Psalms 77:17

17 The clouds poured water, the skies thundered, and your arrows flashed here and there.

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 arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Ya'akov and Yosef. (Selah)

16 The water saw you, God; the water saw you and writhed in anguish, agitated to its depths.

17 The clouds poured water, the skies thundered, and your arrows flashed here and there.

18 The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind, the lightning flashes lit up the world, the earth trembled and shook.

19 Your way went through the sea, your path through the turbulent waters; but your footsteps could not be traced.