Psalms 77:8

KJV

Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth [his] promise fail for evermore?

KJV (with Strong's)

Is his mercy {H2617} clean gone {H656}{H8804)} for ever {H5331}? doth his promise {H562} fail {H1584}{H8804)} for evermore {H1755}{H1755}?

Complete Jewish Bible

Has his grace permanently disappeared? Is his word to all generations done away?

Berean Standard Bible

Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time?

American Standard Version

Is his lovingkindness clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 77:8 captures the psalmist Asaph's profound spiritual anguish and doubt, as he questions whether God's steadfast mercy has vanished and if His promises have permanently failed. This verse is a poignant expression of the human struggle to reconcile present suffering with a foundational understanding of God's unchanging character and historical faithfulness, forming a critical turning point in the psalm's journey from despair to remembrance of divine power.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalms 77 is a lament psalm, opening with Asaph's deep cry of distress and sleepless nights spent in anguish ([Psalms 77:1-6](/psalms/77-1-6 "Psalms 77:1-6")). The psalmist recounts his attempts to find comfort by remembering God, but these memories only intensify his pain, leading him to question God's very nature. Verses 7-9 constitute a series of five rhetorical questions, of which verse 8 is central, probing the depths of God's character and covenant faithfulness. This questioning marks the nadir of the psalmist's despair, immediately preceding a pivotal shift from introspective suffering to a deliberate remembrance and meditation on God's mighty acts in history, particularly the Exodus ([Psalms 77:10](/psalms/77-10 "Psalms 77:10") onwards).
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Asaph was a prominent Levitical musician and seer, indicating a position of spiritual leadership within ancient Israel. While the specific historical crisis prompting this psalm is not explicitly stated, the anguish expressed suggests a period of significant personal or national distress. The questions about God's "mercy" (Hebrew *chesed*) and "promise" are deeply rooted in Israel's covenant relationship with Yahweh. God had repeatedly demonstrated His *chesed* through acts of deliverance (e.g., the Exodus, [Exodus 15:13](/exodus/15-13 "Exodus 15:13")) and had made numerous unconditional promises (e.g., to Abraham, [Genesis 12:1-3](/genesis/12-1-3 "Genesis 12:1-3"); to David, [2 Samuel 7:12-16](/2_samuel/7-12-16 "2 Samuel 7:12-16")). The psalmist's lament reflects a crisis of faith, where current circumstances seem to contradict the historical and theological understanding of God's unwavering faithfulness to His covenant people.
* **Key Themes:**
* **The Struggle of Faith and Doubt:** This verse powerfully articulates the tension between intellectual assent to God's character and the emotional reality of doubt when faced with overwhelming adversity. It normalizes the experience of questioning God, even for devout individuals, highlighting the raw honesty permitted within a relationship with the Divine. The psalmist's lament reveals a soul grappling with the perceived silence or absence of God's intervention during times of severe distress.
* **God's Unchanging Character:** Despite the psalmist's desperate questions, the very act of asking them presupposes a deep-seated knowledge and expectation of God's steadfast love and faithfulness. The psalm ultimately affirms that God's character, particularly His *chesed* and His commitment to His promises, remains constant, even when human perception falters. This theme is foundational to Israel's understanding of their covenant Lord, as seen in passages like [Numbers 23:19](/numbers/23-19 "Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie").
* **The Reliability of God's Word:** The phrase "doth his promise fail for evermore?" directly addresses the integrity and trustworthiness of God's divine declarations. It touches on the fundamental assurance that God's covenant word is steadfast and unbreakable, a truth reinforced throughout the Scriptures, such as in [Isaiah 55:11](/isaiah/55-11 "Isaiah 55:11 - God's Word will not return empty"). The psalmist's lament is a desperate plea for this foundational truth to hold true in his present reality, seeking assurance that the very foundation of divine reliability has not crumbled.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Mercy (Hebrew, _chesed'_):** This rich Hebrew term denotes God's steadfast love, covenant loyalty, and unfailing faithfulness. It is far more robust than mere pity or compassion, encompassing a committed, enduring, and active love that is foundational to God's relationship with His people. The psalmist's fear is that this essential, defining characteristic of God has vanished, implying a permanent breach in the covenant relationship.
* **Promise (Hebrew, _'omer'_):** Derived from the verb "to say," this word refers to God's spoken word, declaration, or oath. It signifies the divine commitment and reliability of God's covenantal pledges. The question "doth his promise fail" expresses a profound anxiety about the very foundation of divine trustworthiness and the integrity of God's communicated will, suggesting a terrifying possibility that God's declarations might no longer be valid or effective.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Is his mercy clean gone for ever?":** This rhetorical question expresses the psalmist's profound spiritual anguish and the terrifying fear that God's steadfast love (*chesed*) has permanently departed. The term "clean gone" (Hebrew *gamar*) implies a complete cessation or end, suggesting a terrifying sense of abandonment and the ultimate failure of God's covenant faithfulness, as if His very nature has changed.
* **"doth [his] promise fail for evermore?":** This parallel question directly challenges the reliability and enduring nature of God's spoken word and covenant commitments. "Fail" (Hebrew *gamar*, again) carries the sense of coming to an end or being completed, implying that God's declarations might no longer be valid or effective. The intensifying phrase "for evermore" underscores the psalmist's despair, suggesting a permanent and irreversible breach in divine trustworthiness.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 77:8 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the depth of the psalmist's distress. **Rhetorical Question** is central, as Asaph poses questions not for information but to express overwhelming emotion and to provoke introspection, both for himself and for the audience. The **Parallelism** between "mercy clean gone" and "promise fail" reinforces the core anxiety, linking God's unchanging character (mercy) directly to His active word and covenant actions (promise). The repetition of "for ever" and "for evermore" serves as **Anaphora** and **Hyperbole**, emphasizing the psalmist's desperate fear that the cessation of God's faithfulness is absolute and permanent, escalating the sense of despair. This lament is a raw and honest outpouring of a soul in crisis, using these devices to convey the profound spiritual struggle.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The profound questions posed in Psalms 77:8 resonate deeply with the human experience of doubt and suffering, yet they also underscore a foundational theological truth: God's character is immutable. The psalmist's struggle is not with a God who *is* unfaithful, but with a *perception* of unfaithfulness born from present distress. This tension highlights the importance of anchoring faith not in fluctuating circumstances or feelings, but in the unwavering nature of God's covenant love and His eternal word. The psalm ultimately moves from this agonizing questioning to a remembrance of God's mighty acts, implicitly affirming that His mercy and promises are indeed eternal, even when obscured by pain. It teaches that honest lament can be a pathway to renewed trust in God's unchanging faithfulness.

* [Numbers 23:19](/numbers/23-19 "Numbers 23:19 - God is not a man, that he should lie")
* [Isaiah 40:8](/isaiah/40-8 "Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever")
* [Lamentations 3:22-23](/lamentations/3-22-23 "Lamentations 3:22-23 - The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 77:8 offers profound solace and insight for believers navigating periods of intense spiritual struggle. It normalizes the experience of deep doubt and anguish, demonstrating that even devout individuals like Asaph wrestled with the perceived absence or silence of God. When we face overwhelming challenges, when prayers seem unanswered, or when circumstances contradict our understanding of God's goodness, this verse provides permission to voice our deepest fears and questions to God honestly. It reminds us that our faith is not fragile because we question, but strengthened when we bring our authentic selves to God. The journey of the psalm, moving from desperate questioning to remembrance of God's past faithfulness, provides a powerful model for our own spiritual walk: even when our feelings fluctuate wildly, we are called to anchor ourselves in the unchanging character of God and the historical evidence of His unwavering love and fidelity.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life are you currently tempted to question God's mercy or promises?**
* **How does the psalmist's honest lament encourage you to express your own doubts and pain to God?**
* **What past acts of God's faithfulness, in your life or in biblical history, can you recall and meditate on when doubt assails you?**

### FAQ
**Is it sinful to doubt God's mercy or promises?**

Answer: Psalms 77:8 demonstrates that expressing doubt and questioning God's perceived absence is a part of the human experience, even for deeply spiritual individuals like Asaph. The psalm does not condemn him for his questions; rather, it portrays an honest, raw interaction with God. While persistent, unaddressed doubt can erode faith, the act of bringing our questions and anguish to God, as Asaph does, can be a pathway to deeper faith and renewed trust. The key is not to dwell in doubt but to move through it by remembering God's character and past faithfulness, as the psalmist eventually does in [Psalms 77:11-15](/psalms/77-11-15 "Psalms 77:11-15 - Asaph remembers God's mighty deeds"). This process of lament leading to remembrance is a healthy spiritual discipline.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 77:8, with its agonizing questions about God's enduring mercy and the reliability of His promises, finds its ultimate and definitive answer in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The New Testament reveals that God's *chesed*—His steadfast love and covenant faithfulness—is most perfectly displayed in the sending of His Son. The "promise" that the psalmist fears might fail is fulfilled in Christ, who is the "Yes" and "Amen" to all of God's promises ([2 Corinthians 1:20](/2_corinthians/1-20 "2 Corinthians 1:20 - All God's promises are 'Yes' in Christ")). In Jesus, God's mercy is not "clean gone for ever" but is poured out in abundance through His atoning sacrifice on the cross ([Romans 5:8](/romans/5-8 "Romans 5:8 - God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us")). The New Covenant, established through His blood, guarantees that God's promises are eternally secure for those who believe ([Hebrews 8:6](/hebrews/8-6 "Hebrews 8:6 - Jesus, the mediator of a better covenant")). Therefore, when believers face doubt, they can look to Christ as the living embodiment of God's unfailing mercy and the steadfast surety of every divine promise, knowing that He "is the same yesterday and today and forever" ([Hebrews 13:8](/hebrews/13-8 "Hebrews 13:8 - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Numbers 23:19

God [is] not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do [it]? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

2 Peter 3:9

¶ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

Romans 9:6

¶ Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel:

Numbers 14:34

After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, [even] forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, [even] forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise.

Luke 16:25

But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Luke 16:26

And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that [would come] from thence.

Isaiah 27:11

When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, [and] set them on fire: for it [is] a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour.