Psalm 77:9
New International Version
Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?”

New Living Translation
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he slammed the door on his compassion? Interlude

English Standard Version
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah

Berean Standard Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah

King James Bible
Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

New King James Version
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger shut up His tender mercies? Selah

New American Standard Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah

NASB 1995
Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.

NASB 1977
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.

Legacy Standard Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious, Or has He in anger shut up His compassion? Selah.

Amplified Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Or has He in anger withdrawn His compassion? Selah.

Christian Standard Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? ” Selah

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He in anger withheld His compassion?” Selah

American Standard Version
Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? [Selah

Contemporary English Version
Have you forgotten how to have pity? Do you refuse to show mercy because of your anger?"

English Revised Version
Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he locked up his compassion because of his anger? [Selah]

Good News Translation
Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has anger taken the place of his compassion?"

International Standard Version
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger withheld his compassion? Interlude

Majority Standard Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah

NET Bible
Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has his anger stifled his compassion?"

New Heart English Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?" Selah.

Webster's Bible Translation
Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

World English Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?” Selah.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Has God forgotten [His] favors? Has He shut up His mercies in anger? Selah.

Young's Literal Translation
Hath God forgotten His favours? Hath He shut up in anger His mercies? Selah.

Smith's Literal Translation
Did God forget to compassionate? or in anger did he gather his compassion? Silence.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Or will God forget to shew mercy? or will he in his anger shut up his mercies?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And would God ever forget to be merciful? Or, would he, in his wrath, restrict his mercies?

New American Bible
Has God forgotten how to show mercy, in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah

New Revised Standard Version
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Has God forgotten to be gracious? has he in anger shut up his tender mercies?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Or has God forgotten to love, or does he withhold his mercies in his wrath?"
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up his compassions?' Selah

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Will God forget to pity? or will he shut up his compassions in his wrath? Pause.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
In The Day of Trouble I Sought the LORD
8Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time? 9Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah 10So I said, “I am grieved that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”…

Cross References
Isaiah 49:14-15
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!” / “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the son of her womb? Even if she could forget, I will not forget you!

Lamentations 3:31-33
For the Lord will not cast us off forever. / Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion. / For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.

Isaiah 54:7-8
“For a brief moment I forsook you, but with great compassion I will bring you back. / In a surge of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

2 Corinthians 1:20
For all the promises of God are “Yes” in Christ. And so through Him, our “Amen” is spoken to the glory of God.

Romans 11:29
For God’s gifts and His call are irrevocable.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, for God has said: “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”

2 Timothy 2:13
if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Isaiah 40:27-31
Why do you say, O Jacob, and why do you assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my claim is ignored by my God”? / Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out. / He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak. ...

1 Samuel 12:22
Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.

Malachi 3:6
“Because I, the LORD, do not change, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed.

Romans 8:28
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

1 Kings 8:56
“Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel according to all that He promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses.

Joshua 21:45
Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to the house of Israel had failed; everything was fulfilled.


Treasury of Scripture

Has God forgotten to be gracious? has he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah.

God

Isaiah 40:27
Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

Isaiah 49:14,15
But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me…

Isaiah 63:15
Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory: where is thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies toward me? are they restrained?

shut up

Luke 13:25-28
When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: …

Romans 11:32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

1 John 3:17
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

Jump to Previous
Anger Compassion Compassions Favours Forgotten Gracious Memory Mercies Merciful Pity Selah Shut Tender Withdrawn Withheld Wrath
Jump to Next
Anger Compassion Compassions Favours Forgotten Gracious Memory Mercies Merciful Pity Selah Shut Tender Withdrawn Withheld Wrath
Psalm 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.














Has God forgotten
The phrase "Has God forgotten" reflects a deep sense of despair and questioning. In Hebrew, the word for "forgotten" is "שָׁכַח" (shakach), which implies a lapse in memory or attention. This rhetorical question suggests a feeling of abandonment, a common theme in the Psalms where the psalmist often wrestles with the apparent silence of God. Historically, this reflects the Israelites' experiences during times of distress, such as exile or oppression, where they felt distant from God's promises. Theologically, it challenges believers to trust in God's unchanging nature, even when circumstances seem contrary.

to be gracious?
The Hebrew root for "gracious" is "חָנַן" (chanan), which means to show favor or mercy. This word is deeply connected to the character of God, who is often described as gracious and compassionate throughout Scripture. The question here is not just about God's actions but His very nature. In times of trial, the psalmist is questioning whether God's essential character has changed. This invites believers to reflect on the constancy of God's grace, which is a cornerstone of Christian faith, assuring that God's favor is not dependent on human circumstances.

Has His anger
The word "anger" in Hebrew is "אַף" (aph), which can also mean "nose" or "face," metaphorically representing the flaring of nostrils in anger. This anthropomorphic expression conveys the intensity of God's righteous indignation. In the historical context, God's anger often arose from Israel's disobedience and idolatry. However, the psalmist's question here suggests a tension between God's justice and His mercy, prompting believers to consider the balance of these attributes in God's dealings with humanity.

shut off
The phrase "shut off" translates from the Hebrew "קָפַץ" (qafats), meaning to close or restrain. This implies a deliberate action of withholding. The psalmist is expressing a fear that God's compassion is being intentionally withheld due to His anger. This reflects a common human experience of feeling cut off from divine mercy during periods of suffering or judgment. It challenges believers to trust in the ultimate purpose and timing of God's actions, even when they seem hidden or delayed.

His compassion?
The Hebrew word for "compassion" is "רַחֲמִים" (rachamim), which is derived from "רֶחֶם" (rechem), meaning "womb." This imagery conveys a deep, nurturing love akin to that of a mother for her child. The psalmist's question underscores a profound theological truth: God's compassion is intrinsic to His nature. Throughout Scripture, God's compassion is a recurring theme, offering hope and comfort. For believers, this serves as a reminder that God's love and mercy are ever-present, even when obscured by life's trials.

Verse 9. - Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Can God, who forgets nothing and no one (Isaiah 49:15), have forgotten his own nature, which is to be "merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness" (Exodus 34:6)? Assuredly not. The higher nature in the psalmist, as Professor Cheyne observes, expostulates with the lower one. Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Has he shut them up, "as in a closed hand" (Kay, Canon Cook)? (comp. Deuteronomy 15:7).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Has God
אֵ֑ל (’êl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

forgotten
הֲשָׁכַ֣ח (hă·šā·ḵaḥ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7911: To mislay, to be oblivious of, from want of memory, attention

to be gracious?
חַנּ֣וֹת (ḥan·nō·wṯ)
Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 2589: Be gracious, entreat

Has His anger
בְּ֝אַ֗ף (bə·’ap̄)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

shut off
קָפַ֥ץ (qā·p̄aṣ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7092: To draw together, close, to leap, to die

His compassion?”
רַחֲמָ֥יו (ra·ḥă·māw)
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 7356: Compassion, the womb, a maiden

Selah
סֶֽלָה׃ (se·lāh)
Interjection
Strong's 5542: Suspension, pause


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OT Poetry: Psalm 77:9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 77:8
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