Worthy.Bible » BBE » Psalms » Chapter 77 » Verse 17

Psalms 77:17 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

17 The clouds sent out water; the skies gave out a sound; truly, your arrows went far and wide.

Cross Reference

Psalms 18:14 BBE

He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.

Judges 5:4 BBE

Lord, when you went out from Seir, moving like an army from the field of Edom, the earth was shaking and the heavens were troubled, and the clouds were dropping water.

2 Samuel 22:15 BBE

And he sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.

Psalms 68:8-9 BBE

The earth was shaking and the heavens were streaming, because God was present; even Sinai itself was moved before God, the God of Israel. You, O God, did freely send the rain, giving strength to the weariness of your heritage.

Psalms 68:33 BBE

To him who goes or the clouds of heaven, the heaven which was from earliest times; he sends out his voice of power.

Psalms 144:6 BBE

With your storm-flames send them in flight: send out your arrows for their destruction.

Habakkuk 3:11 BBE

At the light of your arrows they went away, at the shining of your polished spear.

Commentary on Psalms 77 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


PSALM 77

Ps 77:1-20. To Jeduthun—(See on Ps 39:1, title). In a time of great affliction, when ready to despair, the Psalmist derives relief from calling to mind God's former and wonderful works of delivering power and grace.

1. expresses the purport of the Psalm.

2. his importunacy.

my sore ran … night—literally, "my hand was spread," or, "stretched out" (compare Ps 44:20).

ceased not—literally, "grew not numb," or, "feeble" (Ge 45:26; Ps 38:8).

my soul … comforted—(compare Ge 37:35; Jer 31:15).

3-9. His sad state contrasted with former joys.

was troubled—literally, "violently agitated," or disquieted (Ps 39:6; 41:5).

my spirit was overwhelmed—or, "fainted" (Ps 107:5; Jon 2:7).

4. holdest … waking—or, "fast," that I cannot sleep. Thus he is led to express his anxious feelings in several earnest questions indicative of impatient sorrow.

10. Omitting the supplied words, we may read, "This is my affliction—the years of," &c., "years" being taken as parallel to affliction (compare Ps 90:15), as of God's ordering.

11, 12. He finds relief in contrasting God's former deliverances. Shall we receive good at His hands, and not evil? Both are orderings of unerring mercy and unfailing love.

13. Thy way … in the sanctuary—God's ways of grace and providence (Ps 22:3; 67:2), ordered on holy principles, as developed in His worship; or implied in His perfections, if "holiness" be used for "sanctuary," as some prefer translating (compare Ex 15:11).

14-20. Illustrations of God's power in His special interventions for His people (Ex 14:1-31), and, in the more common, but sublime, control of nature (Ps 22:11-14; Hab 3:14) which may have attended those miraculous events (Ex 14:24).

15. Jacob and Joseph—representing all.

19. waters … , footsteps—may refer to His actual leading the people through the sea, though also expressing the mysteries of providence.