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Psalm Seventy-seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
YLT
To
the Overseer, for Jeduthun. -- A Psalm of Asaph.
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 77
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.
Psalm 77:1 I
cried out to God with my voice—To God with my voice; And He gave ear to me.
YLT
1My voice [is] to God, and I
cry, my voice [is] to God, And He hath given ear unto me.
I cried unto God with my voice,.... Which is to be
understood of prayer, and that vocal, and which is importunate and fervent,
being made in distress; see Psalm 3:4, or "my voice was unto
God"F8קולי אל
אלהים "vox mea ad Deum", Pagninus,
Montanus, Musculus, "fertur", Junius & Tremellius;
"erat", Cocceius. , "and I cried"; it was directed to him,
and expressed in a very loud and clamorous way:
even unto God with my voice; or "my voice was
unto God"; which is repeated to show that he prayed again and again, with
great eagerness and earnestness, his case being a very afflicted one:
and he gave ear unto me; his prayer was not
without success; God is a God hearing and answering prayer, according to his
promise, Psalm 50:15.
Psalm 77:2 2 In the day of my trouble I
sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My
soul refused to be comforted.
YLT
2In a day of my distress the
Lord I sought, My hand by night hath been spread out, And it doth not cease, My
soul hath refused to be comforted.
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"F9ידי "plaga
mea", Pagninus, Muis. ; 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"Manus mea",
Montanus, Piscator, Gejerus, &c. ; 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, 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, 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.
Psalm 77:3 3 I remembered God, and was
troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah
YLT
3I remember God, and make a
noise, I meditate, and feeble is my spirit. Selah.
I remembered God, and was troubled,.... Either the mercy,
grace, and goodness of God, as Jarchi; how ungrateful he had been to him, how
sadly he had requited him, how unthankful and unholy he was, notwithstanding so
much kindness; and when he called this to mind it troubled him; or when he
remembered the grace and goodness of God to him in time past, and how it was
with him now, that it was not with him as then; this gave him uneasiness, and
set him a praying and crying, that it might be with him as heretofore, Job 29:2, or rather he remembered the
greatness and majesty of God, his power and his justice, his purity and
holiness, and himself as a worm, a poor weak creature, sinful dust and ashes,
not able to stand before him; he considered him not as his father and friend,
but as an angry Judge, incensed against him, and demanding satisfaction of him:
I complained; of sin and sorrow, of affliction and
distress: or "I prayed", or "meditated"F12אשיחה "meditabor", Montanus, Junius &
Tremellius, Gejerus; "meditabor", Musculus, Piscator, Cocceius. ; he
thought on his case, and prayed over it, and poured out his complaint unto God,
yet found no relief:
and my spirit was overwhelmed; covered with grief and
sorrow, pressed down with affliction, ready to sink and faint under it:
Selah: See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 77:4 4 You hold my eyelids open;
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
YLT
4Thou hast taken hold of the
watches of mine eyes, I have been moved, and I speak not.
Thou holdest mine eyes waking,.... Or, "the
watches", or rather "keepers of the eyes"F13שמרות עיני "vigilias",
Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Tigurine version; "palpebras oculorum
meorum", Musculus, Cocceius; "palpebras quasi custodias oculorum",
Michaelis. ; the eyebrows, which protect the eyes; these were held, so that he
could not shut them, and get any sleep; so R. Moses Haccohen interprets the
words, as Jarchi observes; and so the Targum,
"thou
holdest the brows of my eyes;'
a
person in trouble, when he can get some sleep, it interrupts his sorrow,
weakens it at least, if it does not put a stop to it; wherefore it is a great
mercy to have sleep, and that refreshing, Psalm 127:1, but to have this denied, and
to have wearisome nights, and be in continual tossing to and fro, is very
distressing:
I am so troubled that I cannot speak; his spirits
were so sunk with weariness, and want of sleep in the night, that he could not
speak in the morning; or his heart was so full with sorrow, that he could not
utter himself; or it was so great that he could not express it; or his thoughts
were such that he dared not declare them; or he was so straitened and shut up
in himself that he could not go on speaking unto God in prayer.
Psalm 77:5 5 I have considered the days
of old, The years of ancient times.
YLT
5I have reckoned the days of
old, The years of the ages.
I have considered the days of old,.... Either the former
part of his life, the various occurrences of it, how it had been with him in
time past, what experience he had had of the divine goodness; so the Syriac
version renders it, "I have considered my days of old"; or the
preceding age, and what has happened in that, which his ancestors had
acquainted him with; or rather many ages past, from the days of Adam to the
then present time; at least it may include the Israelites coming out of Egypt,
their passage through the Red sea and wilderness, the times of the judges, and
what befell them in their days, and how they were delivered out of their
troubles; as appears from the latter part of the psalm, and with which agrees
the following clause:
the years of ancient times; or, "of ages"F14שנות עולמים "annos
seculorum", Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus. ;
of times long ago past; it is very useful to read the history of the Bible,
with respect to ancient times, and so the ecclesiastical history of ages past,
and observe the faith and dependence of the Lord's people upon him, and their
deliverance out of trouble by him; which may be a means of strengthening faith
in him, and of relief under present trials; but frequently the goodness of
former times is only observed as an aggravation of the badness of the present
ones, and of trouble in them; see Ecclesiastes 7:10, the Targum interprets
the whole of happy days and times, paraphrasing it thus,
"I
have mentioned the good days which were of old, the good years which were of
ages past.'
Psalm 77:6 6 I call to remembrance my
song in the night; I meditate within my heart, And my spirit makes diligent
search.
YLT
6I remember my music in the
night, With my heart I meditate, and my spirit doth search diligently:
I call to remembrance my song in the night,.... What had
been an occasion of praising the Lord with a song, and which he had sung in the
night seasons, when he was at leisure, his thoughts free, and he retired from
company; or it now being night with him, he endeavoured to recollect what had
been matter of praise and thankfulness to him, and tried to sing one of those
songs now, in order to remove his melancholy thoughts and fears, but all to no
purpose:
I commune with mine own heart; or "meditate"F15אשיחה "meditabor", Montanus; meditatus sum, V. L.
"meditor", Junius & Tremellius; "meditabar", Piscator,
Cocceius. with it; looked into his own heart, put questions to it, and
conversed with himself, in order to find out the reason of the present
dispensation:
and my spirit made diligent search; into the causes of his
troubles, and ways and means of deliverance out of them, and what would be the
issue and consequence of them; the result of all which was as follows.
Psalm 77:7 7 Will the Lord cast off forever?
And will He be favorable no more?
YLT
7To the ages doth the Lord
cast off? Doth He add to be pleased no more?
Will the Lord cast off for ever?.... The Syriac version
of this, and the two following verses, is not by way of interrogation, but
affirmation: "the Lord hath forgotten me for ever, nor will he",
&c. and so expresses the language of unbelief; but the Arabic version, in
connection with the last words, with which it begins this verse, is, "and
I weighed in my spirit whether the Lord", &c. and so makes it a
subject of inquiry, and at most of questioning or doubting. The Targum,
different from either, begins this and each of the verses thus, "is it
possible that the Lord", &c. suggesting that it was not possible that
he should do this and the other, and so speaks the language of faith. Unbelief
in the psalmist said, the Lord will cast "me", or "his
people", off, for either or both may be understood; which so appears when
God hides his face, or does not immediately arise to help; or suffers the enemy
to prevail, and difficulties and discouragements to obtain and continue; but
Faith says, he will not cast off his people, whom he foreknew, from having a
share in his affections, from being interested in his covenant, from his sight,
and being the objects of his care, from enjoying the privileges of his house
and family, or so as to perish eternally:
and will he be favourable no more? or bear good will, show
kindness, be propitious, graciously accept, as the wordF16לרצות "acceptos habere", Cocceius, so Ainsworth;
"propitius et gratiosus esse", Michaelis. signifies; this question
supposes that he had been favourable, and bore a good will, as the gracious
purposes and kind intentions of his heart, the well stored covenant of his
grace, and the mission of his Son to be a Saviour, show; that he has been
propitious through the propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, and has accepted of
the persons and services of his people, and indulged them with near communion
with himself; but that now he is not, he having withdrawn the sense of his
love, and the communications of his divine favours; and Unbelief says he will
be so no more, and adds, I am cut off from before his eyes, and am as the
slain, that are remembered no more; and shall go softly all my years, in the
bitterness of my soul; but Faith says, he will be favourable again; that joy
will come in the morning; that the Lord will hear, and be a light unto the
souls of his people, though in darkness; and will bring to the light, and cause
to behold his righteousness.
Psalm 77:8 8 Has His mercy ceased
forever? Has His promise failed forevermore?
YLT
8Hath His kindness ceased
for ever? The saying failed to all generations?
Is his mercy clean gone for ever?.... Or "his
grace"F17חסדו "gratia
ipsius", Cocceius, Gejerus. ; and mercy is no other than grace to objects
in misery; Unbelief says it is gone, that no more will be shown, and that the
treasures of it are exhausted; but Faith says it is not gone, and observes that
God is the God of all grace, is rich in mercy, and abundant in goodness; that
his Son is full of grace and truth, and so is the covenant; and that though
there is an abundance of it given in conversion, and there are continual
supplies of it afterwards; yet this grace is still sufficient, and this mercy abundant;
salvation is by it, as for millions past, so for millions present and to come;
the mercy of God is new every morning, it endures for ever, it is from
everlasting to everlasting:
doth his promise fail for evermore? or wordF18אמר "eloquim", Pagninus, Montanus;
"sermo", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "verbum",
Vatablus, Gejerus, Michaelis; "oraculum", Tigurine version, Musculus.
; his words of consolation, as Kimchi interprets it; the sense may be, will he
speak never a word of comfort more? Unbelief says he will not, but Faith says
he will; and that though he brings into the wilderness, yet he will speak
comfortably there; and as he answered the Angel of the covenant with good and
comfortable words, so he orders his ministers to speak, and by them he does
speak comfortably to his people: or, in general, the word of the Gospel is
meant; which though it may be sometimes scarce and rare, and there may be few
preachers of it; yet it lives and abides for ever, it is the everlasting
Gospel; or, in particular, the promise or promises of the Gospel: Faith says
not one of these shall fail, grounding it upon the ability of God, and his
power to perform: and upon his faithfulness, which he will never suffer to
fail; and the promises of God are so far from failing for evermore, that they
never fail at all; there never was any instance of any; not one of the good
things which God has spoken of, from the creation of the world to this present
time, have ever failed; the promises are yea and amen in Christ; see Joshua 23:14. The Targum interprets it
differently of his evil word being fulfilled on every generation.
Psalm 77:9 9 Has God forgotten to be
gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah
YLT
9Hath God forgotten [His]
favours? Hath He shut up in anger His mercies? Selah.
Hath God forgotten to be gracious,.... He has not, is it
possible that he should? as the Targum; it is not; he cannot forget the purposes
of his grace and mercy, nor the covenant and promises of it, nor people the
objects of it; and much less can he for his grace and mercy itself, so
agreeable to his nature, what he delights in, and which he has proclaimed in
Christ:
hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?; as an
avaricious man shuts up his hand, and will not communicate liberally; or as the
sea is shut up with doors, that its waters may not overflow; no, the mercies of
God are not restrained, though unbelief says they are, at least queries if they
are not, Isaiah 63:15, but Faith says they flow
freely through Christ, and the people of God are crowned with lovingkindness
and tender mercies; God gives liberally, and upbraideth not; and though he may
hide his face in a little seeming wrath for a moment, yet with great mercies
will he gather, and with everlasting kindness will he have mercy.
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 77:10 10 And I said, “This is
my anguish; But I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most
High.”
YLT
10And I say: `My weakness is,
The changes of the right hand of the Most High.'
And I said, this is my infirmity,.... Referring either to
what he had said in the preceding verses; and which is to be considered either
as checking and correcting himself for what he had said, and acknowledging his
evil in it; and it is as if he had said, this is a sin against God, that I am
guilty of in questioning his love, and disbelieving his promises; it is an
iniquity I am prone unto, a sin that easily besets me; it flows from the
corruption of my nature, and the plague of my heart, and shows a distempered
mind; it is owing to the weakness of my faith and judgment; I have said this
rashly, and in haste, without well weighing and considering things, and I am
sorry for it, I will stop and proceed no further: or else as comforting and encouraging
himself in his melancholy circumstances; and the sense is, this is an
"infirmity", an affliction and trouble that I am at present exercised
with; but it is but a temporal one, it will not always last; I shall get over
it, and out of it; it is a sickness, but not to death; and it is
"mine", what is allotted to me; every man has his affliction and
cross, and this is mine, and I must bear it patiently; see Jeremiah 10:19, or else this refers to what
follows, which some render, "the changes of the right hand of the most
High"F19שנות ימין
עליון "mutationes sunt dexterae excelsi",
Musculus, Muis; so Ainsworth. ; and the meaning may be, this is my affliction
and trouble, that there are changes in the right hand of the most High; that
is, that that hand which used to be exerted in his favour, and against his
enemies, was now withdrawn, and hid in his bosom; see Psalm 74:11, and that which liberally
distributed favours to him was now laid upon him in an afflictive way; and to
this sense is the Targum,
"this
is my infirmity, the change of the power of the right hand (or the powerful
right hand) of the most High;'
though
another Targum is,
"this
is my prayer, &c. the years of the end from the right hand;'
and
Aben Ezra makes mention of some as so interpreting the first clause, to which
De Dieu agrees, who renders the whole, "and I said, this is my prayer,
that the right hand of the most High might be changed"; that is, that his
dispensations of providence might be changed; that he would bring him out of
these afflicted, sorrowful, and melancholy circumstances, into a more
comfortable one: as these words may be understood as what the psalmist
comforted himself with, that there are "changes of the right hand of the
most High"; I have been greatly troubled and distressed, and I have been
so weak as to call in question the mercy and favour of God, and his promises to
me, which I own is my sin; but I have reason to believe it will not be always
thus with me, God will take off his hand, it shall not always lie thus heavy
upon me; though he cause grief, he will have compassion, and turn again to me;
there will be a change, and I will wait till that comes: but Kimchi thinks the
word אזכור, "I will remember", which stands
at the beginning of the next verse, belongs to that and this; and is to be
supplied here, as it is in our translation, and interprets the whole to the
like sense;
but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High; which the
psalmist proposed to do as a means to remove his doubts, despondency, and
unbelief, and to relieve and strengthen his faith; as that God was the most
High in all the earth, and above his enemies; that he had a right hand of
power, which in years past had been exerted on the behalf of his people, and on
his behalf; which was not impaired and shortened, but the same as ever, and
sooner or later would be again used in his favour.
Psalm 77:11 11 I will remember the works
of the Lord;
Surely I will remember Your wonders of old.
YLT
11I mention the doings of
Jah, For I remember of old Thy wonders,
I will remember the works of the Lord,.... His works
of creation and providence, his government of the world, and particularly his
regard for his own people, and his preservation of them, especially the people
of Israel, whom he had not cast off, nor would and so might serve to strengthen
his faith, that he would not cast him off for ever: and in like manner, what
God has done for his people in a way of grace, in their redemption by Christ,
and in a work of grace upon their souls, may be improved to the removing of
doubts and fears, and unbelief, and for the strengthening of faith: there is a
double reading of this clause, that in the margin is followed by us; but in the
text it is written, "I will cause to remember"; that is, I will
declare and show forth to others the works of the Lord:
surely I will remember thy wonders of old; such as were
done in Egypt, at the Red sea, and in the wilderness; which exceeded the power
and reason of man, and which showed ancient love and old friendship subsisting
between God and his people; so the remembrance of God's everlasting love, his
ancient covenant, and the grace and blessings given in Christ before the world
was, may be of use against despondency, and for the support and encouragement
of faith.
Psalm 77:12 12 I will also meditate on
all Your work, And talk of Your deeds.
YLT
12And I have meditated on all
Thy working, And I talk concerning Thy doings.
I will meditate also of all thy work,.... Or
"works"F20בכל פעלך "de unoquoque opere tuo", Junius &
Tremellius, Piscator. , which were many; he desired not to forget any of them,
but remember the multitude of his tender mercies, and not only call them to
mind, but dwell upon them in his meditations and contemplations, in order to
gain some relief by them under his present circumstances:
and talk of thy doings: for the good of others,
and so for the glory of God, as well as to imprint them on his own mind, that
they might not be forgotten by him; for all things that are talked of, and
especially frequently, are better remembered, see Psalm 145:4, the Targum is,
"I
will meditate on all thy good works, and speak of the causes of thy wonders.'
Psalm 77:13 13 Your way, O God, is
in the sanctuary; Who is so great a God as our God?
YLT
13O God, in holiness [is] Thy
way, Who [is] a great god like God?
Thy way, O God, is in the
sanctuary,.... Or "in holiness"F25בקדש
"in sanctitate", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius &
Tremellius, Gejerus, Michaelis. ; that is, is holy, so the Syriac version, and
to which the Targum agrees.
"O
God, how holy are thy ways,'
see
Psalm 145:17, or "in the
sanctuary", the temple, the church of God, where he takes his walks, and
manifests himself, and where the reasons of his providence, and dealing with
his people, are opened and made known unto them, see Psalm 68:24,
who is so great a God as our God? the Targum is, as the
God of Israel; he is great in his persons, perfections, and works, and is
greatly to be loved, feared, and praised.
Psalm 77:14 14 You are the God who
does wonders; You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
YLT
14Thou [art] the God doing
wonders. Thou hast made known among the peoples Thy strength,
Thou art the God that
doest wonders,.... In nature, providence, and grace; it seems chiefly to regard
what was done for the Israelites in Egypt, and in the wilderness, see Psalm 78:12,
thou hast declared thy strength among the people; the nations
of the world, who heard what the Lord did for Israel by his mighty power, and
with an outstretched arm, as follows.
Psalm 77:15 15 You have with Your
arm redeemed Your people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
YLT
15Thou hast redeemed with
strength Thy people, The sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah.
Thou hast with thine arm
redeemed thy people,.... The people of Israel out of Egypt, which was typical of the
redemption of the Lord's people by Christ, the arm and power of God:
the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Joseph is particularly
mentioned for honour's sake, and because he was the means of supporting Jacob
and his family in Egypt; and had special faith in their deliverance from thence;
the Targum is,
"the
sons whom Jacob begot, and Joseph nourished.'
Selah. See Gill on Psalm 3:2.
Psalm 77:16 16 The waters saw You, O God;
The waters saw You, they were afraid; The depths also trembled.
YLT
16The waters have seen Thee,
O God, The waters have seen Thee, They are afraid -- also depths are troubled.
The waters saw thee, O God,.... The
waters not of Jordan, but of the Red sea; these felt and perceived the power of
God, in causing a strong east wind, which dried it up, and made way for the
children of Israel to pass through it as on dry land: compare with this Psalm 114:3,
the waters saw thee; which is repeated for
the confirmation of it, and to excite attention to it, as well as to express
the psalmist's admiration at it; the Targum is,
"they
saw thy majesty in the midst of the sea, O God; they saw thy power upon the
sea;'
not
the Egyptians, but the sons of Jacob and Joseph; the old Syriac church
understood these waters of the waters of Jordan, at the baptism of Christ, when
in their way they saw the incarnate God, and felt his sacred body laid in them,
by which he was made manifest to Israel; but Jerom better interprets them, by
the help of Revelation 17:15 of people, nations, and
tongues; some of which saw Christ corporeally, others spiritually, and by
faith, as preached in the Gospel to the Gentile world:
they were afraid; of the majesty of God, obeyed their
Sovereign, of whom they stood in awe, gave way unto him, and fled at his
rebuke, see Psalm 114:5 or "were in pain"F26חילו "parturierunt", Montanus, Vatablus;
"dolore corruptae sunt, videl dolore parturientium", Piscator; so
Ainsworth. , as a woman in travail, as were the Gentile world at the preaching
of the Gospel of redemption and salvation by Christ, Romans 8:22,
the depths also were troubled; not only the surface, or
waves of the waters, were moved by the strong east wind, through the power of
God, but the bottom of the sea was reached by it; the depths were congealed in
the midst of it, the channels of water were seen, and the foundation of the
world discovered, and the children of Israel went through the deep as on dry
land, see Exodus 15:8.
Psalm 77:17 17 The clouds poured out
water; The skies sent out a sound; Your arrows also flashed about.
YLT
17Poured out waters have
thick clouds, The skies have given forth a noise, Also -- Thine arrows go up
and down.
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 JosephusF1Antiqu. l. 2. c. 16. sect. 3. 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 Psalm 18:14, so Aben Ezra; but Kimchi
interprets them of hailstones.
Psalm 77:18 18 The voice of Your thunder was
in the whirlwind; The lightnings lit up the world; The earth trembled and
shook.
YLT
18The voice of Thy thunder
[is] in the spheres, Lightnings have lightened the world, The earth hath
trembled, yea, it shaketh.
The voice of thy thunder
was in the heaven,.... Thunder is the voice of God, Job 37:5 this is heard in "the
orb"F2בגלגל "in
rotunditate", Montanus, Vatablus; "in isto orbe", Junius &
Tremeullis; "in orbe", Cocceius; "in sphaera", Arab. , 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
someF3"In rota", Pagninus, Tigurine version, Musculus,
Gejerus; "in rotis", Muis, Syr. vid. Suidam in voce τροχος. ; 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 JosephusF4Ut supra. (Antiq. l. 2. c. 16.
sect. 3.) affirms; see Psalm 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.
Psalm 77:19 19 Your way was in the
sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known.
YLT
19In the sea [is] Thy way,
And Thy paths [are] in many waters, And Thy tracks have not been known.
Thy way is in the sea,.... In the
sea of Suph, as the Targum, the Red sea; it was the Lord that made the way in
the sea for the Israelites, and went before them, and led them through it:
and thy path in the great waters; because the word
rendered path is written with י yod, and is in the
plural number, though the Masorites observe, that that letter is redundant, and
so the word is singular; hence the Jews imagine there were more paths than one,
even twelve, according to the number of the tribes, and which they think is
intimated in Psalm 136:13,
and thy footsteps are not known; not by the Egyptians,
who assayed to follow after the people of Israel with the Lord at the head of
them, nor by any since; for the waters returned and covered the place on which
the Israelites went as on dry ground; so that no footsteps or traces were to be
seen at all ever since; and such are the ways God, many of them in providence
as well as in grace, Romans 11:33, it may be rendered "thy
heels", which made the footsteps or impressions; which latter being the
works of God, may be seen and known, but not the former, he being invisible; so
GussetiusF5Comment. Ebr. p. 633. observes.
Psalm 77:20 20 You led Your people like a
flock By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
YLT
20Thou hast led as a flock
Thy people, By the hand of Moses and Aaron!
Thou leddest thy people
like a flock,.... Either through the Red sea, according to R. Moses Hacohen,
as Aben Ezra observes; see Isaiah 63:11, or rather, as he and Kimchi,
through the wilderness, after they were led through the sea; the people of
Israel are compared to a flock of sheep; the Lord is represented as the
Shepherd of them, who took care of them, protected and preserved them from
their enemies:
by the hand of Moses and Aaron; the one was their civil
and the other their ecclesiastical governor, and both under the Lord, and
instruments of his, in guiding and conducting the people in all things needful
for them. The Arabic version adds, "Allelujah"; from all this the
psalmist concluded, though it is not mentioned, that as God had delivered his
people of old out of their straits and difficulties, so he hoped and believed,
that as he could, he would deliver him in his own time and way; and by this means
his faith was relieved and strengthened.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》