Psalmen 77

1 Een psalm van Asaf, voor den opperzangmeester, over Jeduthun.

2 Mijn stem is tot God, en ik roep; mijn stem is tot God, en Hij zal het oor tot mij neigen.

3 Ten dage mijner benauwdheid zocht ik den HEERE; mijn hand was des nachts uitgestrekt, en liet niet af; mijn ziel weigerde getroost te worden.

4 Dacht ik aan God, zo maakte ik misbaar; peinsde ik, zo werd mijn ziel overstelpt. Sela.

5 Gij hieldt mijn ogen wakende; ik was verslagen, en sprak niet.

6 Ik overdacht de dagen van ouds, de jaren der eeuwen.

7 Ik dacht aan mijn snarenspel; in den nacht overlegde ik in mijn hart, en mijn geest onderzocht:

8 Zal dan de Heere in eeuwigheden verstoten, en voortaan niet meer goedgunstig zijn?

9 Houdt Zijn goedertierenheid in eeuwigheid op? Heeft de toezegging een einde, van geslacht tot geslacht?

10 Heeft God vergeten genadig te zijn? Heeft Hij Zijn barmhartigheden door toorn toegesloten? Sela.

11 Daarna zeide ik: Dit krenkt mij; maar de rechterhand des Allerhoogsten verandert.

12 Ik zal de daden des HEEREN gedenken; ja, ik zal gedenken Uw wonderen van ouds her;

13 En zal al Uw werken betrachten, en van Uw daden spreken.

14 O God! Uw weg is in het heiligdom; wie is een groot God, gelijk God?

15 Gij zijt die God, Die wonder doet; Gij hebt Uw sterkte bekend gemaakt onder de volken.

16 Gij hebt Uw volk door Uw arm verlost; de kinderen van Jakob en van Jozef. Sela.

17 De wateren zagen U, o God! de wateren zagen U, zij beefden; ook waren de afgronden beroerd.

18 De dikke wolken goten water uit; de bovenste wolken gaven geluid; ook gingen Uw pijlen daarhenen.

19 Het geluid Uws donders was in het ronde; de bliksemen verlichtten de wereld; de aarde werd beroerd en daverde.

20 Uw weg was in de zee, en Uw pad in grote wateren, en Uw voetstappen werden niet bekend. [ (Psalms 77:21) Gij leiddet Uw volk, als een kudde door de hand van Mozes en Aaron. ]

Psalmen 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Verses 1-10 Days of trouble must be days of prayer; when God seems to have withdrawn from us, we must seek him till we find him.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.

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.