Psalms 77:19

19 Your way was through the sea; Your paths through the great waters. Your footsteps were not known.

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.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 Comment. Ebr. p. 633.

Psalms 77:19 In-Context

17 The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.

18 The voice of your thunder was in the whirlwind. The lightnings lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.

19 Your way was through the sea; Your paths through the great waters. Your footsteps were not known.

20 You led your people like a flock, By the hand of Moses and Aaron.