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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Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever. ​
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Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy ​
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and gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

First Example: Wanderers in the Desert

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Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell. ​
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They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.
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Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress.
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He led them on a straight path to reach a city where they could live.
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Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men. ​
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For He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

Second Example: Prisoners of Rebellion

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Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains, ​
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because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High. ​
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He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
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Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
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He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke away their chains.
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Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.
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For He has broken down the gates of bronze and cut through the bars of iron.

Third Example: The Sick and Afflicted

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Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction. ​
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They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death.
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Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress.
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He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit. ​
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Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.
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Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and declare His works with rejoicing.

Fourth Example: Those in Peril at Sea

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Others went out to sea in ships, conducting trade on the mighty waters. ​
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They saw the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep.
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For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea.
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They mounted up to the heavens, then sunk to the depths; their courage melted in their anguish.
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They reeled and staggered like drunkards, and all their skill was useless. ​
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Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. ​
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He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
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They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired.
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Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.
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Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders.

God's Sovereignty Over Nature and Society

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He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground, ​
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and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.
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He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs. ​
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He causes the hungry to settle there, that they may establish a city in which to dwell.
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They sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruitful harvest.
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He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.
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When they are decreased and humbled by oppression, evil, and sorrow,
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He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland. ​
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But He lifts the needy from affliction and increases their families like flocks.
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The upright see and rejoice, and all iniquity shuts its mouth.
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Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD. ​

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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