Psalms 77:5
I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.
Original Language Analysis
חִשַּׁ֣בְתִּי
I have considered
H2803
חִשַּׁ֣בְתִּי
I have considered
Strong's:
H2803
Word #:
1 of 5
properly, to plait or interpenetrate, i.e., (literally) to weave or (generally) to fabricate; figuratively, to plot or contrive (usually in a maliciou
יָמִ֣ים
the days
H3117
יָמִ֣ים
the days
Strong's:
H3117
Word #:
2 of 5
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
מִקֶּ֑דֶם
of old
H6924
מִקֶּ֑דֶם
of old
Strong's:
H6924
Word #:
3 of 5
the front, of place (absolutely, the fore part, relatively the east) or time (antiquity); often used adverbially (before, anciently, eastward)
Cross References
Isaiah 51:9Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?Deuteronomy 32:7Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee.Psalms 143:5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.Psalms 44:1We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us, what work thou didst in their days, in the times of old.
Historical Context
Covenant theology required remembering God's mighty acts: the exodus (Exodus 13:3), wilderness provision (Deuteronomy 8:2-4), conquest victories (Joshua 24:1-13). Annual feasts (Passover, Tabernacles) institutionalized corporate memory. When present circumstances contradicted promise, Israel was called to rehearse history—what God has done, He can do again. This pattern continues in Christian worship: "Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19).
Questions for Reflection
- How does deliberate meditation on God's past faithfulness function as medicine for present despair?
- What specific 'days of old' from salvation history most strengthen your faith during trials?
- How does the Lord's Supper serve as a 'remembrance' that stabilizes faith in difficult seasons?
Analysis & Commentary
I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times (חִשַּׁבְתִּי יָמִים מִקֶּדֶם שְׁנוֹת עוֹלָמִים). The verb chashav (חָשַׁב) means to think, reckon, or calculate deliberately. Asaph begins the crucial pivot from present despair to historical reflection. Qedem (קֶדֶם, ancient past) and olamim (עוֹלָם, ages/eternity) stretch memory back to foundational acts of God—creation, patriarchal promises, exodus deliverance.
This verse initiates the psalm's therapeutic movement: from overwhelming present suffering to the stabilizing anchor of God's proven faithfulness. Deuteronomy repeatedly commands Israel to "remember" (zakar, זָכַר) God's past acts as antidote to present doubt (Deuteronomy 8:2, 32:7). Biblical faith is historically grounded—trust built on demonstrated reliability, not wishful thinking.