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<< PSALM LXXVII. >>
For the Chief Musician; after the manner of Jeduthun.
A Psalm of Asaph.
1. I will cry unto God with my voice,
Even unto God with my voice; and he will give ear
unto me.
2. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord:
My hand was stretched out in the night, and slacked
not;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3. I remember God, and am disquieted:
I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. [Selah
4. Thou holdest mine eyes watching:
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5. I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
6. I call to remembrance my song in the night:
I commune with mine own heart;
And my spirit maketh diligent search.
7. Will the Lord cast off for ever?
And will he be favorable no more ?
8. Is his lovingkindness clean gone for ever?
Doth his promise fail for evermore ?
9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious ?
Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? [Selah
10. And I said, This is my infirmity;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the
Most High.
11. I will make mention of the deeds of Jehovah;
For I will remember thy wonders of old.
12. I will meditate also upon all thy work,
And muse on thy doings.
13. Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:
Who is a great god like unto God ?
14. Thou art the God that doest wonders:
Thou hast made known thy strength among the peoples
15. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. [Selah
16. The waters saw thee, O God;
The waters saw thee, they were afraid:
The depths also trembled.
17. The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound:
Thine arrows also went abroad.
18. The voice of thy thunder was in the whirlwind;
The lightnings lightened the world:
The earth trembled and shook.
19. Thy way was in the sea,
And thy paths in the great waters,
And thy footsteps were not known.
20. Thou leddest thy people like a flock,
By the hand of Moses and Aaron.
1. I will cry unto God with my voice,
Even unto God with my voice; and he will give ear
unto me.
2. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord:
My hand was stretched out in the night, and slacked
not;
My soul refused to be comforted.
3. I remember God, and am disquieted:
I complain, and my spirit is overwhelmed. [Selah
4. Thou holdest mine eyes watching:
I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
1-10. State of temptation of the -Lord even to despair, whether the Father would give help. P. P.
5. I have considered the days of old,
The years of ancient times.
6. I call to remembrance my song in the night:
I commune with mine own heart;
And my spirit maketh diligent search.
7. Will the Lord cast off for ever?
And will he be favorable no more ?
8. Is his lovingkindness clean gone for ever?
Doth his promise fail for evermore ?
9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious ?
Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? [Selah
10. And I said, This is my infirmity;
But I will remember the years of the right hand of the
Most High.
6. Here the days of old are the states of the Most Ancient church, and the years of ancient times the states of he Ancient church. A. 488.
The days of old and the years of ancient times stand for the Most Ancient church and for the Ancient church. A. 2906.
The days of an age denote the time of the Most Ancient church, which was a celestial church. The years of generation and generation stand for the time of the Ancient church, which was a spiritual church. A. 10248.
11-16. Strengthening Himself from His Divine from things past, that those who had prayed for it had been saved. P. P.
14, 15. That there is one God, and none besides Him the Jews and Israelites said indeed with the mouth, but did not believe with the heart. This is why it is said in the Word that Jehovah is greater than other gods, and there is none like Him. A. 7401.
15. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph. [Selah
16. The waters saw thee, O God;
The waters saw thee, they were afraid:
The depths also trembled.
17. The clouds poured out water;
The skies sent out a sound:
Thine arrows also went abroad.
16. Here by the sons of Jacob and Joseph are understood those who are in the good of life according to their religious principle, for by Jacob in the Word is understood the external church which is with those who are in the good of life. By Joseph are here understood Manasseh and Ephraim for it is said, " Thou hast redeemed the sons of Joseph" by whom are understood those who are in good and truth as to the external man, consequently as to life. To redeem them with His arm means to save them by His omnipotence, for such were saved by the Lord by His coming into the world, and could not have been saved otherwise. E. 448.
Thou hast with thy arm redeemed thy people. What here follows treats about the judgment upon the evil. D. P., Page 87.
16, 18, 19. Lightnings from the flame which affects the eyes signifies enlightenment, and thunder from the crash which affects the ears signifies perception, and when these signify enlightenment and perception, then voices signify instruction. R. 236.
The subject treated of in this Psalm is concerning the establishment of the church anew. By the clouds pouring out waters are signified truths from the literal sense of the Word, by the skies or superior clouds sending a sound truths from the spiritual sense of the Word. By the arrows which went abroad are understood fulminations, from which there appear as it were arrows from a bow. They are present when there are thunders and lightnings, and by them are signified Divine truths. By the voice of thunder in the heaven is signified Divine truth as to perception and understanding in the church, and by the lightning lightening the world illumination thence. The world signifies the church. E. 273. 18. 19. The voice of thunder stands for truth Divine, lightnings for its flashing, and the world for the church, therefore the lightnings lightening the world mean the enlightening of the church by truth Divine. A. 8813.
17. By the deep, and by the sea and the depths thereof are here signified the hells. E. 538.
17-19. A voice here is truth Divine which enlightens those who are of the church. A. 7573.
17-20. And that power was His through Divine truth. P. P.
17, 18, 20. See Psalm xxix. 3. A. 2702.
18. Here by the clouds pouring out water is signified that genuine truths are derived from the literal sense of the Word. By the skies sending out a sound is signified influx from the heavens, by thine arrows also went abroad Divine truths thence derived. E. 594.
Often in the Word it is said that when Jehovah comes down the earth trembles and the mountains melt, whereby is signified the commotion of all at the presence of the Divine, for the Divine is such that no one can bear it, unless he is in a kind of cloud, and thus is accommodated to its reception, for it is like the fire which is in the sun,
which if it were to fall bare upon any one would consume him in a moment. A. 8816.
19. See Psalm ix. 9. R. 551.
By these words is described the state of the impious from the presence of the Lord in His Divine truth, which state is similar to that of the sons of Israel when the Lord appeared to them upon mount Sinai. That they were exceedingly afraid is known from the Word, and the reason of this was because they were evil in heart. E. 741.
20. See Psalm xxiv. 2. R. 238.
That by the sea is not understood the sea, nor by waters, waters is evident since it is said that therein are the way and the path of Jehovah, wherefore by the sea and by waters are understood such things as Jehovah or the Lord is in, which are the knowledges of truth in general from the Word, and truths therein, the sea signifying such knowledges, and the waters truths. Knowledges and truths differ in this, that the former are of the natural man, and the latter of the spiritual man. E. 275.
And that the church was preserved. P. P.
Author: EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772)
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