Psalm 77 – “Complaint; Hymnic Praise”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist questions God’s current behavior but praises his past actions.

II. Photo
The psalmist complains: “You have held my eyelids open; I am overwrought, I cannot speak.” (v. 5)

III. Select Verses    
4: I call God to mind, I moan, I complain, my spirit fails. Selah.
6-11: My thoughts turn to days of old, to years long past. I recall at night their jibes at me; I commune with myself; my spirit inquires, “Will the Lord reject forever and never again show favor? Has His faithfulness disappeared forever? Will His promise be unfulfilled for all time?  Has God forgotten how to pity? Has He in anger stifled His compassion?” Selah. And I said, “It is my fault that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
14: O God, Your ways are holiness; what god is as great as God?
16-21: By Your arm You redeemed Your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. The waters saw You, O God, the waters saw You and were convulsed; the very deep quaked as well. Clouds streamed water; the heavens rumbled; Your arrows flew about; Your thunder rumbled like wheels; lightning lit up the world; the earth quaked and trembled. Your way was through the sea, Your path, through the mighty waters; Your tracks could not be seen. You led Your people like a flock in the care of Moses and Aaron.

IV. Outline
1. Superscription
2-4. Description of unanswered prayer
5-11. Complaint
12-13. Hymnic introduction
14-21. Hymnic praise

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Gerstenberger, Erhard S. “Psalms Part 1 with an Introduction to Cultic Poetry” Forms of Old Testament Literature (Michigan: Eerdmans, 1988).
Tate, Marvin. “Psalms 51-100” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 20 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1990).
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