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

1
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ​
2
Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; ​
3
And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

First Example: Wanderers in the Desert

4
They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. ​
5
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6
Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.
7
And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.
8
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! ​
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For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Second Example: Prisoners of Rebellion

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Such as sit 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 labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
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Then they cried unto the LORD 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 bands in sunder.
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Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, 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 meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.
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Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he saveth them out of their distresses.
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He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions. ​
21
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
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And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

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 the LORD, 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 heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted 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 the LORD 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 be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.
31
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!
32
Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

God's Sovereignty Over Nature and Society

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He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the watersprings into dry ground; ​
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A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.
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He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into watersprings. ​
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And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;
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And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.
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He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
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Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
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He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. ​
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Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.
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The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
43
Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness 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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