18 The voice of Thy thunder `is' in the spheres, Lightnings have lightened the world, The earth hath trembled, yea, it shaketh.
Also, at this my heart trembleth, And it moveth from its place. Hearken diligently to the trembling of His voice, Yea, the sound from His mouth goeth forth. Under the whole heavens He directeth it, And its light `is' over the skirts of the earth. After it roar doth a voice -- He thundereth with the voice of His excellency, And He doth not hold them back, When His voice is heard. God thundereth with His voice wonderfully, Doing great things and we know not.
The voice of Jehovah `is' on the waters, The God of glory hath thundered, Jehovah `is' on many waters. The voice of Jehovah `is' with power, The voice of Jehovah `is' with majesty, The voice of Jehovah `is' shivering cedars, Yea, Jehovah shivers the cedars of Lebanon. And He causeth them to skip as a calf, Lebanon and Sirion as a son of Reems, The voice of Jehovah is hewing fiery flames, The voice of Jehovah paineth a wilderness, Jehovah paineth the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of Jehovah paineth the oaks, And maketh bare the forests, And in His temple every one saith, `Glory.'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 77
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.