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That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:
Psalms 78:7 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB that they might set their hope in God, and not forget God’s deeds, but keep his commandments,
  • BSB that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.
  • NKJV That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments;
  • NASB So that they would put their confidence in God And not forget the works of God, But comply with His commandments,
  • NLT So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.

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

The goal is that they would set their hope in God, not forget His deeds, but keep His commandments.

Overview

This verse states the threefold aim of all this teaching: confident hope in God, remembrance of His works, and obedience to His commands. Knowledge of God's acts is meant to produce living faith and faithful living. This holistic goal of head, heart, and hands marks true discipleship in every generation.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 23

  • Deut 5:29O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
  • Rev 14:12Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
  • Deut 4:9Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;
  • 1 Jn 5:3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
  • John 14:21–24He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
  • Jer 17:7–8Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
  • 1 Jn 3:22–24And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
  • Ps 103:2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
  • Ps 130:6–7My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
  • Ps 91:14Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
  • Deut 8:2And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.
  • Ps 40:4Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
  • Deut 8:11Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day:
  • Ps 77:10–12And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.
  • Ps 105:5Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
  • Deut 6:12Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
  • Deut 7:18–19Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
  • Esth 9:27–28The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;
  • 1 Cor 11:24And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
  • Exod 12:24–27And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
  • Ps 62:5My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
  • Ps 146:5Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:
  • 1 Pet 1:21Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

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 78:7YouTube · 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 78:7 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.