Listen, my people, to my instruction; 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.
- KJV Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline 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.
- 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 51:4“Listen to me, my people; and hear me, my nation: for a law will go out from me, and I will establish my justice for a light to the peoples.
- Isa 55:3Turn your ear, and come to me. Hear, and your soul will live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
- Prov 8:4–6“To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.
- Judg 5:3“Hear, you kings! Give ear, you princes! I, even I, will sing to Yahweh. I will sing praise to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
- Ps 74:1A contemplation by Asaph. God, why have you rejected us forever? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
- Ps 50:7“Hear, my people, and I will speak; Israel, and I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
- Ps 49:1–3For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world,
- 2 Chr 15:1–16The Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded:
- Matt 13:9He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
- Ps 51:4Against you, and you only, I have sinned, and done that which is evil in your sight; that you may be proved right when you speak, and justified when you judge.
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.