Psalms 77:17

17 The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; 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 power You redeemed Your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

16 The waters saw You, O God; the waters saw You and swirled; even the depths were shaken.

17 The clouds poured down water; the skies resounded with thunder; Your arrows flashed back and forth.

18 Your thunder resounded in the whirlwind; the lightning lit up the world; the earth trembled and quaked.

19 Your path led through the sea, Your way through the mighty waters, but Your footprints were not to be found.