Psaume 77:18

18 Les nues se répandirent en eaux; les nuages tonnèrent; tes traits aussi volèrent çà et là.

Psaume 77:18 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 77:18

The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven
Thunder is the voice of God, ( Job 37:5 ) ( 40:9 ) this is heard in "the orb" F2, or the air, so called, because spherical; the Targum is

``the voice of thy thunder was heard in the wheel;''

so the word here used sometimes signifies; so ( Ezekiel 10:13 ) , and is so rendered here by some F3; some think this refers to the wheels of the chariots of the Egyptians, which were taken off, it may be by the force of thunder and lightning, so that they drove on heavily, ( Exodus 14:25 ) ,

the lightnings lightened the world;
not only that part of the world where the Israelites and Egyptians were, but the whole world; for lightning comes out of the east, and shines to the west, ( Matthew 24:27 ) , this was in the night, and a very dark night it was, as Josephus F4 affirms; see ( Psalms 97:4 ) ,

the earth trembled and shook;
there was an earthquake at the same time; unless this is to be understood of the panic which the inhabitants of the earth were put into on hearing of this wonderful event, ( Joshua 2:9 Joshua 2:10 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (lglgb) "in rotunditate", Montanus, Vatablus; "in isto orbe", Junius & Tremeullis; "in orbe", Cocceius; "in sphaera", Arab.
F3 "In rota", Pagninus, Tigurine version, Musculus, Gejerus; "in rotis", Muis, Syr. vid. Suidam in voce (trocov) .
F4 Ut supra. (Antiq. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 3.)

Psaume 77:18 In-Context

16 Par ton bras, tu rachetas ton peuple, les enfants de Jacob et de Joseph. (Sélah.)
17 Les eaux te virent, ô Dieu! Les eaux te virent; elles tremblèrent; même les abîmes s'émurent.
18 Les nues se répandirent en eaux; les nuages tonnèrent; tes traits aussi volèrent çà et là.
19 Ton tonnerre gronda dans le tourbillon; les éclairs brillèrent sur le monde; la terre s'émut et trembla.
20 Tu as fait ton chemin dans la mer, tes sentiers dans les grandes eaux; et tes traces n'ont point été connues.
The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.