Section 1
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־[יְדוּת֗וּן] (ידיתון) לְאָסָ֥ף מִזְמֽוֹר׃ (ב) קוֹלִ֣י אֶל־אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶצְעָ֑קָה קוֹלִ֥י אֶל־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים וְהַאֲזִ֥ין אֵלָֽי׃ (ג) בְּי֥וֹם צָרָתִי֮ אדני דָּ֫רָ֥שְׁתִּי יָדִ֤י ׀ לַ֣יְלָה נִ֭גְּרָה וְלֹ֣א תָפ֑וּג מֵאֲנָ֖ה הִנָּחֵ֣ם נַפְשִֽׁי׃ (ד) אֶזְכְּרָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶהֱמָ֑יָה אָשִׂ֓יחָה ׀ וְתִתְעַטֵּ֖ף רוּחִ֣י סֶֽלָה׃
(1) For the leader; on Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A psalm.
(2) I cry aloud to God;
I cry to God that He may give ear to me.
(3) In my time of distress I turn to the Lord, with my hand [uplifted]; [my eyes] flow all night without respite; I will not be comforted.
(4) I call God to mind, I moan,
I complain, my spirit fails.
Selah.
Section 1 Guide:
1. What is the state of mind of the narrator?
2. What is his desire?
Section 2
(ה) אָ֭חַזְתָּ שְׁמֻר֣וֹת עֵינָ֑י נִ֝פְעַ֗מְתִּי וְלֹ֣א אֲדַבֵּֽר׃ (ו) חִשַּׁ֣בְתִּי יָמִ֣ים מִקֶּ֑דֶם שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת עוֹלָמִֽים׃ (ז) אֶ֥זְכְּרָ֥ה נְגִינָתִ֗י בַּ֫לָּ֥יְלָה עִם־לְבָבִ֥י אָשִׂ֑יחָה וַיְחַפֵּ֥שׂ רוּחִֽי׃ (ח) הַ֭לְעוֹלָמִים יִזְנַ֥ח ׀ אדני וְלֹא־יֹסִ֖יף לִרְצ֣וֹת עֽוֹד׃ (ט) הֶאָפֵ֣ס לָנֶ֣צַח חַסְדּ֑וֹ גָּ֥מַר אֹ֝֗מֶר לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃ (י) הֲשָׁכַ֣ח חַנּ֣וֹת אֵ֑ל אִם־קָפַ֥ץ בְּ֝אַ֗ף רַחֲמָ֥יו סֶֽלָה׃
(5) You have held my eyelids open;
I am overwrought, I cannot speak.
(6) My thoughts turn to days of old, to years long past.
(7) I recall at night their jibes at me; I commune with myself; my spirit inquires,
(8) “Will the Lord reject forever and never again show favor?
(9) Has His faithfulness disappeared forever?
Will His promise be unfulfilled for all time?
(10) Has God forgotten how to pity?
If God in anger has stifled His compassion...”
Selah.
Section 2 Guide:
1. What is the mental/spiritual block?
2. What might be its source?
The Pivotal Verse
(יא) וָ֭אֹמַר חַלּ֣וֹתִי הִ֑יא שְׁ֝נ֗וֹת יְמִ֣ין עֶלְיֽוֹן׃
(11) And I said, “It is my fault:
The right hand of the Most High has changed.”
Pivot Guide:
1. What is the essential problem troubling the Psalmist?
2. Whom does he blame?
Section 3: The Prayer
(יב) (אזכיר) [אֶזְכּ֥וֹר] מַעַלְלֵי־יָ֑הּ כִּֽי־אֶזְכְּרָ֖ה מִקֶּ֣דֶם פִּלְאֶֽךָ׃ (יג) וְהָגִ֥יתִי בְכׇל־פׇּעֳלֶ֑ךָ וּֽבַעֲלִ֖ילוֹתֶ֣יךָ אָשִֽׂיחָה׃ (יד) אֱ֭לֹהִים בַּקֹּ֣דֶשׁ דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ מִי־אֵ֥ל גָּ֝ד֗וֹל כֵּאלֹהִֽים׃ (טו) אַתָּ֣ה הָ֭אֵל עֹ֣שֵׂה פֶ֑לֶא הוֹדַ֖עְתָּ בָעַמִּ֣ים עֻזֶּֽךָ׃ (טז) גָּאַ֣לְתָּ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּנֵֽי־יַעֲקֹ֖ב וְיוֹסֵ֣ף סֶֽלָה׃ (יז) רָ֘א֤וּךָ מַּ֨יִם ׀ אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים רָא֣וּךָ מַּ֣יִם יָחִ֑ילוּ אַ֝֗ף יִרְגְּז֥וּ תְהֹמֽוֹת׃ (יח) זֹ֤רְמוּ מַ֨יִם ׀ עָב֗וֹת ק֭וֹל נָֽתְנ֣וּ שְׁחָקִ֑ים אַף־חֲ֝צָצֶ֗יךָ יִתְהַלָּֽכוּ׃ (יט) ק֤וֹל רַֽעַמְךָ֨ ׀ בַּגַּלְגַּ֗ל הֵאִ֣ירוּ בְרָקִ֣ים תֵּבֵ֑ל רָגְזָ֖ה וַתִּרְעַ֣שׁ הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כ) בַּיָּ֤ם דַּרְכֶּ֗ךָ (ושביליך) [וּֽ֭שְׁבִילְךָ] בְּמַ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים וְ֝עִקְּבוֹתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א נֹדָֽעוּ׃ (כא) נָחִ֣יתָ כַצֹּ֣אן עַמֶּ֑ךָ בְּֽיַד־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאַהֲרֹֽן׃ {פ}
(12) I recall the deeds of the Holy One;
Yes, I recall Your wonders of old;
(13) I recount all Your works;
I speak of Your acts.
(14) O God, Your ways are holiness;
what god is as great as God?
(15) You are the God who works wonders;
You have manifested Your strength among the peoples.
(16) By Your arm You redeemed Your people,
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
Selah.
(17) The waters saw You, O God,
the waters saw You and were convulsed;
the very deep quaked as well.
(18) Clouds streamed water;
the heavens rumbled;
Your arrows flew about;
(19) Your thunder rumbled like wheels;
lightning lit up the world;
the earth quaked and trembled.
(20) Your way was through the sea,
Y
our path, through the mighty waters;
Your tracks could not be seen.
(21) You led Your people like a flock in the care of Moses and Aaron...
Section 3 Guide:
1. The beginning of section 3, marks the beginning of a prayer. It is hinted at by referring to God's shortest name: Yah. Can you come up with other examples of the use of this name?
2. The narrator shifts his focus, from self to God's wonders. What does this indicate about his mindset?
3. In verse 20, the Psalmist focuses on God's path found amid the chaos and terror of the Sea of Reeds and the persecution of the Egyptian army. Why might he elevate this sense of order as a part of our collective redemption in Egypt? How might this apply to his life?
4. Prof. Middleton has suggested that Psalm 77 is incomplete and needs one final line at the end of verse 21. If this were the case, how would you end the Psalm?
--based on teachings from Prof. Richard Middleton