Let children hear the mighty deeds
Which God performed of old,
Which in our younger years we saw,
And which our fathers told.

He bids us make his glories known,
His works of power and grace;
And we'll convey his wonders down
Through every rising race.

Our lips shall tell them to our sons,
And they again to theirs;
That generations yet unborn
May teach them to their heirs.

Thus shall they learn in God alone
Their hope securely stands;
That they may ne'er forget his works,
But practise his commands.

The Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts

Scripture References:
st. 1 = Ps. 78:1-4
st. 2 = Ps. 78:5-7

This versification of Psalm 78:1-8 is a modernized form of Isaac Watts' (PHH 155) version, published in his Psalms of David Imitated (1719). Psalm 78 is a didactic psalm of history. It teaches all of God's people to remember God's merciful dealings with them, to refrain from repeating the sins Israel committed in olden days, and to obey the word of the Lord (see PHH 78 for further comments on the psalm).

The text emphasizes the joyful covenant responsibility of parents to teach diligently the ways of the Lord to their children. Its theme comes from verses 4-5; there the biblical text combines a stress on God's savings deeds, which lead to faith, and God's commandments, which demand obedience. The command to "tell your children" runs throughout the Pentateuch (Ex. 10:2; Deut. 4:9).

Liturgical Use:
Baptism; other occasions of worship that stress the covenant responsibility of one generation to teach the next generation not to forget God's deeds but to keep his commands (see Ps. 78:6-7); family life emphases; beginning of church school season.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook