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

Psalms 77:17 World English Bible (WEB)

17 The clouds poured out water. The skies resounded with thunder. Your arrows also flashed around.

Cross Reference

Psalms 18:14 WEB

He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them.

Judges 5:4 WEB

Yahweh, when you went forth out of Seir, When you marched out of the field of Edom, The earth trembled, the sky also dropped, Yes, the clouds dropped water.

2 Samuel 22:15 WEB

He sent out arrows, and scattered them; Lightning, and confused them.

Psalms 68:8-9 WEB

The earth trembled. The sky also poured down rain at the presence of the God of Sinai-- At the presence of God, the God of Israel. You, God, sent a plentiful rain. You confirmed your inheritance, when it was weary.

Psalms 68:33 WEB

To him who rides on the heaven of heavens, which are of old; Behold, he utters his voice, a mighty voice.

Psalms 144:6 WEB

Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them.

Habakkuk 3:11 WEB

The sun and moon stood still in the sky, At the light of your arrows as they went, At the shining of your glittering 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.