The Meaning of Psalms 77:1 Explained

Psalms 77:1

KJV: {To the chief Musician, to Jeduthun, A Psalm of Asaph.} I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.

YLT: To the Overseer, for Jeduthun. -- A Psalm of Asaph. My voice is to God, and I cry, my voice is to God, And He hath given ear unto me.

Darby: {To the chief Musician. On Jeduthun. Of Asaph. A Psalm.} My voice is unto God, and I will cry; my voice is unto God, and he will give ear unto me.

ASV: I will cry unto God with my voice, Even unto God with my voice; and he will give ear unto me.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

{{To the chief Musician,  to Jeduthun,  A Psalm  of Asaph.  }} I cried  unto God  with my voice,  [even] unto God  with my voice;  and he gave ear  unto me. 

What does Psalms 77:1 Mean?

Study Notes

Jeduthun
.

Context Summary

Psalms 77:1-10 - "doth His Promise Fail?"
There is a strong resemblance between this psalm and Habakkuk 3:1-19. It may be divided at the Selahs. The psalmist's anguish, Psalms 77:1-3. It is well to give expression to grief. Do not lock it in your breast. Even in the thick darkness reach out your hands toward God. Your finger-tips will find themselves touched by the divine response. Refuse to be comforted by Christian work, or by the diversions of society and business, or by the exercise of a strong will. Open the wound to God; He will heal it and wipe away your tears.
The contrast between past and present, Psalms 77:4-9. In the scarcity of his comfort, David was glad to live on his old stores, as are bees in winter. He specially recalled his song in the night, which is probably the equivalent of that glorying in tribulation of which the New Testament is full. Let us answer those questions of the psalmist: Will the Lord cast off? No; Romans 11:1. Will He be favorable? Yes; Lamentations 3:32. Is His mercy clean gone? No; Psalms 103:17. Doth his promise fail? No; Hebrews 6:18. Hath God forgotten to be gracious? No; Exodus 34:6. Hath He shut up his mercies? No; Lamentations 3:22-23. He is Jehovah, and changes not. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 77

1  The psalmist shows what fierce combat he had with distrust
10  The victory which he had by consideration of God's great and gracious works

What do the individual words in Psalms 77:1 mean?

To the Chief Musician to Jeduthun Jeduthun of Asaph A Psalm with my voice to God and I cried out with my voice God and He gave ear to me
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־ ידיתון [יְדוּת֗וּן] (לְאָסָ֥ף) מִזְמֽוֹר קוֹלִ֣י אֶל־ אֱלֹהִ֣ים וְאֶצְעָ֑קָה קוֹלִ֥י אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים וְהַאֲזִ֥ין אֵלָֽי

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ  To  the  Chief  Musician 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָצַח  
Sense: to excel, be bright, be preeminent, be perpetual, be overseer, be enduring.
ידיתון  Jeduthun 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
[יְדוּת֗וּן]  Jeduthun 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְדוּתוּן 
Sense: a Levite of the family of Merari and the chief of one of the 3 choirs of the temple whose descendants also formed one of the perpetual temple choirs; he is named at the beginning of 3 Psalms (39, 62, 77) either as the composer or the recipient of those Psalms but most likely as the leader of the choir by which those Psalms were to be sung.
(לְאָסָ֥ף)  of  Asaph 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָסָף  
Sense: the father of Hezekiah’s secretary.
מִזְמֽוֹר  A  Psalm 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְמֹור  
Sense: melody, psalm.
קוֹלִ֣י  with  my  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
אֱלֹהִ֣ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְאֶצְעָ֑קָה  and  I  cried  out 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: צָעַק  
Sense: to cry, cry out, call, cry for help.
קוֹלִ֥י  with  my  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְהַאֲזִ֥ין  and  He  gave  ear 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָזַן  
Sense: to hear, listen.
אֵלָֽי  to  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).