Psalm 77

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:13

Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary - Luther renders this, “O God, thy way is holy.” Prof. Alexander, “O God, in holiness is thy way.” DeWette, “O God, holy is thy way.” The word rendered “sanctuary” - קדשׁ qôdesh - means properly “holiness.” It is not the same word which in Psalms 73:17 is rendered “sanctuary” - מקדשׁ miqdâsh. The word here employed, however, may mean a holy place, a sanctuary, as the tabernacle Exodus 28:43; Exodus 29:30, or the temple 1 Kings 8:8; 2 Chronicles 29:7. In... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:14

Thou art the God that doest wonders - It is, it must be, the characteristic of God, the true God, to do wonderful things; things which are suited to produce amazement, and which we can little hope to be able to understand. Our judgment of God, therefore, should not be hasty and rash, but calm and deliberate.Thou hast declared thy strength among the people - Thou hast manifested thy greatness in thy dealings with the people. The word “people” here refers not especially to the Hebrew people, but... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:15

Thou hast with thine arm - That is, with strength or power, the arm being a symbol of strength. Exodus 6:6; Exodus 15:16; Psalms 10:15.Redeemed thy people - Thou didst rescue or deliver them from Egyptian bondage. See the notes at Isaiah 43:3.The sons of Jacob and Joseph - The descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Jacob is mentioned because he was the ancestor of the twelve tribes; Joseph, because he was conspicuous or eminent among the sons of Jacob, and particularly because he acted so important a... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:16

The waters saw thee ... - The waters of the Red Sea and the Jordan. There is great sublimity in this expression; in representing the waters as conscious of the presence of God, and as fleeing in consternation at his presence. Compare Revelation 20:11; Habakkuk 3:10-11.They were afraid - On the word used here - חול chûl - see Psalms 10:5, note; Psalms 55:4, note. It may mean here to tremble or quake, as in pain Deuteronomy 2:25; Joel 2:6. - Alarm, distress, anguish, came over the waters at the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:17

The clouds poured out water - Margin, “The clouds were poured forth with water.” The translation in the text is the more correct. This is a description of a storm; but to what particular storm in history does not appear. It was evidently some exhibition of the divine greatness and power in delivering the children of Israel, and may have referred to the extraordinary manifestation of God at Mount Sinai, amidst lightnings, and thunders, and tempests. Exodus 19:16. For a general description of a... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:18

The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven - Compare the notes at Psalms 29:1-11. The word rendered “heaven” here - גלגל galgal - means properly “a wheel,” as of a chariot, Isaiah 5:28; Ezekiel 10:2, Ezekiel 10:6; Ezekiel 23:24; Ezekiel 26:10. Then it means a “whirlwind,” as that which rolls along, Ezekiel 10:13. Then it is used to denote chaff or stubble, as driven along before a whirlwind, Psalms 83:13; Isaiah 17:13. It is never used to denote heaven. It means here, undoubtedly, the... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:19

Thy way is in the sea - Probably the literal meaning here is, that God had shown his power and faithfulness in the sea (that is, the Red Sea), in delivering his people; it was there that his true character was seen, as possessing almighty power, and as being able to deliver his people. But this seems to have suggested, also, another idea - that the ways of God, in his providential dealings, were like walking through the sea, where no permanent track would be made, where the waves would close on... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:20

Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron - This satisfied and comforted the mind of the psalmist. God had never forsaken his people. He had shown himself faithful in his dealings with them. He had acted the part of a good shepherd. In all the dangers of their way; in their perilous journey through the wilderness; amidst foes, privations, and troubles - rocks, sands, storms, tempests - when surrounded by enemies, and when their camp was infested with poisonous serpents... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 77

A.M. 2989. B.C. 1015. Whoever was the author of this Psalm, he was manifestly in great trouble when he composed it. What the trouble was does not appear; but whatever it was, the sting of it lay in this, that he apprehended himself to be forsaken of God: and, without doubt, this is, of all afflictions, the most insupportable; a grief which no medicine can reach, which all the powers of reason can hardly assist. For the soul refuses to be comforted. That he speaks of the sorrows of a heart... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 77:1

Psalms 77:1. I cried unto God, &c. This verse seems to contain the sum of the whole Psalm, consisting of two parts, namely, his earnest cry to God in his deep distress, and God’s gracious answer to his prayers, by supporting him under his troubles, and giving him assurance of a good issue out of them; of both which he speaks distinctly and particularly as he proceeds in the Psalm. read more

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:13

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:14

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:15

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:16

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:17

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:18

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:19

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 77:20

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 77

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 77:1

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