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Christmas · The Second Sunday after Christmas

Psalm 77:11-20

I Will Remember the Deeds of the Lord

January 4, 2026

The Crossing of the Red Sea (Le Passage de la mer Rouge), Nicolas Poussin
The Crossing of the Red Sea (Le Passage de la mer Rouge), Nicolas Poussin, c. 1633–1634Wikimedia Commons
The sea stands up in walls while the Israelites gather on the far bank among the washed-up armour, every figure doing something different.Your way was through the sea, your path through the mighty waters, yet your footprints were unseen.Nicolas PoussinA French painter who lived almost entirely in Rome, building his compositions from wax figures in a box, and became the model of classical order.Wikimedia CommonsNo holding institution is recorded with the image; it is known from the public domain reproduction.Wikimedia Commons
Historic One-Year Lectionary
GospelMatt. 2:13-23Mt 2:13-23
Epistle1 Pet. 4:12-191 Pt 4:12-19
Old TestamentGen. 46:1-7Gn 46:1-7
PsalterPs. 77:11-20Ps 77:11-20

Overview & Insights

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old.” (Psalm 77:11)

Has God Forgotten to Be Merciful? Nothing like the silence of God in the face of distress brings the sinking feeling of despair. The Bible does not offer a prepackaged answer to this problem, but—remarkably—the divine word is a humane word, and so comes alongside to help. It offers not only God’s words to us but also words that we may bring to God—even when he does not seem to be listening. Psalm 77 gives no hint as to what may have been its immediate occasion. It simply refers to distress (v. 2). It soon becomes evident that the overriding problem is not this distress, whatever it may be, but God’s silence in the face of this distress. The immediate trouble has become simply a backdrop for a larger dilemma of faith. Psalm 77 is a peculiar composite: it consists of lament typical of the prayer psalms of the individual, and it consists of praise of God’s historic deeds typical of corporate hymns.

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Commentary

Psalm 77 - Comfort in Times of TroublePs 77 - Comfort in Times of Trouble Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik's notes on remembering the deeds of the Lord and his way through the sea.

Psalm 77:11 CommentariesPs 77:11 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentators on recalling the works and wonders of the Lord.

Background & Word Study

Psalm 77:11 Interlinear (Hebrew)Ps 77:11 Interlinear (Hebrew) BibleHub

Hebrew word-by-word text for study of zakar (remember) and the mighty deeds of God.

Psalms 77 (Hebrew and English)Ps 77 (Hebrew and English) Sefaria

Parallel Hebrew and English with Jewish commentary links for the psalm of remembrance.

Book of Psalms OverviewBook of Ps Overview BibleProject

Animated overview of the shape and theology of the Psalter.

The Church Fathers

Catena: Psalm 77Catena: Ps 77 Catena

Patristic comment on Psalm 77 gathered verse by verse from the church fathers.

Questions preachers ask

What comforts the psalmist in Psalm 77?

In the night of trouble the psalmist turns from his own grief to remember God's mighty acts, above all the exodus, when God's way was through the sea and he led his people like a flock.

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