Psalms 77:17

17 The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.

Psalms 77:17 in Other Translations

17 The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad.

17 The clouds poured out water; the skies gave forth thunder; your arrows flashed on every side.

17 The clouds poured down rain; the thunder rumbled in the sky. Your arrows of lightning flashed.

17 Clouds belched buckets of rain, Sky exploded with thunder, your arrows flashing this way and that.

17 The clouds poured down water. The storm clouds thundered; Your arrows flashed back and forth.

Psalms 77:17 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 77:17

The clouds poured out water
This, with some other circumstances which follow, are not related by Moses in the history of this affair; but as they are here recorded by an inspired penman, there is no doubt to be made of the truth of them; besides Josephus ^F1 relates the same things; he says, that at the time when the Egyptians were drowned in the Red sea, rains descended from heaven, and there were terrible thunders, lightnings, and thunderbolts; this was when the Lord looked through the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, ( Exodus 14:24 ) ,

the skies sent out a sound;
or the airy clouds, the lighter ones, and which were higher in the heavens, as the others before mentioned were thick clouds, full of water, and hung lower; these were thunderclouds, and thunder is the sound which they sent forth, as in the following verse:

thine arrows also went abroad:
that is, lightnings, as in ( Psalms 18:14 ) , so Aben Ezra; but Kimchi interprets them of hailstones.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Antiqu. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 3.

Psalms 77:17 In-Context

15 With your mighty arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph.

16 The waters saw you, God, the waters saw you and writhed; the very depths were convulsed.

17 The clouds poured down water, the heavens resounded with thunder; your arrows flashed back and forth.

18 Your thunder was heard in the whirlwind, your lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

19 Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.

Cross References

• 1. S Judges 5:4
• 2. S Exodus 9:23; S Psalms 29:3
• 3. S Deuteronomy 32:23