For the meaning of the title to this psalm, see the notes at the title to Psalm 39:1-13. It purports, like the preceding ones, to be a psalm of Asaph. See the notes in the title to Ps. 73. Nothing is known, or can now be ascertained, of the occasion on which the psalm was composed. It is not absolutely certain whether it refers to some public calamity, and is designed to express the feelings of a pious Hebrew, as of the psalmist himself (Rosenmuller), or some other Jew (DeWette), in view of such a public calamity; or whether it is designed to represent the "complaint of the church in view of her calamity and desertion (Prof. Alexander); or whether it is the statement of the private and personal experience of the author of the psalm. To me it seems that the latter is the most probable supposition, and that, in this respect, it accords with the purport and design of Ps. 73, which is by the same author. It is an interesting statement of what passed through the mind of the author, and of what may, therefore, pass through the mind of any pious person, in regard to the divine dealings. The psalm was evidently composed in a time of affliction, and the thoughts which gave the author so much trouble, and which he endeavored to calm down, were such as were suggested by affliction; by the fact that God seemed to have forsaken him, and that he had forgotten to be gracious.
The contents of the psalm are as follows:
I. A general statement of the author that he had cried to God, and that he had been heard, Psalm 77:1. This, although it is in the beginning of the psalm, is clearly designed to be a general expression of his experience in the case "as recorded in the psalm," or as the result of the conflict through which he had passed.
II. A statement of his affliction, and of the exercises of his mind in his affliction, Psalm 77:2-9.
(1) the statement of the affliction, Psalm 77:2.
(2) in that affliction he was troubled in mind, or he had painful ideas in regard to God. He could not reconcile his sufferings with such views as he desired to cherish of God, Psalm 77:3.
(3) his meditations, and perhaps the pain of disease, kept him awake, and he was unable to rest. The ordinary time of repose furnished no relief, Psalm 77:4.
(4) he recalled the past; he looked over the dealings of God with people in former times; he summoned up his own reflections in times past, and especially the time when he could praise God in trouble, recalling his "song in the night" - but in vain, Psalm 77:5-6.
(5) the result was that he had most painful thoughts in regard to God, as if he had forgotten to be gracious, and had cast him off forever, and would be favorable no more, Psalm 77:7-9.
III. His self-reproach; his recalling himself to a proper state of feeling; his purpose to think of the dealings of God with his people, and to examine them more closely, Psalm 77:10-12. He saw that the course of thought which he had indulged in was wrong, and was satisfied that it was an "infirmity," that it was to be traced to his own weakness - and that he ought to take different views of God.
IV. The result of all; the things which comforted him in his troubles, and which enabled him at last to put his calm trust in God, Psalm 77:13-20.
He refers
(1) To the fact that God is great, and that he could not hope to be able to comprehend him, Psalm 77:13-14.
(2) to the fact that God had redeemed his people by surprising manifestations of power, showing that he was faithful, and that he was able to deliver front the deepest distresses, Psalm 77:15-18.
(3) to the fact that the way of God was in the sea, or in great waters, and that we cannot expect to be able to comprehend him, Psalm 77:19.
(4) to the fact that God had led his flock in ancient times amid scenes of danger and of trial, Psalm 77:20.
By all this his mind was comforted, and his soul was made calm. God heard his prayer, and gave him peace.

The psalmist's ardent prayer to God in the tine of distress, Psalm 77:1-4. The means he used to excite his confidence, Psalm 77:5-12. God's wonderful works in behalf of his people, Psalm 77:13-20.
The title, "To the chief Musician, (or conqueror), to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph." On this title we may observe that both Asaph and Jeduthun were celebrated singers in the time of David, and no doubt were masters or leaders of bands which long after their times were called by their names. Hence Psalm composed during and after the captivity have these names prefixed to them. But there is reason to believe also, that there was a person of the name of Asaph in the captivity at Babylon. The author must be considered as speaking in the persons of the captive Israelites, It may however be adapted to the case of any individual in spiritual distress through strong temptation, or from a sense of the Divine displeasure in consequence of backsliding.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 77
To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph. Jeduthun was the name of the chief musician, to whom this psalm was inscribed and sent; see 1-Chronicles 25:1, though Aben Ezra takes it to be the first word of some song, to the tune of which this was sung; and the Midrash interprets it of the subject of the psalm, which is followed by Jarchi, who explains it thus,
"concerning the decrees and judgments which passed upon Israel;''
that is, in the time of their present captivity, to which, as he, Kimchi, and Arama think, the whole psalm belongs. Some interpreters refer it to the affliction of the Jews in Babylon, so Theodoret; or under Ahasuerus, or Antiochus; and others to the great and last distress of the church under antichrist; though it seems to express the particular case of the psalmist, and which is common to other saints.

(Psalm 77:1-10) The psalmist's troubles and temptation.
(Psalm 77:11-20) He encourages himself by the remembrance of God's help of his people.

Comfort Derived from the History of the Past during Years of Affliction
"The earth feared and became still," says Psalm 76:9; the earth trembled and shook, says Psalm 77:19 : this common thought is the string on which these two Psalm are strung. In a general way it may be said of Psalm 77, that the poet flees from the sorrowful present away into the memory of the years of olden times, and consoles himself more especially with the deliverance out of Egypt, so rich in wonders. As to the rest, however, it remains obscure what kind of national affliction it is which drives him to find his refuge from the God who is now hidden in the God who was formerly manifest. At any rate it is not a purely personal affliction, but, as is shown by the consolation sought in the earlier revelations of power and mercy in connection with the national history, an affliction shared in company with the whole of his people. In the midst of this hymnic retrospect the Psalm suddenly breaks off, so that Olshausen is of opinion that it is mutilated, and Tholuck that the author never completed it. But as Psalm 77 and Ps 81 show, it is the Asaphic manner thus to close with an historical picture without the line of thought recurring to its commencement. Where our Psalm leaves off, Habakkuk. 3 goes on, taking it up from that point like a continuation. For the prophet begins with the prayer to revive that deed of redemption of the Mosaic days of old, and in the midst of wrath to remember mercy; and in expression and figures which are borrowed from our Psalm, he then beholds a fresh deed of redemption by which that of old is eclipsed. Thus much, at least, is therefore very clear, that Psalm 77 is older than Habakkuk. Hitzig certainly calls the psalmist the reader and imitator of Habakkuk. 3; and Philippson considers even the mutual relationship to be accidental and confined to a general similarity of certain expressions. We, however, believe that we have proved in our Commentary on Habakkuk (1843), S. 118-125, that the mutual relationship is one that is deeply grounded in the prophetic type of Habakkuk, and that the Psalm is heard to re-echo in Habakkuk, not Habakkuk in the language of the psalmist; just as in general the Asaphic Psalm are full of boldly sketched outlines to be filled in by later prophetic writers. We also now further put this question: how was it possible for the gloomy complaint of Psalm 77, which is turned back to the history of the past, to mould itself after Habakkuk. 3, that joyous looking forward into a bright and blessed future? Is not the prospect in Habakkuk. 3 rather the result of that retrospect in Psalm 77, the confidence in being heard which is kindled by this Psalm, the realizing as present, in the certainty of being heard, of a new deed of God in which the deliverances in the days of Moses are antitypically revived?
More than this, viz., that the Psalm is older than Habakkuk, who entered upon public life in the reign of Josiah, or even as early as in the reign of Manasseh, cannot be maintained. For it cannot be inferred from Psalm 77:16 and Psalm 77:3, compared with Genesis 37:35, that one chief matter of pain to the psalmist was the fall of the kingdom of the ten tribes which took place in his time. Nothing more, perhaps, than the division of the kingdom which had already taken place seems to be indicated in these passages. The bringing of the tribes of Joseph prominently forward is, however, peculiar to the Asaphic circle of songs.
The task of the precentor is assigned by the inscription to Jeduthun (Chethb: Jeduthun), for ל (Psalm 39:1) alternates with על (Psalm 62:1); and the idea that ידותון denotes the whole of the Jeduthunites ("overseer over...") might be possible, but is without example.
The strophe schema of the Psalm is 7. 12. 12. 12. 2. The first three strophes or groups of stichs close with Sela.