Psalms 77:16

16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.

Psalms 77:16 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 77:16

The waters saw thee, O God
The waters not of Jordan, but of the Red sea; these felt and perceived the power of God, in causing a strong east wind, which dried it up, and made way for the children of Israel to pass through it as on dry land: compare with this ( Psalms 114:3 ) ( Habakkuk 3:10 ) ,

the waters saw thee;
which is repeated for the confirmation of it, and to excite attention to it, as well as to express the psalmist's admiration at it; the Targum is,

``they saw thy majesty in the midst of the sea, O God; they saw thy power upon the sea;''

not the Egyptians, but the sons of Jacob and Joseph; the old Syriac church understood these waters of the waters of Jordan, at the baptism of Christ, when in their way they saw the incarnate God, and felt his sacred body laid in them, by which he was made manifest to Israel; but Jerom better interprets them, by the help of ( Revelation 17:15 ) of people, nations, and tongues; some of which saw Christ corporeally, others spiritually, and by faith, as preached in the Gospel to the Gentile world:

they were afraid;
of the majesty of God, obeyed their Sovereign, of whom they stood in awe, gave way unto him, and fled at his rebuke, see ( Psalms 114:5 ) or "were in pain" ^F26, as a woman in travail, as were the Gentile world at the preaching of the Gospel of redemption and salvation by Christ, ( Romans 8:22 ) ,

the depths also were troubled;
not only the surface, or waves of the waters, were moved by the strong east wind, through the power of God, but the bottom of the sea was reached by it; the depths were congealed in the midst of it, the channels of water were seen, and the foundation of the world discovered, and the children of Israel went through the deep as on dry land, see ( Exodus 15:8 ) ( Psalms 18:15 ) .

---

FOOTNOTES:

F26 (wlyx) "parturierunt", Montanus, Vatablus; "dolore corruptae sunt, videl dolore parturientium", Piscator; so Ainsworth.

Psalms 77:16 In-Context

14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.

15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)

16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.

17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.

18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.