Chapter 77

Asaph sings this psalm, exhorting the new people to heed the law of the Gospel, and accusing the ancient Jewish people of the fact that, after many good deeds, they did not retain anything in memory, or better yet, instead of gratitude, they repaid the Benefactor with ingratitude. Ps.77:1. Listen, My people, to My law. What kind of people does this advice offer? Did not those of the Gentiles believe? And what law does he command to obey? Is it not the law of the Gospel? That the pagans are His people, the Prophet Zechariah speaks about this: “and the multitude of the pagans will run to the Lord... and they will be His people” (Zechariah 2:11). Incline your ear to the words of My mouth. Listen diligently to what I tell you. Ps.77:2. I will open My mouth in parables. The Evangelist clearly explained that this was fulfilled when the Lord spoke many parables in the Gospels (Matthew 13:35). Ps.77:3. And our fathers told us. What we heard from the fathers, we all learned at His coming, seeing His works. Ps.77:4. Not hidden from their children in the family. It was not to another generation, but to their children that the Savior performed all His wonderful works. That is why they did not remain silent, “proclaiming” to them “the praises of the Lord and His powers.” Ps.77:5. And put the law in Israel. He gave the Law and the tabernacle of meeting to their fathers, guiding them with the Law to the knowledge of the Savior to the human race, who came after the fulfillment of times. Ps.77:6. Sons being born. This means the holy disciples of the Savior, who “will teach the miracles performed by Christ... to their sons,” that is, through them to those who have come to faith. Ps.77:7. And they will not forget the works of God. They will tell them that by which they will be able to recognize God as their only hope. Ps.77:8. May they not be like their fathers. The apostles, he says, will proclaim the praises of God to those instructed by God himself, so that they seek the commandments of God and do not imitate the madness of their fathers; because that generation did not have a right heart before God, “and do not trust your spirit with God.” Kindred, do not correct your heart. For they did not acquire firm faith in God, not wanting to walk the straight path, but deciding to resist the Divine statutes. Ps.77:9. The sons of Ephraim bark and shoot bows. By the name of one tribe of Ephraim he meant the entire nation of Israel, which separated from Judah; because the Ephraimites set up young men and retreated from serving according to the Law. And having touched on the wickedness of the fathers, he describes in detail all their malice, the abundance of blessings given to them from God, their unfaithfulness to God and the death that befell them for this, so that, admonished by this, they would leave their evil zeal. He says that the sons of Ephraim, that is, all of Israel, taught to fight the evil demons, and like a bow prepared for this, at the very time of the war they changed, renouncing the Lord and God, and bowing to Barabbas, that is, to Satan. Ps.77:10. Not keeping God's covenant. He understands the teaching of the Gospel and what is said: “behold” the day is coming, “and I will bequeath to them... a new covenant” (Jer. 31:31). Their guilt is explained, namely, that, not keeping this covenant, that is, the new law of God, “they returned on the day of battle” (Ps. 77:9). For they did not believe the One who says: “I have departed from the Father... and I am going to the Father” (John 16:28). Those who are hostile to God must be persecuted and overthrown; they are the ones who have raised a war against God. Ps.77:11. And forgetting His good deeds. Although they saw many good deeds, they erased all this from memory. The proof of this is that they handed him over to Pilate and forgot how he came to each of them, doing good and healing those possessed by the devil. Ps.77:12. Before their fathers did miracles. In the same way, he says, they forgot the benefits and miracles of Christ, just as their fathers forgot what was done in Egypt when God freed them. For it seems that the words “before their fathers” mean something similar to this. The psalmist, to put it more clearly, seems to say this: in their crafty zeal they became like their fathers; just as they forgot God, so they forgot. Ps.77:13. Open up the sea and let us see them through. And not only did he do this, but by dividing the sea, he opened the way for everyone. With this verse the Psalmist begins to describe the miracles performed during the first deliverance. For when the Red Sea was divided into parts, the waters parted and rose and rose on both sides; God, by His power, enclosed these waters as if in a bottle, so that when they overflowed they would not drown the people. Ps.77:21. For this reason the Lord heard and despised that is, He did not slow down for long, and seemed to hold back His beneficial hand. Ps.77:24. And give them the bread of heaven. God not only fed their bodies with manna, but also fed their souls with some intelligent heavenly power, which, of course, feeds the Angels. And this can be seen from the very connection of the speech, because as if in the form of an addition it is said: “and the bread of heaven will you give them,” so no less understandable from the words of the Apostle, who said about them that “spiritual food is food” (1 Cor. 10:3); and this is what is now called “the bread of angels” (Ps. 77:25). Ps.77:27. And like sand, sea birds are birds. Here he means krastel (Numbers 11:31). Ps.77:30. I still live in their mouths. The food produced in them a disposition to vomit painfully, as in those who were satiated with meat to such an extent that disgust was aroused towards it. Ps.77:39. And I will remember that the essence of the flesh is the spirit, walk and do not be turned. God had mercy on them, he says, although he saw that they had completely given themselves over to the flesh, that is, to carnal wisdom, and that their spirit was always directed towards carnal lust, and did not turn to repentance and to seek God with all their souls. So, not for any other reason, but for His sole love for mankind, God had mercy on them and saved them. And therefore, the Psalmist said in advance: “He is generous and merciful” (Ps. 77:38). Ps.77:42. And His hand is not remembered on the day on which I delivered from the hand of the one who offends. Having counted the blessings given to them in the sea and in the desert, he describes another way of beneficence, namely, the disasters that befell the enemies. These were: the transformation of the river into blood, dog flies, toads, rust, springs, hail, slander, fire, the sending of fierce angels and everything else until the death of the firstborn. Ps.77:50. Create a path for Your anger. Having bestowed the sacrament of the Lamb, He gave way to His wrath, so that it would pass over His people and not touch those who performed His sacrament. But, having preserved His people by giving rise to anger, God there will be no mercy from the death of their souls, that is, the Egyptians, because he gave them over to the destroyer. Ps.77:54. And I will bring My shrine into the mountain. This means Jerusalem and the church subsequently created in it. This mountain to the south is possessed by His right hand. For the Right Hand of the Father is Christ himself, who preceded the people of old and gave them by lot the land of promise. Ps.77:55. And drive out their tongues from their presence: Amorites, Hittites and other nations. And by lot I have given them lots to give, having driven out and destroyed seven nations; because the Israelites inherited the cities and houses of the exiles. Ps.77:56. And I have tempted and upset the Most High God. The psalmist is referring to idolatry in the times of judges and kings. And I didn’t keep His testimonies. Ps.77:57. And they turned away and rejected, just as their fathers did. Just as their fathers in the desert, having renounced the Savior, made themselves a calf, so they, leaving God, again raised young men and offer sacrifices to them. Ps.77:58. And you angered Him in your hills; because on every mountain peak they offered sacrifices to unclean demons, as the Prophet Hosea says (Hosea 4:13). Ps.77:59. God heard and despised and humiliated Israel. The Israelites were taken into repeated captivity. Ps.77:60. And I will tear down the tabernacle of Shiloh. For the tabernacle was formerly in Shiloh, when Eli and Samuel officiated. A village that has become inhabited by people. “Village” refers to the ark that was returned by these people from the five commanders who took it (1 Samuel 6:4). Ps.77:61. And you delivered their strength and their kindness into captivity. For their strength and kindness was the ark, which was delivered into the hands of the inhabitants of Azot. Ps.77:62. And lock up Your people in arms. Those taken captive died without finding help from anyone; because their neighbors were destroyed by fire. Ps.77:64. The priests fell with their sword. He means the sons of the priest Eli. And their widows will not be mourned. For they died during their death, and died the same death with their husbands and were not worthy of the tears usually shed over the dead. Ps.77:66. And defeat your enemies back. This refers to the defeat of the inhabitants of Azoth and Ascalon “in their seats” (1 Samuel 5:9), until they sent the ark away from them. Ps.77:67. And I will abandon the village of Joseph. This is said because Shiloh was in Joseph's inheritance; Ephraim was the son of Joseph. Ps.77:68. And he chose the tribe of Judah. For from this tribe he appointed kings, of whom David was the first. It must be known that God chose one tribe instead of another - the tribe of Judah instead of Joseph, and one place instead of another - Mount Zion instead of Shiloh. Ps.77:69. And He created His sanctuary like a unicorn. “Sanctuary” refers to the Divine Church created in Jerusalem. And the unicorn is an invincible beast, because it has a sharp horn on its forehead and with it it kills every beast. Therefore, the Psalmist says that when the Divine church was built, all nations were found to yield to the power that abided in it. Ps.77:71. He was taken from the milking women, that is, from newborns and those giving birth. And taking him as one who was knowledgeable in the art of shepherding and who knew how to take care of the milking sheep, he made him a shepherd of the verbal sheep. Shepherd Jacob his servant. That is, he became a teacher of good morals for them, teaching them what he was distinguished by. Ps.77:72. And in my understanding I directed my hand to eat. “The mind of the hands” refers to every deed done at the proper time. You might be interested in: