Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 77

1 I Cried unto God with my voyce: even unto God with my voyce, and he gave ear unto me .

This Verse seems to contain the sum of the whole Psalm, consisting of two parts, to wit, his earnest Cry to God in his deep distress; and God's gracious return to his Prayers, by supporting him under them, and giving him assurance of a good issue out of them: of both which he speaks more distinctly and particularly, of the first, from v. 2. to v. 10. of the latter thence to the end.

2 In the day of my trouble I sought the LORD; my fore ran in the night , and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted .

The hand in the Hebrew Tongue, and Scripture use, is oft pu[illegible: 1+ letters] for a blow or stroke given by the hand. Heb. My hand or hands (the singular number being frequently put for the plural) flowed or poured forth, (i. e.) Spread abroad to God in Prayer. This Phrase he useth rather, than were stretched out, which is frequent in like Cases, to imply that his Case was low and almost desperate, his Spirits and strength quite gone, so that he was not able to stretch them out, as he had done.

Which to others was a time of rest and quietness, but to me of Torment.

I rejected all those Consolations, which either my Friends, or my own Mind suggested to me.

Marginal references: Heb. my hand.

3 I remembred God, and was troubled . I complained , and my spirit was overwhelmed , Selah.

Yea the thoughts of God, and of his infinite Power and Truth, and Goodness, which used to be very sweet and Comfortable to me, were now matter of Terror and Trouble, because they were all ingaged against me, and God himself my onely Friend, was now very Angry with me, and become mine Enemy.

Unto God in Prayer.

So far was I from finding relief by my Complaints, that they increased my Misery.

4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking h: I am so troubled that I cannot speak .

By those sharp and continual Griefs, and those perplexing and tormenting Thoughts and Cares, which from time to time thou stirrest up in me.

The greatness of my sorrows stupefie my Mind, and make me both Lifeless and unable to speak; nor can any Words sufficiently express the Extremity of my Misery.

5 I have considered the days of old , the years of ancient times.

If by that means I could get any Comfort.

(i. e.) The mighty works of God done for his People in former times. Days are put for Events done in them, as Psal. 37. 13. [illegible: 1 word] 137. 7. Obad. v. 12. Mich. 7. 4.

Marginal references: Psal. 143. 5.; Heb. the [illegible: 1 word] of Ages. Gr. eternal years.

6 I call to remembrance my song in the night : I commune with mine own heart, and my spirit made diligent scarch .

The many and great Mercies and Favours of God vouchsafed by him to me, and to his People, which have obliged me to adore him, and sing his Praises not onely in the day, the time appointed for that work, but also by night, as oft as they come into my Mind.

What should be the cause of this strange and vast Alteration, and how these [illegible: 1+ letters]ore Calamities could come from the hand of so gracious ▪ and merciful a God, as ours is, and what might be expected as to their continuance or removal.

7 Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more?

His peculiar and chosen People? This doth not seem to agree; Either, with God's Nature, or with that everlasting Covenant which he hath made with them.

8 Is his mercy clean gone for ever ? doth his promise fail for evermore ?

Are all the stores of his Mercy quire spent? Doth he now cease to be, what he hath styled himself, the Lord gracious and merciful, Long-suffering, and abundant in Goodness?

Will he never more make good those gracious Promises, upon which he hath commanded us to hope?

Marginal references: Heb▪ to Ge [illegible: 1+ letters]tion and Generation.

9 Hath God forgotten to be gracious ! hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies ? Selah.

Because he hath so long disused it.

So as they can never flow forth, no not to his own People.

10 And I said , This is my infirmity : but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High .

I thus answered these Objections:

These suspicions of God's Faithfulness and Goodness, proceed from the weakness of my Faith, and from the mistake of a diseased Mind.

Which words may be understood out of the following Verse, as other words frequently are in like Cases.

The years wherein God hath done great and glorious Works, which are oft asscribed to God's right hand, as Psal. 17. 7. and 20. 6. and 45. 4. and 118. 15. But the Word rendred years, doth also signifie changing, and accordingly this Verse is by other learned Interpreters, and may well be rendred otherwise without any such Supplement as is in our Translation, thus, And I said; This is my Affliction or Grievanc[illegible: 1+ letters], (The sum of all, and the chief cause of my Trouble and Anxiety is this) the Change of the right hand of the most High, that, that right hand which formerly hath done such great and wonderful things for his People, is at this time not onely hid in God's Bosom and not drawn forth for their defence, but is also stretched forth against them, and is the principal Cause of all our present Miseries. I could bear the malice and rage of our Enemies, from whom we could not expect better things, but that our gracious and Covenanted God should forsake and persecute his own People, this is that which makes it intolerable.

Marginal references: Psal. 102. 24. 25.

11 I will remember the works of the LORD surely I will remember thy wonders of old .

And yet upon second and serious Thoughts, of what God had formerly done for his People, many times far above their Expectations, I will take Comfort in Remembrance of them, because God is still the same that he was, in Power and Goodness, and Love to his People, and therefore will pity and help us in this present Calamity, as he hath oft done in others of the same Nature.

13 Thy way , O God, is in the sanctuary : who is so great a God as our God ?

(i. e.) Thy doings, or the Course of thy Providence, which is oft called God's way, the various Methods and Causes of thy dealings with thy People.

Is there contained and declared. As the Prosperity of wicked men, so also the grievous Calamities of God's People, are great Riddles and slumbling Blocks to the ignorant, and ungodly World, but a full and satisfactory Resolution of them, may be had from God's Sanctuary, as is observed in the former Case, by this same Asaph, Psal. 73. 16, 17. and here in the latter. Or, is in Holiness. So the Sence is, God is holy and just, and true in all his Works; yea, even in his Judgments upon his own People, as will Evidently appear from the issue of them.

And although our God at present suspends his Power, and doth not put it forth to deliver his People, out of the hands of their Idolatrous Enemies, who thence take occasion to Blaspheme his Name, and to exalt their Idol-God's above him, yet he is still infinitely Superior in Power, both to them and to their Gods, and can, and will in his due time, rescue his People from them.

Marginal references: Psal. 68. 24. &c.

14 Thou art the God that doest wonders, thou hast declared thy strength among the people .

By the mighty Effects of it here following.

15 Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people , the sons of Jacob and Joseph , Selah.

To wit, out of Egypt after a long and hard Bondage. Which he here mentions to strengthen his Faith in their present Captivity.

Whom he mentions; Partly, as a most Eminent Portion of the sons of Iacob, branched forth into two numerous Tribes: Partly, because the sons of Ioseph were born in Egypt, which Iacob's other Sons were not: and Partly, because he laid the Foundation of that Redemption, by bringing them into Egypt, and preserving and nourishing Iacob and his Sons there, as a little Child is nourished, as it is expressed in the Hebrew Text, Gen. 47. 12. In which respect he was a second Father to them, and they might well be called his Sons; without whose Care (to speak humanely) there had been no such Redemption, nor People to be redeemed.

Marginal references: Exod. 6. 6.

16 The waters saw thee , O God, the waters saw thee: they were afraid ; the depths also were troubled.

They felt the visible Effects of thy powerful Presence.

And stood still as Men, or Beasts astonished commonly do.

Marginal references: Exod. 14. 21. Psal▪ 114. 3. [illegible: 1 word] ▪ 3. 8. &c.

11 The clouds poured out water , the skies sent out a [illegible: 1+ letters]ound: thine arrows also went abroad l.

When the Israelites passed over the Sea: In respect whereof the Israelites are said to have been baptized in the Cloud (i. e. Sprinkled with water, poured forth from the Clouds) and in the Sea, 1 Cor. 10. 2.

Either Hall-stones, or rather, Lightnings or Thunder-bolts, which are called God's Arrows, Psal. 18. 14. & 144. 6.

Marginal references: Heb. The [illegible: 1 word] were [illegible: 1 word] forth [illegible: 1 word] waters.

18 The voyce of thy thunder was in the heaven, the lightnings lightned the world, the earth trembled and shook .

This Tempest is not particularly recorded in its Proper place, yet it may well be gathered from what is said, Exod. 14. 24, 25. and is in Effect acknowledged by Iosephus in his History. And this is no new thing in Scripture, for some Circumstances of History, omitted in the first and properest places, to be supplied in following Passages; whereof instances have been already given.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1+ letters]eb▪ In the [illegible: 1 word] So Gr.; [illegible: 1 word]. 97. 4.

19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known .

Or rather; Was at that time: Thou didst walk and lead thy People in untrodden Paths.

Because the waters suddenly returned and covered them.

20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock , by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

First through the Sea, and afterwards through the vast howling Wilderness to Canaan.

With singular Care and Tenderness, as a Shepherd doth his sheep. And therefore I hope thou wilst take Care of thy poor dispersed and distressed flock, and bring them once again into their own Land.

Marginal references: Exod. 14. 19. [illegible: 1 word] ▪ [illegible: 1+ letters]8. 52. [illegible: 1 word] ▪ 12. 13.