I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
Psalm 77 is a psalm of deep distress, spiritual heaviness, earnest prayer, and eventual comfort through meditation upon the works and ways of God. The psalmist begins overwhelmed with trouble and inward sorrow, yet by the end of the psalm he is strengthened through remembrance of God’s former deliverances and mighty acts. The opening verse immediately reveals the urgency, fervency, and confidence of true prayer. Affliction drove the psalmist to God, and he cried not faintly or formally, but with his voice.
“I cried.” This is not cold religion, silent indifference, or lifeless formality. The word “cried” speaks of earnestness, urgency, and intensity. The psalmist was under real distress and therefore sought God fervently. Scripture often joins affliction with crying unto God. Israel cried by reason of their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 2:23). David cried unto the LORD in his troubles (Psalm 18:6). Jonah cried out of the fish’s belly (Jonah 2:2). Trouble exposes the vanity of fleshly confidence and drives the godly to seek the Lord earnestly.
The cry also reveals dependence. Men cry for help when they know they cannot deliver themselves. The psalmist did not trust his own wisdom, strength, or resources. He turned to God because God alone could help him. True prayer begins when the soul recognizes its need and flees unto the Lord as its only refuge (Psalm 46:1).
“Unto God.” The object of the cry is everything. Many men cry under affliction, but not unto God. Some complain, rage, despair, seek worldly distractions, or trust human help alone. The psalmist directed his cry unto God Himself. This shows faith. He believed God heard, cared, ruled, and could deliver. Prayer without faith is empty speech, but the psalmist cried unto the living God Who governs heaven and earth.
The repetition strengthens the point: “even unto God.” His soul was fixed upon God alone. He did not divide his trust between God and the world. He did not seek idols, earthly substitutes, or fleshly comforters. Like Jehoshaphat, he could say, “Neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee” (2 Chronicles 20:12). The doubling also intensifies the earnestness of the verse. His cry was deliberate, repeated, and directed wholly unto God.
“With my voice.” This phrase appears twice in the verse, emphasizing vocal, earnest prayer. The psalmist was not speaking of vague inward feelings alone. His grief moved him to cry audibly unto God. Scripture often describes godly men lifting up their voices in prayer when deeply burdened (Psalm 3:4; Psalm 142:1 Daniel 9:3:-9; Ezra 9:5-15). Hannah prayed silently at one point because of extraordinary sorrow (1 Samuel 1:13), but many prayers in Scripture were vocal expressions of earnest dependence upon God.
The repetition of “with my voice” magnifies the intensity of his prayer. His soul was engaged. His affliction was real. His prayer was not mechanical repetition or formal recitation. He cried from the heart. The Lord condemned those who honored Him with their lips while their heart was far from Him (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8). But the psalmist’s voice revealed inward earnestness and spiritual burden.
The phrase also teaches liberty in prayer. God’s people may cry unto Him openly, fervently, and repeatedly in times of trouble. Scripture does not praise coldness in prayer, but fervency. Elijah prayed earnestly (James 5:17). Our Lord prayed with strong crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7). Blind Bartimaeus cried the more a great deal when others sought to silence him (Mark 10:48). God is not dishonored by earnest cries from afflicted saints.
“And he gave ear unto me.” Here is the comfort and confidence of prayer. The living God hears His people. “Gave ear” is language of divine attention, favor, and regard. The infinite God stoops to hear the cries of His saints. This is astonishing mercy. Heaven and earth cannot contain Him, yet He gives ear unto afflicted believers who cry unto Him in faith (1 Kings 8:27-30).
This does not mean God merely heard sounds outwardly. Scripture often uses hearing language to describe favorable attention and answered prayer. “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry” (Psalm 34:15). God heard Israel in Egypt and came down to deliver them (Exodus 3:7-8). He heard Hezekiah’s prayer and added years to his life (2 Kings 20:5-6). He heard Daniel, Elijah, David, Jonah, and countless others who cried unto Him.
The statement also reveals confidence in God despite present distress. Though the psalm later describes deep inward trouble, the psalmist begins with this certainty: God heard him. Faith clings to God even before deliverance appears. Prayer is not vain speech cast into emptiness. The Lord hears His people according to His mercy and faithfulness.
This verse therefore, teaches the nature of true prayer. It is earnest, directed unto God, arising from dependence, and strengthened by confidence that God hears. Affliction often teaches believers to pray more sincerely than in times of ease. Men may speak much about prayer in prosperity yet scarcely cry unto God until trouble humbles them.
The verse also rebukes prayerlessness. Many professing believers speak more readily to men than unto God. Trouble drives them first to worry, complain, or seek worldly counsel rather than cry unto the Lord. But the psalmist’s first refuge was God Himself. He understood that earthly comforts are vain apart from divine help.
Psalm 77:1 also comforts afflicted saints. The Lord hears cries arising from weakness, sorrow, fear, confusion, and heaviness. The psalmist in this very psalm will wrestle with deep discouragement and troubled thoughts, yet God still heard him. Weak believers often fear their prayers are too feeble, troubled, or broken to be accepted. But Scripture repeatedly shows God hearing distressed cries from His people when they flee unto Him in faith (Psalm 50:15; Romans 8:26-27).
This verse reveals the mercy and faithfulness of God. He is not distant from His afflicted saints. He gives ear unto them. He hears the cry of the troubled soul. He receives the prayers of those who seek Him. Therefore, believers should pray fervently, confidently, continually, and sincerely, knowing that the God of heaven gives ear unto His people.
I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me.
Psalm 77 is a psalm of deep distress, spiritual heaviness, earnest prayer, and eventual comfort through meditation upon the works and ways of God. The psalmist begins overwhelmed with trouble and inward sorrow, yet by the end of the psalm he is strengthened through remembrance of God’s former deliverances and mighty acts. The opening verse immediately reveals the urgency, fervency, and confidence of true prayer. Affliction drove the psalmist to God, and he cried not faintly or formally, but with his voice.
“I cried.” This is not cold religion, silent indifference, or lifeless formality. The word “cried” speaks of earnestness, urgency, and intensity. The psalmist was under real distress and therefore sought God fervently. Scripture often joins affliction with crying unto God. Israel cried by reason of their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 2:23). David cried unto the LORD in his troubles (Psalm 18:6). Jonah cried out of the fish’s belly (Jonah 2:2). Trouble exposes the vanity of fleshly confidence and drives the godly to seek the Lord earnestly.
The cry also reveals dependence. Men cry for help when they know they cannot deliver themselves. The psalmist did not trust his own wisdom, strength, or resources. He turned to God because God alone could help him. True prayer begins when the soul recognizes its need and flees unto the Lord as its only refuge (Psalm 46:1).
“Unto God.” The object of the cry is everything. Many men cry under affliction, but not unto God. Some complain, rage, despair, seek worldly distractions, or trust human help alone. The psalmist directed his cry unto God Himself. This shows faith. He believed God heard, cared, ruled, and could deliver. Prayer without faith is empty speech, but the psalmist cried unto the living God Who governs heaven and earth.
The repetition strengthens the point: “even unto God.” His soul was fixed upon God alone. He did not divide his trust between God and the world. He did not seek idols, earthly substitutes, or fleshly comforters. Like Jehoshaphat, he could say, “Neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee” (2 Chronicles 20:12). The doubling also intensifies the earnestness of the verse. His cry was deliberate, repeated, and directed wholly unto God.
“With my voice.” This phrase appears twice in the verse, emphasizing vocal, earnest prayer. The psalmist was not speaking of vague inward feelings alone. His grief moved him to cry audibly unto God. Scripture often describes godly men lifting up their voices in prayer when deeply burdened (Psalm 3:4; Psalm 142:1 Daniel 9:3:-9; Ezra 9:5-15). Hannah prayed silently at one point because of extraordinary sorrow (1 Samuel 1:13), but many prayers in Scripture were vocal expressions of earnest dependence upon God.
The repetition of “with my voice” magnifies the intensity of his prayer. His soul was engaged. His affliction was real. His prayer was not mechanical repetition or formal recitation. He cried from the heart. The Lord condemned those who honored Him with their lips while their heart was far from Him (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8). But the psalmist’s voice revealed inward earnestness and spiritual burden.
The phrase also teaches liberty in prayer. God’s people may cry unto Him openly, fervently, and repeatedly in times of trouble. Scripture does not praise coldness in prayer, but fervency. Elijah prayed earnestly (James 5:17). Our Lord prayed with strong crying and tears (Hebrews 5:7). Blind Bartimaeus cried the more a great deal when others sought to silence him (Mark 10:48). God is not dishonored by earnest cries from afflicted saints.
“And he gave ear unto me.” Here is the comfort and confidence of prayer. The living God hears His people. “Gave ear” is language of divine attention, favor, and regard. The infinite God stoops to hear the cries of His saints. This is astonishing mercy. Heaven and earth cannot contain Him, yet He gives ear unto afflicted believers who cry unto Him in faith (1 Kings 8:27-30).
This does not mean God merely heard sounds outwardly. Scripture often uses hearing language to describe favorable attention and answered prayer. “The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry” (Psalm 34:15). God heard Israel in Egypt and came down to deliver them (Exodus 3:7-8). He heard Hezekiah’s prayer and added years to his life (2 Kings 20:5-6). He heard Daniel, Elijah, David, Jonah, and countless others who cried unto Him.
The statement also reveals confidence in God despite present distress. Though the psalm later describes deep inward trouble, the psalmist begins with this certainty: God heard him. Faith clings to God even before deliverance appears. Prayer is not vain speech cast into emptiness. The Lord hears His people according to His mercy and faithfulness.
This verse therefore, teaches the nature of true prayer. It is earnest, directed unto God, arising from dependence, and strengthened by confidence that God hears. Affliction often teaches believers to pray more sincerely than in times of ease. Men may speak much about prayer in prosperity yet scarcely cry unto God until trouble humbles them.
The verse also rebukes prayerlessness. Many professing believers speak more readily to men than unto God. Trouble drives them first to worry, complain, or seek worldly counsel rather than cry unto the Lord. But the psalmist’s first refuge was God Himself. He understood that earthly comforts are vain apart from divine help.
Psalm 77:1 also comforts afflicted saints. The Lord hears cries arising from weakness, sorrow, fear, confusion, and heaviness. The psalmist in this very psalm will wrestle with deep discouragement and troubled thoughts, yet God still heard him. Weak believers often fear their prayers are too feeble, troubled, or broken to be accepted. But Scripture repeatedly shows God hearing distressed cries from His people when they flee unto Him in faith (Psalm 50:15; Romans 8:26-27).
This verse reveals the mercy and faithfulness of God. He is not distant from His afflicted saints. He gives ear unto them. He hears the cry of the troubled soul. He receives the prayers of those who seek Him. Therefore, believers should pray fervently, confidently, continually, and sincerely, knowing that the God of heaven gives ear unto His people.