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¶For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers That they were to teach them to their children,
Psalms 78:5 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a teaching in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
  • KJV For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:
  • BSB For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children,
  • NKJV For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children;
  • NLT For he issued his laws to Jacob; he gave his instructions to Israel. He commanded our ancestors to teach them to their children,

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

God established His testimony and law in Israel and commanded the fathers to teach it to their children.

Overview

God Himself ordained that His covenant instruction be passed down through families. The law and testimony were given not as dead rules but as truth to be taught and treasured. This divine command makes the discipling of children a sacred duty rooted in God's own design.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 18

  • Eph 6:4You fathers, don’t provoke your children to wrath, but nurture them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
  • Gen 18:19For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of Yahweh, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that Yahweh may bring on Abraham that which he has spoken of him.”
  • Ps 81:5He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt, I heard a language that I didn’t know.
  • Deut 6:7and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
  • Deut 4:45These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Moses spoke to the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt,
  • Deut 11:19You shall teach them your children, talking of them, when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up.
  • Isa 38:19The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do today. The father shall make known your truth to the children.
  • Isa 8:20Turn to the law and to the testimony! If they don’t speak according to this word, surely there is no morning for them.
  • Rom 3:2Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God.
  • 1 Jn 5:9–12If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified concerning his Son.
  • Exod 25:21You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and in the ark you shall put the testimony that I will give you.
  • Exod 40:3You shall put the ark of the testimony in it, and you shall screen the ark with the veil.
  • Ps 19:7Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple.
  • Ps 78:3–4Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
  • Ps 119:152Of old I have known from your testimonies, that you have founded them forever. RESH
  • Exod 25:16You shall put the testimony which I shall give you into the ark.
  • Ps 147:19He shows his word to Jacob; his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
  • Exod 40:20He took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the poles on the ark, and put the mercy seat above on the ark.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (7)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 78:5YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 78:5 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.