Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
Parallel translations
- WEB A contemplation by Asaph. Hear my teaching, my people. Turn your ears to the words of my mouth.
- BSB A Maskil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; listen to the words of my mouth.
- NKJV Give ear, O my people, to my law; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
- NASB Listen, my people, to my instruction; Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
- NLT O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Asaph calls his people to listen carefully to his teaching and turn their ears to his words.
Overview
This long historical psalm opens as a wisdom instruction, urging attentive listening. The summons to hear underscores the seriousness of the lessons drawn from Israel's history. Such teaching aims to shape faith and obedience, a purpose echoed when Jesus calls His hearers to truly listen and understand.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Isa 51:4Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people.
- Isa 55:3Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
- Prov 8:4–6Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.
- Judg 5:3Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.
- Ps 74:1O God, why hast thou cast us off for ever? why doth thine anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture?
- Ps 50:7Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.
- Ps 49:1–3Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world:
- 2 Chr 15:1–16And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
- Matt 13:9Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
- Ps 51:4Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 78:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.