Psalm 77:2

2 In the day of mine affliction I earnestly sought the Lord; even with my hands by night before him, and I was not deceived; my soul refused to be comforted.

Psalm 77:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 77:2

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord
Not the creature, for help, and creature amusements to drive away trouble, but the Lord, in private, by prayer and supplication; a time of trouble is a time for prayer, ( James 5:13 ) , all men have their trouble, but the people of God more especially; and there are some particular times in which they have more than usual, and then it may be said to be "a day of trouble" with them; which sometimes arises from themselves, the strength of their corruptions, the weakness of their graces, their backwardness to duties, or poor performance of them; sometimes from others, from the profaneness or persecutions of the men of the world, from the heretical notions or wicked lives of professors; sometimes from the temptations of Satan, and at other times from the Lord himself more immediately, by his withdrawing his presence from them, or by laying his afflicting hand upon them; but, let the trouble come from what quarter it may, it is always right to seek the Lord. Some think reference is had to the time of trouble mentioned in ( Daniel 12:1 ) ,

my sore ran in the night;
my "stroke", or "wound" ^F9; so Kimchi interprets it; the wound that was made in his soul, and the pain and anguish, grief and trouble, which flowed from it; see ( Jeremiah 6:7 ) though the word may be literally rendered "my hand" ^F11; and the sense is, either that his hand flowed or was wet with wiping his eyes, or with the tears that flowed from his eyes, which ran down to his fingers' ends; so the Targum,

``in the night my eye dropped with tears;''

or rather that his hand was stretched out, as waters, that are poured out and run, are spread, that is, in prayer; the stretching out of the hand being a prayer gesture:

and ceased not;
was not remiss and feeble, or was not let down, as Moses's, ( Exodus 17:11 Exodus 17:12 ) , it denotes the constancy of prayer, and his continuance in it; he prayed without ceasing:

my soul refused to be comforted:
such was the greatness of his distress, like that of Jacob's and Rachel's, ( Genesis 37:35 ) ( Jeremiah 31:15 ) , it is right to refuse comfort and peace, which men speak to themselves upon the false foundation of their own merit and works; or any but what comes from the God of all comfort, and through Christ, in whom is all solid consolation, and by his Spirit, who is the Comforter; but it is wrong to refuse any that comes from hence, and by means of the promises, the word and ordinances and ministries of the Gospel, or Christian friends; this shows the strength of unbelief.

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FOOTNOTES:

F9 (ydy) "plaga mea", Pagninus, Muis.
F11 "Manus mea", Montanus, Piscator, Gejerus

Psalm 77:2 In-Context

1 I cried to the Lord with my voice, yea, my voice was addressed to God; and he gave heed to me.

2 In the day of mine affliction I earnestly sought the Lord; even with my hands by night before him, and I was not deceived; my soul refused to be comforted.

3 I remembered God, and rejoiced; I poured out my complaint, and my soul fainted. Pause.

4 All mine enemies set a watch against me: I was troubled, and spoke not.

5 I considered the days of old, and remembered ancient years.

6 And I meditated; I communed with my heart by night, and diligently searched my spirit, saying,

7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be well pleased no more?

8 Will he cut off his mercy for ever, even for ever and ever?

9 Will God forget to pity? or will he shut up his compassions in his wrath? Pause.

10 And I said, Now I have begun; this is the change of the right hand of the Most High.

11 I remembered the works of the Lord; for I will remember thy wonders from the beginning.

12 And I will meditate on all thy works, and will consider thy doings.

13 O God, thy way is in the sanctuary; who is a great God as our God?

14 Thou art the God that doest wonders; thou hast made known thy power among the nations.

15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Pause.

16 The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee, and feared; and the depths were troubled.

17 There was an abundant sound of waters: the clouds uttered a voice; for thine arrows went abroad.

18 The voice of thy thunder was abroad, and around thy lightnings appeared to the world; the earth trembled a quaked.

19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in many waters, and thy footsteps cannot be known.

20 Thou didst guide thy people as sheep by the hand of Moses and Aaron.