Salmos 77
Dios Habla Hoy
Reflexiones sobre los actos de Dios
(1) Del maestro de coro. De Jedutún. Salmo de Asaf.
77 (2) A Dios clamo con fuerte voz
para que él me escuche.
2 (3) El día que estoy triste busco al Señor,
y sin cesar levanto mis manos
en oración por las noches.
Mi alma no encuentra consuelo.
3 (4) Me acuerdo de Dios, y lloro;
me pongo a pensar, y me desanimo.
4 (5) Tú, Señor, no me dejas pegar los ojos;
¡estoy tan aturdido, que no puedo hablar!
5 (6) Pienso en los días y los años de antes;
6 (7) recuerdo cuando cantaba por las noches.
En mi interior medito, y me pregunto:
7 (8) ¿Acaso va a estar siempre enojado el Señor?
¿No volverá a tratarnos con bondad?
8 (9) ¿Acaso su amor se ha terminado?
¿Se ha acabado su promesa para siempre?
9 (10) ¿Acaso se ha olvidado Dios de su bondad?
¿Está tan enojado, que ya no tiene compasión?
10 (11) Lo que más me duele es pensar
que el Altísimo ya no es el mismo con nosotros.
11 (12) Recordaré las maravillas
que hizo el Señor en otros tiempos;
12 (13) pensaré en todo lo que ha hecho.
13 (14) Oh Dios, tú eres santo en tus acciones;
¿qué dios hay tan grande como tú?
14 (15) ¡Tú eres el Dios que hace maravillas!
¡Diste a conocer tu poder a las naciones!
15 (16) Con tu poder rescataste a tu pueblo,
a los hijos de Jacob y de José.
16 (17) Oh Dios,
cuando el mar te vio, tuvo miedo,
y temblaron sus aguas más profundas;
17 (18) las nubes dejaron caer su lluvia,
y hubo truenos en el cielo
y relámpagos por todas partes.
18 (19) Se oían tus truenos en el torbellino;
el mundo se iluminó con tus relámpagos
y la tierra se sacudió con temblores.
19 (20) Te abriste paso por el mar;
atravesaste muchas aguas,
pero nadie encontró tus huellas.
20 (21) Dirigiste a tu pueblo como a un rebaño,
por medio de Moisés y de Aarón.
Psaumes 77
La Bible du Semeur
Dieu aurait-il changé ?
77 Au chef de chœur, selon Yedoutoun[a]. Un psaume d’Asaph[b].
2 J’appelle Dieu, ╵je crie vers lui ;
j’appelle Dieu, ╵et il m’écoute.
3 Au jour de ma détresse, ╵je m’adresse au Seigneur
tout au long de la nuit, sans cesse, ╵je tends les mains vers lui,
je reste inconsolable.
4 Dès que je pense à Dieu, ╵je me mets à gémir,
et quand je réfléchis, ╵j’ai l’esprit abattu.
Pause
5 Quand je veux m’endormir, ╵tu me tiens en éveil.
Me voici dans le trouble : ╵je ne sais plus que dire.
6 Je songe aux jours passés,
aux années d’autrefois,
7 j’évoque mes cantiques, ╵au milieu de la nuit,
je médite en moi-même,
et les questions me viennent :
8 « L’abandon du Seigneur ╵va-t-il durer toujours ?
Ne redeviendra-t-il ╵plus jamais favorable ?
9 Son amour serait-il ╵épuisé à jamais ?
Sa parole va-t-elle pour toujours ╵rester sans suite ?
10 Dieu a-t-il oublié ╵de manifester sa faveur ?
A-t-il, dans sa colère, ╵éteint sa compassion ? »
Pause
11 Voici, me dis-je, ╵ce qui fait ma souffrance :
« Le Très-Haut n’agit plus ╵comme autrefois. »
12 Je me rappellerai ╵ce qu’a fait l’Eternel.
Oui, je veux évoquer ╵tes prodiges passés,
13 je veux méditer sur toutes tes œuvres,
et réfléchir à tes hauts faits.
14 Dieu, tu agis saintement !
Quel dieu est aussi grand que Dieu ?
15 Car toi, tu es le Dieu ╵qui réalise des prodiges !
Tu as manifesté ╵ta puissance parmi les peuples.
16 Et tu as libéré ton peuple,
les enfants de Jacob, ╵comme ceux de Joseph,
en mettant en œuvre ta force.
Pause
17 Les eaux[c] t’ont vu, ô Dieu,
les eaux t’ont vu, ╵et elles se sont mises ╵à bouillonner,
et même les abîmes ╵ont été ébranlés.
18 Les nuées déversèrent ╵de la pluie en torrents,
et dans le ciel d’orage, ╵retentit le tonnerre.
Tes flèches[d] sillonnaient ╵le ciel dans tous les sens.
19 Au vacarme de ton tonnerre, ╵du sein de la tornade,
l’éclat de tes éclairs ╵illuminait le monde,
et la terre en fut ébranlée, ╵et se mit à trembler.
20 Au milieu de la mer, ╵tu as frayé ta route
et tracé ton sentier ╵parmi les grandes eaux[e].
Et nul n’a discerné ╵la trace de tes pas.
21 Tu as conduit ton peuple ╵comme un troupeau
Par le moyen ╵du ministère de Moïse ╵et d’Aaron.
Psalm 77
New English Translation
Psalm 77[a]
For the music director, Jeduthun; a psalm of Asaph.
77 I will cry out to God[b] and call for help.
I will cry out to God and he will pay attention[c] to me.
2 In my time of trouble I sought[d] the Lord.
I kept my hand raised in prayer throughout the night.[e]
I[f] refused to be comforted.
3 I said, “I will remember God while I groan;
I will think about him while my strength leaves me.”[g] (Selah)
4 You held my eyelids open;[h]
I was troubled and could not speak.[i]
5 I thought about the days of old,
about ancient times.[j]
6 I said, “During the night I will remember the song I once sang;
I will think very carefully.”
I tried to make sense of what was happening.[k]
7 I asked,[l] “Will the Lord reject me forever?
Will he never again show me his favor?
8 Has his loyal love disappeared forever?
Has his promise[m] failed forever?
9 Has God forgotten to be merciful?
Has his anger stifled his compassion?” (Selah)
10 Then I said, “I am sickened by the thought
that the Most High[n] might become inactive.[o]
11 I will remember the works of the Lord.
Yes, I will remember the amazing things you did long ago.[p]
12 I will think about all you have done;
I will reflect upon your deeds.”
13 [q] O God, your deeds are extraordinary.[r]
What god can compare to our great God?[s]
14 You are the God who does amazing things;
you have revealed your strength among the nations.
15 You delivered[t] your people by your strength[u]—
the children of Jacob and Joseph. (Selah)
16 The waters[v] saw you, O God,
the waters saw you and trembled.[w]
Yes, the depths of the sea[x] shook with fear.[y]
17 The clouds poured down rain;[z]
the skies thundered.[aa]
Yes, your arrows[ab] flashed about.
18 Your thunderous voice was heard in the wind;
the lightning bolts lit up the world.
The earth trembled and shook.[ac]
19 You walked through the sea;[ad]
you passed through the surging waters,[ae]
but left no footprints.[af]
20 You led your people like a flock of sheep,
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Footnotes
- Psalm 77:1 sn Psalm 77. The psalmist recalls how he suffered through a time of doubt, but tells how he found encouragement and hope as he recalled the way in which God delivered Israel at the Red Sea.
- Psalm 77:1 tn Heb “my voice to God.” The Hebrew verb קָרָא (qaraʾ, “to call out; to cry out”) should probably be understood by ellipsis (see Ps 3:4) both here and in the following (parallel) line.
- Psalm 77:1 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive is best taken as future here (although some translations render this as a past tense; cf. NEB, NIV). The psalmist expresses his confidence that God will respond to his prayer. This mood of confidence seems premature (see vv. 3-4), but v. 1 probably reflects the psalmist’s attitude at the end of the prayer (see vv. 13-20). Having opened with an affirmation of confidence, he then retraces how he gained confidence during his trial (see vv. 2-12).
- Psalm 77:2 tn Here the psalmist refers back to the very recent past, when he began to pray for divine help.
- Psalm 77:2 tn Heb “my hand [at] night was extended and was not growing numb.” The verb נָגַר (nagar), which can mean “flow” in certain contexts, here has the nuance “be extended.” The imperfect form (תָפוּג, tafug, “to be numb”) is used here to describe continuous action in the past.
- Psalm 77:2 tn Or “my soul.” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).
- Psalm 77:3 tn Heb “I will remember God and I will groan, I will reflect and my spirit will grow faint.” The first three verbs are cohortatives, the last a perfect with vav (ו) consecutive. The psalmist’s statement in v. 4 could be understood as concurrent with v. 1, or, more likely, as a quotation of what he had said earlier as he prayed to God (see v. 2). The words “I said” are supplied in the translation at the beginning of the verse to reflect this interpretation (see v. 10).
- Psalm 77:4 tn Heb “you held fast the guards of my eyes.” The “guards of the eyes” apparently refers to his eyelids. The psalmist seems to be saying that God would not bring him relief, which would have allowed him to shut his eyes and get some sleep (see v. 2).
- Psalm 77:4 tn The imperfect is used in the second clause to emphasize that this was an ongoing condition in the past.
- Psalm 77:5 tn Heb “the years of antiquity.”
- Psalm 77:6 tn Heb “I will remember my song in the night, with my heart I will reflect. And my spirit searched.” As in v. 4, the words of v. 6a are understood as what the psalmist said earlier. Consequently the words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 10). The prefixed verbal form with vav (ו) consecutive at the beginning of the final line is taken as sequential to the perfect “I thought” in v. 6.
- Psalm 77:7 tn As in vv. 4 and 6a, the words of vv. 7-9 are understood as a quotation of what the psalmist said earlier. Therefore the words “I asked” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Psalm 77:8 tn Heb “word,” which may refer here to God’s word of promise (note the reference to “loyal love” in the preceding line).
- Psalm 77:10 sn The divine title “Most High” (עֶלְיוֹן, ʿelyon) pictures God as the exalted ruler of the universe who vindicates the innocent and judges the wicked. See especially Pss 7:17; 9:2; 18:13; 21:7; 47:2.
- Psalm 77:10 tc Heb “And I said, ‘This is my wounding, the changing of the right hand of the Most High.’” The form חַלּוֹתִי (khalloti) appears to be a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbal root חָלַל (khalal, “to pierce; to wound”). The present translation assumes an emendation to חֲלוֹתִי (khaloti), a Qal infinitive construct (with a first person singular pronominal suffix) from the verbחָלָה (khalah, “be sick, weak”). The form שְׁנוֹת (shenot) is understood as a Qal infinitive construct from שָׁנָה (shanah, “to change”) rather than a plural noun form, “years” (see v. 5). “Right hand” here symbolizes by metonymy God’s power and activity. The psalmist observes that his real problem is theological in nature. His experience suggests that the sovereign Lord has abandoned him and become inactive. However, this goes against the grain of his most cherished beliefs.
- Psalm 77:11 tn Heb “yes, I will remember from old your wonders.”sn The psalmist refuses to allow skepticism to win out. God has revealed himself to his people in tangible, incontrovertible ways in the past and the psalmist vows to remember the historical record as a source of hope for the future.
- Psalm 77:13 sn Verses 13-20 are the content of the psalmist’s reflection (see vv. 11-12). As he thought about God’s work in Israel’s past, he reached the place where he could confidently cry out for God’s help (see v. 1).
- Psalm 77:13 tn Heb “O God, in holiness [is] your way.” God’s “way” here refers to his actions. “Holiness” is used here in the sense of “set apart, unique,” rather than in a moral/ethical sense. As the next line and the next verse emphasize, God’s deeds are incomparable and set him apart as the one true God.
- Psalm 77:13 tn Heb “Who [is] a great god like God?” The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “No one!”
- Psalm 77:15 tn Or “redeemed.”
- Psalm 77:15 tn Heb “with [your] arm.”
- Psalm 77:16 tn The waters of the Red Sea are here personified; they are portrayed as seeing God and fearing him.
- Psalm 77:16 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
- Psalm 77:16 tn The words “of the sea” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Psalm 77:16 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.
- Psalm 77:17 tn Heb “water.”
- Psalm 77:17 tn Heb “a sound the clouds gave.”
- Psalm 77:17 tn The lightning accompanying the storm is portrayed as the Lord’s “arrows” (see v. 18).
- Psalm 77:18 tn The prefixed verbal form may be taken as a preterite or as an imperfect with past progressive force.sn Verses 16-18 depict the Lord coming in the storm to battle his enemies and subdue the sea. There is no record of such a storm in the historical account of the Red Sea crossing. The language the psalmist uses here is stereotypical and originates in Canaanite myth, where the storm god Baal subdues the sea in his quest for kingship. The psalmist has employed the stereotypical imagery to portray the exodus vividly and at the same time affirm that it is not Baal who subdues the sea, but Yahweh.
- Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “in the sea [was] your way.”
- Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “and your paths [were] in the mighty waters.”
- Psalm 77:19 tn Heb “and your footprints were not known.”
Psalm 77
Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 77
To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph.
1 I cried unto God with my voice,
even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
2 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord:
my sore ran in the night, and ceased not:
my soul refused to be comforted.
3 I remembered God, and was troubled:
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.
4 Thou holdest mine eyes waking:
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 made diligent search.
7 Will the Lord cast off for ever?
and will he be favourable no more?
8 Is his mercy 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 remember the works of the Lord:
surely I will remember thy wonders of old.
12 I will meditate also of all thy work,
and talk of thy doings.
13 Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary:
who is so great a God as our God?
14 Thou art the God that doest wonders:
thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
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 were troubled.
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 heaven:
the lightnings lightened the world:
the earth trembled and shook.
19 Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters,
and thy footsteps are not known.
20 Thou leddest thy people like a flock
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
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