Psalms 77

1 I cried out to God for help. I cried out to God to hear me.

2 When I was in trouble, I looked to the Lord. During the night I lifted up my hands in prayer. But I refused to be comforted.

3 God, I remembered you, and I groaned. I thought about you, and I became weak. "Selah"

4 You kept me from going to sleep. I was so troubled I couldn't speak.

5 I thought about days gone by. I thought about the years of long ago.

6 I remembered how I used to sing praise to you in the night. I thought about it, and here is what I asked myself.

7 "Will the Lord turn away from us forever? Won't he ever show us his kindness again?

8 Has his faithful love disappeared forever? Has his promise failed for all time?

9 Has God forgotten to show us his favor? Has he held back his tender love because he was angry?" "Selah"

10 Then I thought, "Here is what I will make my appeal to. For many years the Most High God showed how powerful his right hand is."

11 Lord, I will remember what you did. Yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

12 I will spend time thinking about everything you have done. I will consider all of your mighty acts.

13 God, everything you do is holy. What god is so great as our God?

14 You are the God who does miracles. You show your power among the nations.

15 With your mighty arm you set your people free. You set the children of Jacob and Joseph free. "Selah"

16 God, the water of the Red Sea saw you. It saw you and boiled up. The deepest waters were stirred up.

17 The clouds poured down rain. The skies rumbled with thunder. Lightning flashed back and forth like arrows.

18 Your thunder was heard in the windstorm. Your lightning lit up the world. The earth trembled and shook.

19 Your path led through the Red Sea. You walked through the mighty waters. But your footprints were not seen.

20 You led your people like a flock. You led them by the hands of Moses and Aaron.

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Verses 1-10 Days of trouble must be days of prayer; when God seems to have withdrawn from us, we must seek him till we find him.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