Psalms107

Psalm 107 is a call to give thanks unto the LORD for His enduring mercy and wonderful works. It illustrates God's deliverance of various groups in distress: wanderers, prisoners, the sick, and mariners, all of whom cried out to Him in their trouble. The psalm repeatedly urges men to praise God for His goodness and power, concluding with a reflection on His sovereignty over nature and nations.
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Call to Praise the Redeeming Lord

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O give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever. ​
2
Let the redeemed of Jehovah sayso, Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the adversary, ​
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And gathered out of the lands, From the east and from the west, From the north and from the south.

First Example: Wanderers in the Desert

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They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; They found no city of habitation. ​
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Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them.
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Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he delivered them out of their distresses,
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He led them also by a straight way, That they might go to a city of habitation.
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Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! ​
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For he satisfieth the longing soul, And the hungry soul he filleth with good.

Second Example: Prisoners of Rebellion

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Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Being bound in affliction and iron, ​
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Because they rebelled against the words of God, And contemned the counsel of the Most High: ​
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Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help.
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Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he saved them out of their distresses.
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He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And brake their bonds in sunder.
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Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
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For he hath broken the gates of brass, And cut the bars of iron in sunder.

Third Example: The Sick and Afflicted

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Fools because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, are afflicted. ​
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Their soul abhorreth all manner of food; And they draw near unto the gates of death.
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Then they cry unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he saveth them out of their distresses.
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He sendeth his word, and healeth them, And delivereth them from their destructions. ​
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Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
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And let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, And declare his works with singing.

Fourth Example: Those in Peril at Sea

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They that go down to the sea in ships, That do business in great waters; ​
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These see the works of Jehovah, And his wonders in the deep.
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For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, Which lifteth up the waves thereof.
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They mount up to the heavens, they go down again to the depths: Their soul melteth away because of trouble.
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They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end. ​
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Then they cry unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he bringeth them out of their distresses. ​
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He maketh the storm a calm, So that the waves thereof are still.
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Then are they glad because they are quiet; So he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
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Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!
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Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people, And praise him in the seat of the elders.

God's Sovereignty Over Nature and Society

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He turneth rivers into a wilderness, And watersprings into a thirsty ground; ​
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A fruitful land into a salt desert, For the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
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He turneth a wilderness into a pool of water, And a dry land into watersprings. ​
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And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, That they may prepare a city of habitation,
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And sow fields, and plant vineyards, And get them fruits of increase.
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He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; And he suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
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Again, they are diminished and bowed down Through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.
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He poureth contempt upon princes, And causeth them to wander in the waste, where there is no way. ​
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Yet setteth he the needy on high from affliction, And maketh him families like a flock.
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The upright shall see it, and be glad; And all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
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Whoso is wise will give heed to these things; And they will consider the lovingkindnesses of Jehovah. ​

Study Notes for Psalms 107

Verse 1

This psalm opens with a foundational liturgical call to worship, emphasizing the Lord's enduring loyal love (Hebrew: *hesed*), a covenant concept central to Israel’s identity.

Verse 2

The 'redeemed' refers primarily to Israel, gathered from the Diaspora after the Exile, reflecting the scope of God’s redemptive power across all directions.

Verse 4

The first scenario reflects the ancient motif of the Exodus wilderness experience, but also symbolizes any period of profound disorientation, lack of provision, and vulnerability in life.

Verse 8

This verse introduces the first of four identical refrains (vv. 8, 15, 21, 31), providing the structural backbone of the psalm and serving as a universal invitation to gratitude.

Verse 10

This case describes those suffering the consequences of moral failure, where 'darkness and the shadow of death' signify not only physical prison but also spiritual despair and judgment.

Verse 11

Unlike the desert wanderers (who suffered physical distress), the affliction of the prisoners is explicitly attributed to their active disobedience and contempt for God's divine guidance.

Verse 17

This section addresses those whose affliction and near-death experience are described as the direct result of their own 'transgression' and folly (*'ewilim*), emphasizing self-inflicted suffering.

Verse 20

The healing agent is God's 'word' (davar), highlighting that divine restoration is not merely physical intervention but a creative, authoritative declaration that conquers destruction.

Verse 23

This final scenario depicts the ultimate experience of human helplessness before the overwhelming power of nature, common among ancient peoples who viewed the deep waters as chaos.

Verse 27

The imagery of staggering and being 'at their wits’ end' dramatically illustrates the utter loss of human control, emphasizing that salvation must come entirely from an external, sovereign source.

Verse 28

In all four scenarios (vv. 6, 13, 19, 28), the consistent path to deliverance is the desperate, collective cry to the Lord in their trouble, demonstrating the efficacy of prayer.

Verse 33

The psalm shifts from specific rescue accounts to a meditation on God’s total control over the natural world, showing He uses environmental change (drought or fertility) as instruments of judgment or blessing.

Verse 35

This reversal of conditions (turning wilderness into water) highlights God’s power to create stability and provision for the poor and hungry, demonstrating His faithfulness to the marginalized.

Verse 40

God’s judgment often involves reversing the status of the powerful, humiliating proud rulers ('princes') and leaving them disoriented, mirroring the distress of the original wilderness wanderers (v. 4).

Verse 43

This concluding wisdom challenge calls the reader to apply theological reflection, linking the observation of God's historical and environmental acts directly to understanding His enduring *hesed* (lovingkindness).

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