Psalms 77:19

19 You walked through the waves; you crossed the deep sea, but your footprints could not be seen.

Psalms 77:19 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 77:19

Thy way is in the sea
In the sea of Suph, as the Targum, the Red sea; it was the Lord that made the way in the sea for the Israelites, and went before them, and led them through it:

and thy path in the great waters;
because the word rendered path is written with (y) yod, and is in the plural number, though the Masorites observe, that that letter is redundant, and so the word is singular; hence the Jews imagine there were more paths than one, even twelve, according to the number of the tribes, and which they think is intimated in ( Psalms 136:13 ) ,

and thy footsteps are not known;
not by the Egyptians, who assayed to follow after the people of Israel with the Lord at the head of them, nor by any since; for the waters returned and covered the place on which the Israelites went as on dry ground; so that no footsteps or traces were to be seen at all ever since; and such are the ways God, many of them in providence as well as in grace, ( Romans 11:33 ) , it may be rendered "thy heels", which made the footsteps or impressions; which latter being the works of God, may be seen and known, but not the former, he being invisible; so Gussetius ^F5 observes.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F5 Comment. Ebr. p. 633.

Psalms 77:19 In-Context

17 The clouds poured down rain; thunder crashed from the sky, and lightning flashed in all directions.

18 The crash of your thunder rolled out, and flashes of lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.

19 You walked through the waves; you crossed the deep sea, but your footprints could not be seen.

20 You led your people like a shepherd, with Moses and Aaron in charge.