The Meaning of Psalms 78:72 Explained

Psalms 78:72

KJV: So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

YLT: And he ruleth them according to the integrity of his heart, And by the skilfulness of his hands leadeth them!

Darby: And he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and led them by the skilfulness of his hands.

ASV: So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So he fed  them according to the integrity  of his heart;  and guided  them by the skilfulness  of his hands. 

What does Psalms 78:72 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 78:59-72 - God Raises Up His Shepherd David
This paragraph continues the history of the Judges, and tells the story of what befell after the battle in which Eli's sons were slain. See 1 Samuel 4:1-22. It is difficult to estimate the despair which that disaster caused, because Israel seemed the light-bearer of the world. What hope was there for mankind, if its lamp of testimony was extinguished!
It inspires great confidence, however, to read in Psalms 78:65 of God's awakening. The language, of course, is highly metaphorical, because He neither slumbers nor sleeps. But there have been many times in the history of the Church when He has seemed to be indifferent. Sin and evil have held undisputed sway. Then a time of revival has suddenly set in. Some David or Daniel, some Athanasius or Augustine, some Wycliffe or Luther, some Spurgeon or Moody, has been brought from an obscure family-"one of the least of the thousands of Judah"-and he has led the host of God with unerring accuracy and success. Even at this hour, amid the sheepfolds or the far-spreading acres of the Western world, God is probably training the ardently looked-for leaders of His Church. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 78

1  An exhortation both to learn and to preach, the law of God
9  The story of God's wrath against the incredulous and disobedient
67  The Israelites being rejected, God chose Judah, Zion, and David

What do the individual words in Psalms 78:72 mean?

So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and by the skillfulness of his hands guided them
וַ֭יִּרְעֵם כְּתֹ֣ם לְבָב֑וֹ וּבִתְבוּנ֖וֹת כַּפָּ֣יו יַנְחֵֽם

וַ֭יִּרְעֵם  So  he  shepherded  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
כְּתֹ֣ם  according  to  the  integrity 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תֹּם  
Sense: integrity, completeness.
לְבָב֑וֹ  of  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
וּבִתְבוּנ֖וֹת  and  by  the  skillfulness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: תְּבוּנָה 
Sense: understanding, intelligence.
כַּפָּ֣יו  of  his  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
יַנְחֵֽם  guided  them 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָחָה  
Sense: to lead, guide.