Psalm 77:16-19

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 77:11-20

The psalmist here recovers himself out of the great distress and plague he was in, and silences his own fears of God's casting off his people by the remembrance of the great things he had done for them formerly, which though he had in vain tried to quiet himself with (Ps. 77:5, 6) yet he tried again, and, upon this second trial, found it not in vain. It is good to persevere in the proper means for the strengthening of faith, though they do not prove effectual at first: ?I will remember, surely... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 77:16

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 77:17

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 Josephus F1 Antiqu. 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 77:18

The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven ,.... Thunder is the voice of God, Job 37:5 this is heard in "the orb" F2 בגלגל "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 some F3 "In rota", Pagninus,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 77:19

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... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 77:16

The waters saw thee - What a fine image! He represents God approaching the Red Sea; and the waters, seeing him, took fright, and ran off before him, dividing to the right and left to let him pass. I have not found any thing more majestic than this. The depths also were troubled - Every thing appears here to have life and perception. The waters see the Almighty, do not wait his coming, but in terror flee away! The deeps, uncovered, are astonished at the circumstance; and as they cannot... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 77:17

The clouds poured out water - It appears from this that there was a violent tempest at the time of the passage of the Red Sea. There was a violent storm of thunder, lightning, and rain. These three things are distinctly marked here. "The skies sent out a sound:" the Thunder. "Thine arrows went abroad:" the Lightning. "The clouds poured out water:" the Rain. In the next verse we have, 4. An Earthquake: "The earth trembled and shook," Psalm 77:18 . read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 77:19

Thy way is in the sea - Thou didst walk through the sea, thy path was through a multitude of waters. Thy footsteps are not known - It was evident from the effects that God was there: but his track could not be discovered; still he is the Infinite Spirit, without parts, limits, or passions. No object of sense. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 77:16

Verse 16 16.The waters saw thee, O God! Some of the miracles in which God had displayed the power of his arm are here briefly adverted to. When it is said that the waters saw God, the language is figurative, implying that they were moved, as it were, by a secret instinct and impulse to obey the divine command in opening up a passage for the chosen people. Neither the sea nor the Jordan would have altered their nature, and by giving place have spontaneously afforded a passage to them, had they... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 77:17

Verse 17 17.The clouds poured out waters. As the noun מים, mayim, cannot be taken in the construct state, the verb, I have no doubt, is put transitively; but it makes little difference as to the sense, whether we take this view, or read as if מים, mayim, were in the construct state and the verb passive; that is, whether we read, The clouds poured out waters, or, The waters of the clouds were poured out. The meaning obviously is, that not only the sea and the river Jordan, but also the waters... read more

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