107:38 107:38

Psalms 107:39

107:40 107:40

Bible Versions

Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.
Again, they are minished {H4591} and brought low {H7817} through oppression {H6115}, affliction {H7451}, and sorrow {H3015}.
When their numbers fall, and they grow weak, because of oppression, disaster and sorrow,
When they are decreased and humbled by oppression, evil, and sorrow,
Again, they are diminished and bowed down Through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.

Psalms 107:39 (KJV) states, "Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow." This verse highlights a stark reversal of fortune, emphasizing the vulnerability of human prosperity and the profound impact of hardship or divine judgment.

Context

Psalms 107 is primarily a psalm of thanksgiving, celebrating God's steadfast love and deliverance of various groups from distress: wanderers, prisoners, the sick, and sailors caught in storms (Psalms 107:4-32). Following these specific examples, the psalm shifts to God's general sovereignty over the land and nations. Verses 35-38 describe how God can transform wilderness into fruitful land and multiply people, providing for the hungry. Verse 39 then presents a contrasting scenario, reminding us that God also has the power to diminish and humble populations, often due to their unrighteousness or external forces like oppression. It serves as a somber counterpoint to the prosperity previously described, illustrating the full spectrum of God's sovereign control over human affairs and national destinies, a common theme in the biblical narrative of covenant blessings and curses that shaped Israel's history.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Divine Sovereignty: The verse powerfully underscores God's ultimate control over the rise and fall of nations and individuals. He is the one who can bring prosperity but also permit or orchestrate decline.
  • The Cycle of Fortune: It speaks to the transient nature of human prosperity. Even those who have been blessed can experience diminishment, being "minished and brought low," due to various forms of hardship.
  • Consequences of Unrighteousness: While not explicitly stated in this verse, the broader context of biblical wisdom often links such suffering to societal sin or a departure from God's ways, leading to vulnerability to "oppression, affliction, and sorrow."
  • The Reality of Suffering: The verse acknowledges that even in a world overseen by a benevolent God, suffering in the forms of oppression, personal affliction, and deep sorrow are real experiences for humanity.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew terms used convey a powerful sense of decline and distress:

  • "Minished" (מָעַט, ma'at): Means to be made few, to diminish in number or substance. It signifies a reduction from a previous state of abundance or multitude.
  • "Brought low" (שָׁפַל, shafal): Implies being humbled, abased, or put in a low state, often referring to a loss of status, power, or dignity.
  • "Oppression" (עֹצֶר, `otser): Denotes restraint, coercion, or tyrannical rule that restricts freedom and causes distress.
  • "Affliction" (יָגוֹן, yagown): Refers to deep grief, sorrow, or intense pain.
  • "Sorrow" (אֲנָחָה, `anachah): Describes groaning, sighing, or mourning, pointing to the emotional and physical burden of distress.

Practical Application

Psalms 107:39 offers several enduring lessons for believers today:

  • Humility in Prosperity: It serves as a stark reminder that blessings are not guaranteed and can be withdrawn. It encourages humility and dependence on God, even in times of plenty, recognizing that all good things come from Him.
  • Understanding Adversity: When facing "oppression, affliction, and sorrow," this verse reminds us that such experiences are part of the human condition and often within God's sovereign plan, perhaps as a form of discipline, a call to repentance, or a means to strengthen faith.
  • Seeking God in All Seasons: Just as the earlier parts of Psalms 107 show God delivering people from various troubles when they cried out to Him, this verse indirectly prompts us to seek God's face whether we are prospering or are "minished and brought low." The ultimate hope remains in God's power to reverse circumstances and turn mourning into joy (Psalms 30:5).
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.

  • 2 Kings 10:32

    In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

  • Exodus 2:23

    ¶ And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

  • Exodus 2:24

    And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

  • Judges 6:3

    And [so] it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

  • Judges 6:6

    And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

  • 2 Chronicles 15:5

    And in those times [there was] no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations [were] upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

  • 2 Chronicles 15:6

    And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
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