Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 78:6
That the generation to come might know [them, even] the children [which] should be born; [who] should arise and declare [them] to their children:
6. The A.V. follows the Massoretic division of the verse; but it is better to connect the clauses thus:
That another generation might know,
That sons which should be born might arise and tell their sons.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
That the generation to come might know them … – That people in future times might enjoy the benefit of them as their fathers had done, and that they should then send them forward to those who were to succeed them.
Who should arise and declare them to their children – Who, as they appeared on the stage of life, should receive the trust, and send it onward to future ages. Thus the world makes progress; thus one age starts where the previous one left off; thus it enters on its own career with the advantage of all the toils, the sacrifices, the happy thoughts, the inventions of all past times. It is designed that the world shall thus grow wiser and better as it advances; and that future generations shall be enriched with all that was worth preserving in the experience of the past. See the notes at Psa 71:18.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
3-8. This history had beenhanded down (Exo 12:14; Deu 6:20)for God’s honor, and that the principles of His law might be knownand observed by posterity. This important sentiment is reiterated in(Psa 78:7; Psa 78:8)negative form.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
That the generation to come might know them,…. Not only notionally, but spiritually and experimentally; which is the case, when human teachings are attended with the spirit of wisdom and revertion in the knowledge of divine truths; for the truths of the Gospel are unknown to men; the Gospel is hidden wisdom, the wisdom of God in a mystery; the Bible is a sealed book, the doctrines of it are riddles and dark sayings; the ministry of the word is the means of knowledge, which become effectual when attended with the Spirit and power of God:
even the children which should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children; and so be transmitted from age to age: it is the will of God, that, besides private instructions, there should be a standing ministry kept up in all ages, to the end of the world; and he will have some that shall receive the Gospel, and profess his name; there has been and will be a succession of regenerate persons; instead of the fathers come up the children, a seed to serve the Lord, accounted to him for a generation; the seed and the seed’s seed of the church, from whose mouth the word of God shall never depart; but they shall declare it one to another, by which means it shall be continued to the latest posterity, Ps 22:30.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
6. That the generation to come might know them. In this verse, the Psalmist confirms what he had said concerning the continued transmission of divine truth. It greatly concerns us to know, that the law was given not for one age only; but that the fathers should transmit it to their children, as if it were their rightful inheritance, in order that it might never be lost, but be preserved to the end of the world. This is the reason why Paul, in 1Ti 3:15, asserts that “the Church is the pillar and ground of the truth;” by which he does not mean that the truth of itself is weak, and stands in need of foreign supports, but that God extends and diffuses it by the instrumentality of his ministers, who when they faithfully execute the office of teaching with which they are invested, sustain the truth, as it were, upon their shoulders. Now, the prophet teaches us, that it is our bounden duty to use our endeavors that there may be a continual succession of persons to communicate instruction in divine truth. It is said of Abraham before the law was written, Gen 18:19,
“
I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment;”
and after his death, this was enjoined upon the patriarchs as a necessary part of their duty. No sooner was the law delivered, than God appointed priests in his Church to be public masters and teachers. He has also testified by the prophet Isaiah, that the same is to be observed under the New Testament dispensation, saying,
“
My Spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, from henceforth and for ever.” (Isa 59:21)
In the passage before us, however, a particular injunction is given to the fathers on this point — each of them is enjoined diligently to instruct his own children, and all without distinction are taught, that their exertions in transmitting the name of God to their posterity will be most acceptable to Him, and receive his highest approbation. By the words, That the children to be born should arise, is not denoted a small number of individuals; but it is intimated, that the preachers of divine truth, by whose efforts pure religion may flourish and prevail for ever, will be as numerous as those who are born into the world.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Psa 78:6 That the generation to come might know [them, even] the children [which] should be born; [who] should arise and declare [them] to their children:
Ver. 6. Who shall arise and declare them ] i.e. Succeed their parents both in their place and office of teaching their posterity; not suffering the truth which is after godliness Tit 1:1 to fail and fall in the streets, Isa 59:14-15 , or if it do, raising it up again, and restoring it to their utmost.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
That: Psa 48:13, Psa 71:18, Psa 102:18, Psa 145:4, Est 9:28
who: Psa 90:16, Deu 4:10, Jos 22:24, Jos 22:25, Joe 1:3
Reciprocal: Exo 10:2 – And that Lev 23:43 – General Deu 11:19 – General Psa 22:31 – They Psa 81:5 – for a Eze 20:18 – I said Mar 9:19 – O faithless
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
78:6 That the {e} generation to come might know [them, even] the children [which] should be born; [who] should arise and declare [them] to their children:
(e) He shows how the children would be like their father’s: that is, in maintaining God’s pure religion.