Psalm 77

Introduction.—Ps. 77 is the poetic record of a soul trying to find a reason for his apparent desertion by God, and attempting to discover a way out of the darkness, finally surmounting his sorrow by the recollection of God’s past mercies to Israel. The psalm naturally falls into two parts, v. 11 marking the transition from grief and expostulation to hope and confidence. The psalmist speaks not only for himself but for Israel as a people. With regard to the authorship of the psalm see EGW, Supplementary Material, on Ps. 77:7, 10–12.

On the superscription see pp. 616, 627.

1. I cried. Verses 1–6 show the intensity of the psalmist’s feelings. There is a fluctuation between statement of fact and expression of desire and emotion.

2. In the day. See Ps. 50:15; cf. 35:3. Ps. 77:2, 3 shows the reality and intensity of the prayer. Everything the psalmist did, even meditating on God, seemed but to intensify his grief.

My sore. Literally, “my hand.” The interpretation “sore” comes from the idea that “hand” may be the symbol of a “stroke” (see Job 23:2, where “stroke” is literally “hand”). The translation “my hand is stretched out” (RSV) is apparently based on Jerome. The Hebrew verb translated “ran,” seems elsewhere always to have the meaning “run,” “flow,” “be poured” (see 2 Sam. 14:14).

My soul. Or, “I” (see on Ps. 16:10).

Refused. Compare Gen. 37:35; Jer. 31:15. The experience of the psalmist should give comfort to those who fail to find an immediate answer to the honest questions of their soul.

3. Was troubled. The more the psalmist meditated upon the incomprehensible administration of God’s government, the sadder he became, and the more inclined to rebel.

Overwhelmed. Compare Ps. 143:4, 5.

Selah. See p. 629.

4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking. Literally, “Thou holdest the watches of mine eyes.” God keeps him from sleeping, so that he worries all the night.

5. Days of old. The psalmist reviews Israel’s history in an attempt to answer the questions of his heart (see LS 196; cf. vs. 14–20; see also Deut. 32:7; Isa. 63:11).

6. Song. Heb. neginah, probably “music of stringed instruments.” The plural form of the word appears in the superscriptions to many of the psalms (for example Ps. 4; 55; 76).

In the night. The psalmist shows a fondness for meditation and prayer in the stillness of the night (see Ps. 16:7; 17:3).

Commune. His communings are expressed in the form of questions (vs. 7–9).

7. Cast off for ever. The questions uppermost in the psalmist’s mind were: Will God entirely forsake me? Will He abandon Israel?

8. Mercy. Or, “love,” Heb. chesed (see Additional Note on Ps. 36).

Promise. Evidently the promise to the patriarchs (see Gen. 17:7–13; 26:24; etc.).

For evermore. Literally, “to generation and generation.” God’s love and His promise are the bulwarks of the psalmist’s faith as they can be of ours.

9. Gracious. The psalmist seems to feel that God has abandoned one of the chief attributes of His character (see Ex. 34:6).

Tender mercies. See Ps. 25:6.

Selah. See p. 629.

10. My infirmity. The psalmist does not find fault with God, but recognizes his own inability to understand God’s ways, his own weakness of spirit.

Years. Heb. shenoth. The word may be interpreted as either “years” or “changing.” If it is interpreted as “years,” the sense of the verse appears to be: “This is my grief, that the very remembrance of God’s help in times past increases my sorrow and perplexity.” If the word is interpreted as “changing,” the sense appears to be: “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed” (RSV); in which case the psalmist is perplexed because he fails to see God dealing with him as He had dealt with him in times past.

11. I will remember. Compare Ps. 143:5. Verse 11 marks the transition from the grief and expostulation of the first section of the poem to the hope and confidence of the second section.

13. In the sanctuary. Or, “in holiness.” God’s way, although men may not understand it, is always holy, just, and right (see Gen. 18:25). If the KVJ translation “in the sanctuary” is accepted, the verse may be interpreted to mean that God’s way is best understood in the place where He is worshiped, and from the principles expounded there (see PK 49, 50).

14. Declared thy strength. As, for instance, in the Red Sea experience described in vs. 16–20.

People. Literally, “peoples” (plural), the heathen nations that heard of the destruction of Pharaoh and the enemies of Egypt (see Ex. 15:14–16).

15. Thine arm. The arm is the symbol of strength (see Ex. 6:6; 15:16; Ps. 10:15;98:1).

Redeemed. The miracle of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt is brought forth as a supreme example of God’s power to save and hence as a pledge of His continual power to save His people (see Ps. 78:12, 13; 106:21, 22; 114:1–5; etc.).

Jacob and Joseph. Jacob is mentioned obviously because he was the father of the twelve tribes; Joseph, probably because he played so important a part in the affairs of Egypt.

Selah. See p. 629.

16. The waters saw thee. Verses 16–20 are a highly compact and sublimely dramatic description of the miracle of deliverance at the Red Sea. The details in these verses provide valuable incidental additions to the narrative in Exodus (see PP 287). Compare the narrative in Ex. 14:27–29.

Saw. The personification, in which the waters are represented as recognizing the presence of God and fleeing in fear, is eminently sublime. The waters fled to make way for God’s people.

They were afraid. Literally, “they were in pain,” as of travail.

17. Arrows. Lightning. Verses 17 and 18 describe the tempest, hurricane, thunder, lightning, accompanying the rolling back of the waters (see on Ps. 18:6–14; PP 287).

18. Voice. See on Ps. 29:3.

Lightened the world. Compare Ps. 97:4.

19. Thy way. Though invisible, God was with His people as they went through the dry bed of the sea (see Ex. 15:13; Ps. 78:52, 53). God is always with His children when they follow His guidance.

20. Like a flock. In sharp contrast to the majesty and power of God portrayed in the preceding verses, the psalmist now presents the tenderness of the Good Shepherd (see Ps. 78:52; Isa. 63:11 see DA 480).

Moses and Aaron. God was the real Leader; Moses and Aaron were His instruments (see Num. 33:1). As God delivered Israel at the Red Sea, so He will deliver His people in time of peril. This realization should help us to put our trust in Him at all times. The psalm closes with assurance in the redemptive power of God.

Ellen G. White comments

13, 14 PK 50

17–20PP 287

20 DA 480