Psalm 77 2

Psalm 77:2 kjv

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.

Psalm 77:2 nkjv

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted.

Psalm 77:2 niv

When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands, and I would not be comforted.

Psalm 77:2 esv

In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.

Psalm 77:2 nlt

When I was in deep trouble,
I searched for the Lord.
All night long I prayed, with hands lifted toward heaven,
but my soul was not comforted.

Psalm 77 verses

Psalm 77 2 Meaning

Psalm 77:2 depicts the psalmist Asaph's deep spiritual and emotional distress. In his time of trouble, he urgently and continually sought the Lord through prayer, extending his efforts even into the night without relenting. His anguish was so profound that his soul actively resisted any earthly comfort, indicating a suffering that could only find solace or resolution in God Himself. It speaks to a wrestling prayer born out of inconsolable grief and an exclusive focus on the Divine as the sole source of aid.

Psalm 77 2 Context

Psalm 77 is a lament psalm authored by Asaph, one of the chief musicians in King David's and Solomon's temples. It reflects a shift from deep personal lament to a remembering of God's mighty acts in the past, leading to renewed hope and trust. Verse 2 is part of the opening section (verses 1-3), which describes the psalmist's profound distress and his unceasing, almost desperate, attempt to communicate with God. The immediate context portrays a person overwhelmed by anxiety, likely experiencing a spiritual crisis or national calamity, feeling distant from God despite fervent prayer. This section sets the stage for the rest of the psalm, where Asaph transitions from self-focused anguish to remembering God's steadfast character and historical faithfulness.

Psalm 77 2 Word analysis

• In the day of my trouble (בְּיוֹם צָרָתִי - bə-yōm ṣārāṯî)
  • "day" (yōm): Refers to a specific time, implying a distinct period marked by adversity.
  • "trouble" (ṣārāh): Conveys a state of extreme distress, anguish, tightness, or affliction. It signifies a situation where one feels hemmed in and unable to find relief.
    • Significance: It's a personal confession of affliction, setting the emotional tone for the verse and highlighting the catalyst for his seeking God.
• I sought the Lord (דָּרַשְׁתִּי יְהוָה - dārašṭî YHVH)
  • "sought" (dārašṭî from root dāraš): Implies a diligent, earnest, and often persistent inquiry, searching, or consultation, not a casual or fleeting thought.
  • "the Lord" (YHWH): The covenant name of God, indicating that Asaph specifically addressed the personal, relational, and mighty God of Israel, not any general deity.
    • Significance: This emphasizes direct, intentional, and covenantal engagement with the one true God, highlighting that God alone is the object of his desperate plea, a stark contrast to polytheistic practices.
• my hand (יָדִי - yāḏî)
  • "hand" (yāḏ): Literal physical hand, but in the context of prayer, it often symbolizes effort, activity, and devotion. Stretching out hands was a common posture for prayer and supplication.
    • Significance: It points to the physical manifestation of his inner anguish and sustained spiritual effort in prayer.
• was stretched out (נִטְּפָה - niṭṭəpāh)
  • This is the Niphal perfect of naṭap (נטף), which literally means "to drip, drop, or distill." Its exact meaning in this context is debated among scholars and translations.
    • Interpretations:
      1. "Kept dripping": Implies an unending flow, perhaps of sweat or tears from intense, prolonged effort in prayer, or even an incessant physical activity that wears out the hand.
      2. "Was stretched out/extended": An interpretive rendering that connects the action to the posture of prayer (hands outstretched) and fits the context of persistent supplication. This might imply the continuous offering of his whole being.
      3. "Did not grow numb/slack/draw back": Some scholarly interpretations connect it to the idea of persistent strength despite fatigue, or a continuous extension without retraction.
    • Significance: Regardless of the precise literal translation, the core meaning conveyed is one of unrelenting, exhaustive, and continuous exertion in prayer.
• in the night (בַּלַּיְלָה - bal·lay·lāh)
  • "night" (laylâ): Symbolizes a time of darkness, isolation, fear, introspection, and sustained effort without interruption. It's when natural rest should occur but is interrupted by distress.
    • Significance: Highlights the intense, private, and ceaseless nature of his supplication, implying sleeplessness due to overwhelming burden.
• without ceasing (וְלֹא תָפוּג - wə·lō tā·p̄ūḡ)
  • "without ceasing" (lit. "and not cease/slacken" from pūḡ - פוג): Emphasizes continuous action, not letting up or growing faint.
    • Significance: Reinforces the psalmist's persistence and determination in prayer, indicating an unbroken period of desperate seeking.
• my soul refused to be comforted (מֵאֲנָה הִנָּחֵם נַפְשִׁי - mêʾănâ hinnāḥēm nap̄šî)
  • "refused" (mêʾănâ from root māʾan): A strong, emphatic denial or rejection, indicating a stubborn or determined unwillingness.
  • "to be comforted" (hinnāḥēm from root nāḥam): To receive solace, relief, or consolation, implying an alleviation of sorrow or distress.
  • "my soul" (nap̄šî): Refers to his entire being—his life, mind, emotions, inner person, or self.
    • Significance: Reveals the profound depth of his internal anguish, indicating that his suffering was beyond the scope of human comfort. It implies a spiritual agony so deep that only God's intervention could truly satisfy or bring peace, an indirect polemic against relying on anything less than God.

Psalm 77 2 Bonus section

The profound individual distress expressed by Asaph in Psalm 77:2 is particularly striking for someone who served as a prominent figure in public worship, a choirmaster, and likely a prophet ("seer" - 2 Chr 29:30). His deep, personal struggle contrasts sharply with his public role, reminding us that faith leaders and fervent worshippers are not immune to intense personal trials. His refusal to be comforted can be interpreted not merely as despondency, but as an exclusive allegiance to God – human efforts at comfort are secondary, even irrelevant, compared to the divine comfort he yearns for. This strong resolve highlights a polemical stance against syncretism common in ancient Israel; he sought only YHWH, rejecting the impulse to turn to other deities or rituals in his crisis, affirming the sufficiency and sole comfort found in the God of Israel.

Psalm 77 2 Commentary

Psalm 77:2 encapsulates the raw and desperate reality of an individual in profound spiritual and emotional turmoil. Asaph, feeling overwhelmed by an unspecified "trouble," instinctively and incessantly turned to the Lord, demonstrating a life shaped by trust in YHWH as the sole recourse. The imagery of his "hand" continuously engaged and the setting "in the night" conveys both the physical exhaustion and the persistent spiritual vigilance of his prayer. The unique, ambiguous Hebrew word for "was stretched out" or "kept dripping" vividly portrays an agonizing, sustained effort in supplication – prayer offered with such intensity that it almost depletes the worshiper.

His definitive statement, "my soul refused to be comforted," is pivotal. It speaks to a level of grief so absolute that ordinary human solace, logical reasoning, or worldly distractions held no sway. This is not mere stubbornness but an expression of profound, all-consuming despair that recognized no lesser solution than the divine. It implies a recognition that the ultimate comfort and resolution to his suffering lay beyond human capacity, exclusively in the hands of the very God he was earnestly seeking. This deep inconsolability became a testament to the magnitude of his distress, yet also a powerful drive toward relentless seeking of the only one who could truly comfort. The psalmist's experience underscores that genuine solace for deep spiritual anguish comes only from God, emphasizing exclusive reliance on Him.

Examples: A parent's inconsolable grief over a lost child that no words or actions can soothe; a person suffering from deep depression or anxiety who feels disconnected from all sources of joy or comfort; an individual facing a grave spiritual crisis, unable to find peace despite external support, feeling their comfort can only come from direct encounter with the Lord.