the waters saw You and swirled;
The repetition emphasizes the reaction of the waters to God's presence. The swirling of waters can be seen as a metaphor for the turmoil and upheaval that occurs when God intervenes in the natural order. This imagery is reminiscent of the Flood narrative in Genesis 7, where the waters covered the earth as a form of divine judgment. It also foreshadows the calming of the storm by Jesus in Mark 4:39, where He demonstrates His divine authority over nature.

even the depths were shaken.
The "depths" refer to the deep waters or the sea, often seen as a place of mystery and danger in ancient Near Eastern culture. The shaking of the depths signifies a profound disturbance, indicating that God's presence affects even the most hidden and powerful parts of creation. This can be linked to Jonah 2:3, where the prophet describes being in the depths of the sea, and to Revelation 21:1, where the sea is no more, symbolizing the removal of chaos in the new creation. The shaking also points to the eschatological shaking of the heavens and the earth in Hebrews 12:26-27, highlighting God's ultimate control over all things.

“The waters saw You, O God” (Psalm 77:16).

Asaph recalls an historical moment when the living Creator revealed Himself so vividly that even the inanimate sea recognized His presence.

• Exodus 14:21-22 shows this literally: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back… and the waters were divided.”

• Psalm 114:3 echoes the same event: “The sea looked and fled.”

• Habakkuk 3:10 adds, “The mountains saw You and quaked; the torrent of water swept by.”

The line affirms that creation is not independent of its Maker; it reacts in immediate submission. The psalmist is grounding his faith in a real, historical deliverance—God’s parting of the Red Sea—demonstrating that nothing in the natural realm can resist Him.

When Asaph repeats the phrase and adds “and swirled,” he emphasizes the violent, restless movement that followed God’s approach.

• Joshua 3:15-17 recounts Jordan’s waters “standing in a heap” at God’s command.

• Psalm 104:6-7 says the waters “fled” and “rushed away” when God rebuked them.

• Revelation 16:18 describes the end-times upheaval where earth and sea again convulse at His voice.

This churning is not poetic exaggeration; it mirrors the chaotic surge described in Exodus 14:27 when the waters collapsed on Pharaoh’s army. God’s intervention turned an impassable barrier into a swirling testimony of His power.

“Even the depths were shaken.” The statement drills down beneath the surface, stressing that God’s authority penetrates to the most hidden layers of creation.

• Jonah 2:6 speaks of “the roots of the mountains” beneath the sea, a place only God can reach.

• Nahum 1:5 declares, “The mountains quake before Him… the earth trembles at His presence.”

• Psalm 33:7 affirms He “gathers the waters of the sea into a heap; He puts the depths into storehouses.”

The “depths” refer to the subterranean waters—the very foundations of the earth’s oceans. When God steps in, even those concealed realms quake. No force, visible or invisible, can withstand Him. For Asaph, this memory fuels confidence that the God who once shook the depths can still intervene in the present crisis.

Psalm 77:16 recalls the Red Sea miracle to highlight God’s unrivaled sovereignty. Creation itself—surface waters, swirling currents, hidden depths—responds instinctively to its Lord. By rehearsing this concrete act of salvation, Asaph encourages believers in every age: the God who once made seas tremble still reigns, still delivers, and still commands every element in His universe.

(16) The waters saw thee.--Possibly alluding to the "look" which troubled the Egyptians (Exodus 14:24).

Were afraid.--Better, writhed, as in travail pains.

Went abroad--i.e., darted hither and thither. The arrows are the lightnings.