:5: Psalm 19:7; Psalm 81:5; Isaiah 8:20

J. Psalm 78:5: Psalm 147:19

K. Psalm 78:5: Deuteronomy 6:4-9

L. Psalm 78:5: Deuteronomy 4:9

M. Psalm 78:6: Psalm 102:18

N. Psalm 78:6: Psalm 22:31

O. Psalm 78:6: Deuteronomy 11:19

P. Psalm 78:7: Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 6:12; Deuteronomy 8:14

Q. Psalm 78:7: Deuteronomy 4:2; Deuteronomy 5:1; Deuteronomy 5:29; Deuteronomy 27:1; Joshua 22:5

R. Psalm 78:8: Ezekiel 20:18

S. Psalm 78:8: Exodus 32:9; Deuteronomy 9:7; Deuteronomy 9:24; Deuteronomy 31:27; Judges 2:19; Isaiah 30:9

T. Psalm 78:8: Job 11:13; Psalm 78:37

U. Psalm 78:8: Psalm 51:10

V. Psalm 78:9: 1 Chronicles 12:2

W. Psalm 78:9: Judges 20:39; Psalm 78:57

X. Psalm 78:10: Judges 2:20; Judges 18:12

Y. Psalm 78:10: Psalm 119:1; Jeremiah 32:23; Jeremiah 44:10; Jeremiah 44:23

Z. Psalm 78:11: Psalm 106:13

AA. Psalm 78:12: Psalm 106:22

AB. Psalm 78:12: Numbers 13:22; Psalm 78:43; Isaiah 19:11; Isaiah 30:4; Ezekiel 30:14

AC. Psalm 78:13: Exodus 14:21; Psalm 74:13; Psalm 136:13

AD. Psalm 78:13: Exodus 15:8; Psalm 33:7

AE. Psalm 78:14: Exodus 13:21; Psalm 105:39

AF. Psalm 78:14: Exodus 14:24

AG. Psalm 78:15: Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:11; Psalm 105:41; Psalm 114:8; Isaiah 48:21; 1 Corinthians 10:4

AH. Psalm 78:16: Numbers 20:8; Numbers 20:10; Numbers 20:11

AI. Psalm 78:17: Deuteronomy 9:22; Isaiah 63:10; Hebrews 3:16

AJ. Psalm 78:18: Exodus 17:6; Deuteronomy 6:16; Psalm 78:41; Psalm 78:56; Psalm 95:9; Psalm 106:14; 1 Corinthians 10:9

AK. Psalm 78:18: Numbers 11:4

AL. Psalm 78:19: Exodus 16:3; Numbers 11:4; Numbers 20:3; Numbers 21:5; Psalm 23:5

AM. Psalm 78:20: Numbers 20:11; Psalm 78:15; Psalm 78:16

AN. Psalm 78:20: Numbers 11:18

AO. Psalm 78:21: Numbers 11:1

AP. Psalm 78:22: Deuteronomy 1:32; Deuteronomy 9:23; Hebrews 3:18

AQ. Psalm 78:23: Genesis 7:11; Malachi 3:10

AR. Psalm 78:24: Exodus 16:4

AS. Psalm 78:24: Psalm 105:40; John 6:31

AT. Psalm 78:25: Exodus 16:3

AU. Psalm 78:26: Numbers 11:31

AV. Psalm 78:27: Exodus 16:13; Psalm 105:40

AW. Psalm 78:29: Numbers 11:19; Numbers 11:20

AX. Psalm 78:30: Numbers 11:33

AY. Psalm 78:31: Numbers 11:33; Numbers 11:34; Job 20:23

AZ. Psalm 78:31: Isaiah 10:16

BB. Psalm 78:32: Numbers 14:11; Psalm 78:11

BC. Psalm 78:33: Numbers 14:29; Numbers 14:35

BD. Psalm 78:34: Numbers 21:7; Hosea 5:15

BE. Psalm 78:34: Psalm 63:1

BF. Psalm 78:35: Deuteronomy 32:4

BG. Psalm 78:35: Exodus 15:13; Deuteronomy 9:26; Psalm 74:2; Isaiah 41:14

BH. Psalm 78:36: Exodus 24:7; Exodus 24:8; Ezekiel 33:31

BI. Psalm 78:36: Exodus 32:7; Exodus 32:8; Isaiah 57:11

BJ. Psalm 78:37: Psalm 51:10; Psalm 78:8; Acts 8:21

BK. Psalm 78:38: Exodus 34:6

BL. Psalm 78:38: Numbers 14:18-20

BM. Psalm 78:38: Isaiah 48:9

BN. Psalm 78:39: Job 10:9; Psalm 103:14

BO. Psalm 78:39: Genesis 6:3

BP. Psalm 78:39: Job 7:7; Job 7:16; Psalm 103:14; James 4:14

BQ. Psalm 78:40: Psalm 95:8; Psalm 95:9; Psalm 106:43; Psalm 107:11; Hebrews 3:16

BR. Psalm 78:40: Psalm 95:10; Isaiah 63:10; Ephesians 4:30

BS. Psalm 78:40: Psalm 106:14

BT. Psalm 78:41: Numbers 14:22

BU. Psalm 78:41: Psalm 89:18

BV. Psalm 78:42: Judges 8:34

BW. Psalm 78:42: Psalm 44:3

BX. Psalm 78:42: Psalm 106:10

BY. Psalm 78:43: Psalm 105:27

BZ. Psalm 78:43: Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:3

CA. Psalm 78:44: Exodus 7:20; Psalm 105:29

CB. Psalm 78:45: Exodus 8:24; Psalm 105:31

CC. Psalm 78:45: Exodus 8:6; Psalm 105:30

CD. Psalm 78:46: Psalm 105:34

CE. Psalm 78:46: Exodus 10:14

CF. Psalm 78:47: Exodus 9:23-25; Psalm 105:32

CG. Psalm 78:48: Exodus 9:19

CH. Psalm 78:49: Exodus 15:7

CI. Psalm 78:50: Exodus 12:29; Exodus 12:30

CJ. Psalm 78:51: Exodus 12:29; Psalm 105:36; Psalm 135:8; Psalm 136:10

CK. Psalm 78:51: Genesis 49:3

CL. Psalm 78:51: Psalm 105:23; Psalm 105:27; Psalm 106:22

CM. Psalm 78:52: Exodus 15:22

CN. Psalm 78:52: Psalm 77:20

CO. Psalm 78:53: Exodus 14:19; Exodus 14:20

CP. Psalm 78:53: Exodus 14:27; Exodus 14:28; Psalm 106:11

CQ. Psalm 78:54: Exodus 15:17

CR. Psalm 78:54: Psalm 68:16; Isaiah 11:9

CS. Psalm 78:54: Psalm 44:3

CT. Psalm 78:55: Joshua 11:16-23; Psalm 44:2

CU. Psalm 78:55: Joshua 13:7; Joshua 23:4; Psalm 105:11; Psalm 135:12

CV. Psalm 78:56: Psalm 78:18

CW. Psalm 78:56: Judges 2:11-13; Psalm 78:40

CX. Psalm 78:57: Ezekiel 20:27; Ezekiel 20:28

CY. Psalm 78:57: Hosea 7:16

CZ. Psalm 78:58: Deuteronomy 4:25; Judges 2:12; Isaiah 65:3

DA. Psalm 78:58: Leviticus 26:30; Jeremiah 17:3

DB. Psalm 78:58: Deuteronomy 32:16; Deuteronomy 32:21

DC. Psalm 78:58: Exodus 20:4; Leviticus 26:1; Deuteronomy 4:25

DD. Psalm 78:59: Deuteronomy 1:34; Deuteronomy 9:19; Psalm 106:40

DE. Psalm 78:59: Leviticus 26:30; Deuteronomy 32:19; Amos 6:8

DF. Psalm 78:60: 1 Samuel 4:11; Psalm 78:67; Jeremiah 7:12; Jeremiah 7:14; Jeremiah 26:6

DG. Psalm 78:60: Joshua 18:1

DH. Psalm 78:61: Psalm 63:2; Psalm 132:8

DI. Psalm 78:61: 1 Samuel 4:17

DJ. Psalm 78:62: Judges 20:21; 1 Samuel 4:10

DK. Psalm 78:63: Numbers 11:1; Numbers 21:28; Isaiah 26:11; Jeremiah 48:45

DL. Psalm 78:63: Jeremiah 7:34; Jeremiah 16:9; Lamentations 2:21

DM. Psalm 78:64: 1 Samuel 4:17; 1 Samuel 22:18

DN. Psalm 78:64: Job 27:15; Ezekiel 24:23

DO. Psalm 78:65: Psalm 44:23; Psalm 73:20

DP. Psalm 78:65: Isaiah 42:13

DQ. Psalm 78:66: 1 Samuel 5:6

DR. Psalm 78:67: Psalm 78:60

DS. Psalm 78:68: Psalm 87:2; Psalm 132:13

DU. Psalm 78:70: 1 Samuel 16:11; 1 Samuel 16:12

DV. Psalm 78:71: 2 Samuel 7:8; Isaiah 40:11

DW. Psalm 78:71: Genesis 33:13

DX. Psalm 78:71: 2 Samuel 5:2; 1 Chronicles 11:2; Psalm 28:9

DY. Psalm 78:71: 1 Samuel 10:1