Salmos 77

Al director musical. Para Jedutún. Salmo de Asaf.

1 A Dios elevo mi voz suplicante;a Dios elevo mi voz para que me escuche.

2 Cuando estoy angustiado, recurro al Señor;sin cesar elevo mis manos por las noches,pero me niego a recibir consuelo.

3 Me acuerdo de Dios, y me lamento;medito en él, y desfallezco. Selah

4 No me dejas conciliar el sueño;tan turbado estoy que ni hablar puedo.

5 Me pongo a pensar en los tiempos de antaño;de los años ya idos me acuerdo.Mi corazón reflexiona por las noches;^[a]mi espíritu medita e inquiere:

7 «¿Nos rechazará el Señor para siempre?¿No volverá a mostrarnos su buena voluntad?

8 ¿Se habrá agotado su gran amor eterno,y sus promesas por todas las generaciones?

9 ¿Se habrá olvidado Dios de sus bondades,y en su enojo ya no quiere tenernos compasión?» Selah

10 Y me pongo a pensar: «Esto es lo que me duele:que haya cambiado la diestra del Altísimo».

11 Prefiero recordar las hazañas del SEÑOR,traer a la memoria sus milagros de antaño.

12 Meditaré en todas tus proezas;evocaré tus obras poderosas.

13 Santos, oh Dios, son tus caminos;¿qué dios hay tan excelso como nuestro Dios?

14 Tú eres el Dios que realiza maravillas;el que despliega su poder entre los pueblos.

15 Con tu brazo poderoso redimiste a tu pueblo,a los descendientes de Jacob y de José. Selah

16 Las aguas te vieron, oh Dios,las aguas te vieron y se agitaron;el propio abismo se estremeció con violencia.

17 Derramaron su lluvia las nubes;retumbaron con estruendo los cielos;rasgaron el espacio tus centellas.

18 Tu estruendo retumbó en el torbellinoy tus relámpagos iluminaron el mundo;la tierra se estremeció con temblores.

19 Te abriste camino en el mar;te hiciste paso entre las muchas aguas,y no se hallaron tus huellas.

20 Por medio de Moisés y de Aarónguiaste como un rebaño a tu pueblo.

Salmos 77 Commentary

Chapter 77

The psalmist's troubles and temptation. (1-10) He encourages himself by the remembrance of God's help of his people. (11-20)

Verses 1-10 Days of trouble must be days of prayer; when God seems to have withdrawn from us, we must seek him till we find him. In the day of his trouble the psalmist did not seek for the diversion of business or amusement, but he sought God, and his favor and grace. Those that are under trouble of mind, must pray it away. He pored upon the trouble; the methods that should have relieved him did but increase his grief. When he remembered God, it was only the Divine justice and wrath. His spirit was overwhelmed, and sank under the load. But let not the remembrance of the comforts we have lost, make us unthankful for those that are left. Particularly he called to remembrance the comforts with which he supported himself in former sorrows. Here is the language of a sorrowful, deserted soul, walking in darkness; a common case even among those that fear the Lord, ( Isaiah 50:10 ) . Nothing wounds and pierces like the thought of God's being angry. God's own people, in a cloudy and dark day, may be tempted to make wrong conclusions about their spiritual state, and that of God's kingdom in the world. But we must not give way to such fears. Let faith answer them from the Scripture. The troubled fountain will work itself clear again; and the recollection of former times of joyful experience often raises a hope, tending to relief. Doubts and fears proceed from the want and weakness of faith. Despondency and distrust under affliction, are too often the infirmities of believers, and, as such, are to be thought upon by us with sorrow and shame. When, unbelief is working in us, we must thus suppress its risings.

Verses 11-20 The remembrance of the works of God, will be a powerful remedy against distrust of his promise and goodness; for he is God, and changes not. God's way is in the sanctuary. We are sure that God is holy in all his works. God's ways are like the deep waters, which cannot be fathomed; like the way of a ship, which cannot be tracked. God brought Israel out of Egypt. This was typical of the great redemption to be wrought out in the fulness of time, both by price and power. If we have harboured doubtful thoughts, we should, without delay, turn our minds to meditate on that God, who spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, that with him, he might freely give us all things.

Footnotes

• [a]. "me acuerdo. " "/ " "Mi " "… " "las noches " (LXX); "Me acuerdo de mi cántico por las noches con mi corazón " (TM).

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph. Jeduthun was the name of the chief musician, to whom this psalm was inscribed and sent; see 1 Chronicles 25:1, though Aben Ezra takes it to be the first word of some song, to the tune of which this was sung; and the Midrash interprets it of the subject of the psalm, which is followed by Jarchi, who explains it thus, "concerning the decrees and judgments which passed upon Israel;" that is, in the time of their present captivity, to which, as he, Kimchi, and Arama think, the whole psalm belongs. Some interpreters refer it to the affliction of the Jews in Babylon, so Theodoret; or under Ahasuerus, or Antiochus; and others to the great and last distress of the church under antichrist; though it seems to express the particular case of the psalmist, and which is common to other saints.