Teks -- Psalms 77:6 (NET)

77:6 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.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Psa 77:6 - My song

The mercies of God vouchsafed to me, and to his people, which have obliged me to sing his praises, not only in the day, but also by night.

JFB: Psa 77:3-9

His sad state contrasted with former joys.

JFB: Psa 77:3-9 - was troubled

Literally, "violently agitated," or disquieted (Psa 39:6; Psa 41:5).

JFB: Psa 77:3-9 - my spirit was overwhelmed

Or, "fainted" (Psa 107:5; Jon 2:7).

Clarke: Psa 77:6 - I call to remembrance my song in the night

I call to remembrance my song in the night - I do not think that נגינתי neginathi means my song. We know that נגינת neginath signifies some stringed musical instrument that was struck with a plectrum, but here it possibly might be applied to the Psalm that was played on it. But it appears to me rather that the psalmist here speaks of the circumstances of composing the short ode contained in the seventh, eighth, and ninth verses; which it is probable he sung to his harp as a kind of dirge, if indeed he had a harp in that distressful captivity

Clarke: Psa 77:6 - My spirit made diligent search

My spirit made diligent search - The verb חפש chaphas signifies such an investigation as a man makes who is obliged to strip himself in order to do it; or, to lift up coverings, to search fold by fold, or in our phrase, to leave no stone unturned. The Vulgate translates: "Et scopebam spiritum meum ."As scopebam is no pure Latin word, it may probably be taken from the Greek σκοπεω scopeo , "to look about, to consider attentively."It is however used by no author but St. Jerome; and by him only here and in Isa 14:23 : And I will sweep it with the besom of destruction; scopabo eam in scopa terens. Hence we see that he has formed a verb from a noun scope, a sweeping brush or besom; and this sense my old Psalter follows in this place, translating the passage thus: And I sweped my gast: which is thus paraphrased: "And swa I sweped my gaste, (I swept my soul), that is, I purged it of all fylth."

Calvin: Psa 77:6 - I will call to remembrance my song in the night

6.I will call to remembrance my song in the night By his song he denotes the exercise of thanksgiving in which he had engaged during the time of his prosperity. ²⁸⁹ There is no remedy better adapted for healing our sorrows, as I have just now observed, than this; but Satan often craftily suggests to our thoughts the benefits of God, that the very feeling of the want of them may inflict upon our minds a deeper wound. It is, therefore, highly probable, that the prophet was pierced with bitter pangs when he compared the joy experienced by him in time past with the calamities which he was presently suffering. He expressly mentions the night; because, when we are then alone by ourselves, and withdrawn from the society and presence of men, it engenders in the mind more cares and thoughts than are experienced during the day. What is added immediately after with respect to communing with his own heart, is to the same effect. Solitude has an influence in leading men to retire within their own minds, to examine themselves thoroughly, and to speak to themselves freely and in good earnest, when no created being is with them to impose a restraint by his presence.

The last clause of the verse, And my spirit will search diligently, admits of a twofold exposition. The word חפש , chaphas, for search diligently, ²⁹⁰ being in the masculine gender, and the word רוה , ruach, for spirit, being sometimes feminine, some commentators suppose that the name of God is to be understood, and explain the sentence as if the Psalmist had said, There is nothing, O Lord! so hidden in my heart into which thou hast not penetrated. And God is with the highest propriety said to search the spirit of the man whom he awakens from his indolence or torpor, and whom he examines by acute afflictions. Then all hiding — places and retreats, however obscure, are explored, and affections before unknown are brought into the light. As, however, the gender of the noun in the Hebrew language is ambiguous, others more freely translate, MY spirit hath searched diligently. This being the sense which is most generally embraced, and being, at the same time, the most natural, I readily adopt it. In that debate, of which the inspired writer makes mention, he searched for the causes on account of which he was so severely afflicted, and also into what. his calamities would ultimately issue. It is surely highly profitable to meditate on these subjects, and it is the design of God to stir us up to do this when any adversity presses upon us. There is nothing more perverse than the stupidity ²⁹¹ of those who harden themselves under the scourges of God. Only we must keep within due bounds, in order that we may not be swallowed up of over much sorrow, and that the unfathomable depth of the Divine judgments may not overwhelm us by our attempting to search them out thoroughly. The prophet’s meaning is, that when he sought for comfort in all directions, he could find none to assuage the bitterness of his grief.

TSK: Psa 77:6 - my song // commune // and

my song : Psa 42:8; Job 35:10; Hab 3:17, Hab 3:18; Jon 1:2; Act 16:25

commune : Psa 4:4; Ecc 1:16

and : Psa 139:23, Psa 139:24; Job 10:2; Lam 3:40; 1Co 11:28-32

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Psa 77:6 - I call to remembrance my song in the night // My spirit made diligent search

I call to remembrance my song in the night the many and great mercies and favours of God vouchsafed by him to me, and to his people, which have obliged me to adore him, and sing his praises not only in the day, the time appointed for that work. but also by night, as oft as they come into my mind.

My spirit made diligent search what should be the cause of this strange and vast alteration, and how these sore calamities could come from the hand of so gracious and merciful a God as ours is, and what might be expected as to their continuance or removal.

Gill: Psa 77:6 - I call to remembrance my song in the night // I commune with mine own heart // and my spirit made diligent search

I call to remembrance my song in the night,.... What had been an occasion of praising the Lord with a song, and which he had sung in the night seasons, when he was at leisure, his thoughts free, and he retired from company; or it now being night with him, he endeavoured to recollect what had been matter of praise and thankfulness to him, and tried to sing one of those songs now, in order to remove his melancholy thoughts and fears, but all to no purpose:

I commune with mine own heart; or "meditate" ^o with it; looked into his own heart, put questions to it, and conversed with himself, in order to find out the reason of the present dispensation:

and my spirit made diligent search; into the causes of his troubles, and ways and means of deliverance out of them, and what would be the issue and consequence of them; the result of all which was as follows.