Psalm 77:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters; yet your footprints were unseen.

NIV: Your path led through the sea, your way through the mighty waters, though your footprints were not seen.

NASB: Your way was in the sea And Your paths in the mighty waters, And Your footprints were not known.

CSB: Your way went through the sea and your path through the vast water, but your footprints were unseen.

NLT: Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters — a pathway no one knew was there!

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

NKJV: Your way was in the sea, Your path in the great waters, And Your footsteps were not known.

Psalm 77:10–20 follows a pattern seen in psalms associated with Asaph. He often begins with a sense of bitterness or despair (Psalm 73:2–3; 74:1–3). Yet he always returns to the truths of God's character and his faith is renewed (Psalm 73:15–18; 74:12–23). In this case, he is so upset that he cannot sleep (Psalm 77:1–3). Yet he commits to what he already knows of the Lord. That brings him back to reassurance.

Asaph struggles to sleep or find peace. Though he seeks to trust in God, he only feels more disturbed. This hardship causes him to question if the Lord has abandoned him, or possibly all the people of Israel. Still, Asaph is committed to remembering what he already knows about God. He remembers how God rescued His people at the Red Sea: with crashing thunder and brilliant lighting that caused the earth to tremble. Using Moses and Aaron, the Lord led Israel through the sea like a shepherd guiding sheep.

Asaph mourns at the beginning of this psalm; the exact reason is not given. What starts as a personal struggle takes on broader tones, suggesting that Asaph grieves something happening to Israel. As is common in psalms associated with Asaph, an early bitter tone eventually becomes reassured (Psalm 73:2–3, 15–18; 74:1–3, 12–13). The psalm echoes phrases found in other psalms (Psalm 97:4; 114:3) and prophetic books (Habakkuk 3:10).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/23/2024 1:52:53 PM