Psalms 44:1 «To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, Maschil. » We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, [what] work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
Maschil] i.e. Making wise, or giving instruction; for which purpose this psalm was composed by David (as it is most probable), or some other excellent prophet, for the use of the Church, which is haeres crucis, the heir of the cross, as Luther speaketh; and is here instructed how to carry herself under it, and to get benefit by it.
Ver. 1. We have heard with our ears] i.e. We have both heard and heeded it, with utmost attention and affection. It is not a redundancy, but an emphasis that is here used.
Our fathers have told us] According to that they were commanded, Deu 6:1-10 and elsewhere, to whet good things upon their young children, and to propagate the memory of God's noble acts to all posterity, Exodus 12:26; Exodus 13:14 Jos 4:6-7 Psalms 78:4; Psalms 78:6. Hear this, saith Basil, and blush, ye fathers, that neglect to teach your children. They made their mouths as it were books, wherein the noble acts of the Lord might be read to his praise, and to the drawing of their children's hearts unto him.
What work thou didst] All which they faithfully related and carefully recorded, for the use of after ages. Psalms 102:18, "This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord."