Psalms 107:27

KJV

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.

KJV (with Strong's)

They reel to and fro {H2287}, and stagger {H5128} like a drunken man {H7910}, and are at their wits {H2451}' end {H1104}.

Complete Jewish Bible

they reeled and staggered like drunk men, and all their skill was swallowed up.

Berean Standard Bible

They reeled and staggered like drunkards, and all their skill was useless.

American Standard Version

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits’ end.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 107:27 vividly portrays the extreme distress of mariners caught in a violent sea storm, a powerful metaphor for life's overwhelming challenges. The King James Version states, "They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end." This verse is a poignant depiction of human helplessness in the face of uncontrollable forces, driving individuals to a point of complete desperation where all human solutions have failed.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 107 is a magnificent psalm of thanksgiving, structured around four distinct scenarios of deliverance, each culminating in a call to praise God for His enduring mercy and faithfulness. Following the deliverance of travelers lost in the wilderness, prisoners in chains, and the sick and afflicted, verses 23-32 focus on those who "go down to the sea in ships" [Psalms 107:23](/psalms/107-23 "Psalms 107:23 - Sailors on the Sea"). Our verse, [Psalms 107:27](/psalms/107-27 "Psalms 107:27 - Mariners at their Wits' End"), describes the peak of the mariners' distress after God "commands and raises the stormy wind" [Psalms 107:25](/psalms/107-25 "Psalms 107:25 - God Controls the Storm") and before their desperate cry for divine intervention in [Psalms 107:28](/psalms/107-28 "Psalms 107:28 - Crying Out to the Lord"). It serves as the climax of their suffering, setting the stage for God's miraculous rescue.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** Ancient seafaring was inherently perilous, relying on rudimentary navigation and vulnerable vessels. The Mediterranean Sea, though familiar, was prone to sudden, violent storms, making voyages a high-risk endeavor. Mariners, often considered skilled and courageous, would have been acutely aware of their dependence on favorable winds and calm seas. The imagery of being "at their wits' end" would resonate deeply with anyone who had experienced the terror of a storm at sea, where human skill and strength were utterly useless against the raw power of nature. This context underscores the profound helplessness depicted, highlighting a common human experience of facing overwhelming natural forces.

* **Key Themes:** This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes in Psalm 107 and the broader biblical narrative. It vividly illustrates **human helplessness and desperation**, emphasizing the limits of human strength, skill, and wisdom when confronted with overwhelming natural forces or life crises. The imagery of "reeling" and "staggering" conveys profound physical disorientation, while being "at their wits' end" signifies a complete mental and emotional breakdown, where all human solutions have failed. This desperation then serves as the **catalyst for calling upon God**, as seen in the immediate progression to [Psalms 107:28](/psalms/107-28 "Psalms 107:28 - Crying Out to the Lord"), where the mariners "cry unto the LORD in their trouble." Ultimately, the verse implicitly points to **God's sovereignty over creation**, as the storm itself is sent by God [Psalms 107:25](/psalms/107-25 "Psalms 107:25 - God Controls the Storm"), and only He can calm it [Psalms 107:29](/psalms/107-29 "Psalms 107:29 - God Calms the Storm"), establishing His supreme power over all natural elements and human circumstances.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Reel to and fro (Hebrew, _chogegim'_):** Derived from a root meaning "to make a circle, to dance," this word vividly portrays a circular, swaying motion. It evokes the image of someone utterly disoriented, spinning or staggering uncontrollably, much like a dancer might move, but here in a context of involuntary, chaotic movement due to the ship's violent pitching and rolling. It emphasizes a complete loss of physical equilibrium and control.
* **Stagger (Hebrew, _yitroddu'_):** This term implies a tottering, unstable, or wavering movement, often associated with a drunkard. It intensifies the imagery of disorientation introduced by "chogegim," focusing on the inability to maintain a steady footing or direction. The combination of these two words paints a picture of extreme physical instability and helplessness on the tempest-tossed vessel.
* **At their wits' end (Hebrew, _kol chokmatam titballa'_):** This powerful Hebrew idiom literally translates to "all their wisdom is swallowed up" or "consumed." It signifies a state where all human skill, knowledge, experience, and ability to navigate, strategize, or find a solution have completely vanished. The mariners, despite their expertise, are utterly devoid of any human recourse or understanding of how to escape their predicament. This phrase highlights not just physical distress but a profound mental and intellectual collapse.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"They reel to and fro":** This initial clause immediately establishes the physical disorientation and loss of control experienced by the mariners. The ship's violent movements cause them to sway uncontrollably, unable to maintain balance or direction, mirroring the chaos of the storm itself.
* **"and stagger like a drunken man":** This simile intensifies the previous image, likening their movements to those of someone intoxicated. A drunken person has lost their coordination, judgment, and ability to walk steadily, perfectly illustrating the mariners' profound physical instability and the utter lack of control over their bodies and their vessel.
* **"and are at their wits' end":** This climactic phrase moves beyond physical distress to mental and intellectual despair. It signifies that all their professional skill, navigational knowledge, and human ingenuity have been utterly exhausted and proven useless. They have reached a point of complete intellectual bankruptcy and hopeless desperation, with no human solution or understanding left to grasp.

#### Literary Devices
Psalms 107:27 is rich in literary devices that amplify its powerful message. The most prominent is **Simile**, explicitly stated in "stagger like a drunken man," which vividly conveys the mariners' physical disorientation and loss of control. This comparison is highly effective because it draws on a common human experience of instability. **Imagery** is central, painting a clear picture of the ship's violent pitching and the sailors' desperate movements, appealing to the reader's visual and kinesthetic senses. The phrase "at their wits' end" functions as an **Idiom**, a common expression whose meaning is not directly deducible from the individual words, here signifying complete intellectual and practical helplessness. Furthermore, the entire verse serves as a powerful **Metaphor** for any overwhelming life crisis that strips individuals of their self-reliance and drives them to the brink of despair. The progression from physical chaos to mental collapse creates a sense of escalating desperation.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 107:27 profoundly speaks to the human condition, revealing our inherent limitations and the ultimate futility of self-reliance in the face of overwhelming forces. It underscores a fundamental theological truth: humanity's wisdom and strength are finite, and there are circumstances where only divine intervention can suffice. This verse serves as a powerful preamble to the act of crying out to God, highlighting that often, our deepest moments of desperation are precisely when we become most receptive to His grace and power. It is in the "swallowing up" of our own wisdom that space is created for God's transcendent wisdom and deliverance to manifest.

* [Proverbs 3:5-6](/proverbs/3-5 "Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart")
* [Isaiah 40:29](/isaiah/40-29 "Isaiah 40:29 - God Gives Power to the Faint")
* [2 Corinthians 12:9-10](/2_corinthians/12-9 "2 Corinthians 12:9-10 - God's Strength in Weakness")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 107:27 resonates deeply with human experience beyond the literal sea storm. We all encounter "storms" in life—financial crises, health challenges, relational breakdowns, periods of intense anxiety, or spiritual dryness—that can leave us feeling just as disoriented and helpless as the mariners. This verse offers profound validation: it is normal and human to feel overwhelmed, to reach a point where our own strength, intellect, or resources are simply insufficient. The feeling of being "at our wits' end" is a universal human experience, a testament to our creaturely limitations. Yet, this very vulnerability is not a sign of failure but an invitation. These moments of extreme distress are often precisely when we are most open to seeking a higher power, when our "wisdom is swallowed up," creating the necessary space for God's wisdom and intervention. The psalm's progression from utter despair (verse 27) to crying out to God (verse 28) and experiencing deliverance (verse 29) provides a powerful and hopeful pattern for navigating our own storms, encouraging us to turn to God when we feel lost and without hope.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **What are the "storms" in your life that leave you feeling "at your wits' end"?**
* **How does acknowledging your helplessness create space for God's intervention?**
* **In what ways have you experienced God's deliverance after crying out to Him in desperation?**

### FAQ
**Does this verse suggest that God causes suffering to make us cry out to Him?**

Answer: The broader context of [Psalms 107](/psalms/107 "Psalm 107 - God's Enduring Mercy") indicates that God is indeed sovereign over natural phenomena, including storms [Psalms 107:25](/psalms/107-25 "Psalms 107:25 - God Commands the Storm"). While the psalm states He "raises the stormy wind," the primary emphasis is not on God *causing* suffering for its own sake, but on His **redemptive response** to human distress. The storms, whether natural occurrences or divine instruments, serve to reveal human limitations and to drive people to seek God. The psalm highlights God's compassion and readiness to deliver those who cry out to Him in their trouble [Psalms 107:28](/psalms/107-28 "Psalms 107:28 - Crying Out to the Lord"). Thus, the suffering is presented as a catalyst for a deeper reliance on God and an opportunity to witness His delivering power, rather than a punitive act.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 107:27 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus, who perfectly embodies God's sovereignty over creation and His compassionate response to human helplessness. The mariners' desperate state, "at their wits' end," foreshadows humanity's spiritual condition, lost in the storms of sin and unable to save themselves. Just as the psalmist depicts God calming the raging sea [Psalms 107:29](/psalms/107-29 "Psalms 107:29 - God Calms the Storm"), the New Testament powerfully portrays Jesus demonstrating this very authority when He rebukes the wind and the waves, bringing about a great calm [Mark 4:39](/mark/4-39 "Mark 4:39 - Jesus Calms the Storm"). This miracle not only reveals His divine power but also His empathy for those in distress, including His disciples who were "at their wits' end" in the boat. Furthermore, Jesus is the ultimate "wisdom of God" [1_corinthians/1-24](/1-corinthians/1-24 "1 Corinthians 1:24 - Christ, the Wisdom of God"), and where human wisdom is "swallowed up" by sin and despair, He offers true understanding and salvation. He is the one to whom we cry out in our spiritual storms, the "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" [John 1:29](/john/1-29 "John 1:29 - Jesus, the Lamb of God"), delivering us from a predicament far more perilous than any physical tempest. In Christ, our helplessness is met with divine omnipotence and grace, leading to eternal deliverance and peace.

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

Job 12:25

They grope in the dark without light, and he maketh them to stagger like [a] drunken [man].

Isaiah 29:9

¶ Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

Isaiah 19:3

And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

Isaiah 19:14

The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken [man] staggereth in his vomit.

Acts 27:15

And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let [her] drive.

Acts 27:20

And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on [us], all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

Job 37:20

Shall it be told him that I speak? if a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.