Psalms 107:4

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

They wandered {H8582} in the wilderness {H4057} in a solitary {H3452} way {H1870}; they found {H4672} no city {H5892} to dwell {H4186} in.

They wandered in the desert, on paths through the wastes, without finding any inhabited city.

Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell.

They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; They found no city of habitation.

Commentary

Psalm 107 is a powerful psalm of thanksgiving, celebrating God's enduring mercy and deliverance for various groups of people in distress. Verse 4 introduces the first of these groups, vividly describing their desperate plight.

Context

This verse likely draws upon the historical experience of the Israelites during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. It paints a picture of extreme vulnerability and hardship: "They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in." This depicts a people without a home, without direction, and without the basic security of shelter or community. It emphasizes utter disorientation and lack of provision, setting the stage for God's eventual intervention.

Key Themes

  • Desperation and Helplessness: The phrase "solitary way" (Hebrew: yeshimon, meaning a desolate, waste place) underscores their isolation and the absence of any signs of civilization or help. They were truly lost and vulnerable.
  • Lack of Refuge: "No city to dwell in" highlights their homelessness and the absence of any established place of rest or safety. This condition speaks to a deep need for security and provision.
  • The Wilderness as a Symbol: The "wilderness" (Hebrew: midbar) here represents a period of trial, testing, and consequence, where life is harsh and human resources are insufficient. It's a place where one is forced to rely solely on divine intervention.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "wilderness" is midbar (ืžึดื“ึฐื‘ึธึผืจ), which often refers to an uninhabited, arid region. While sometimes a place of divine encounter, in this context, it emphasizes desolation and hardship. The phrase "solitary way" uses the term yeshimon (ื™ึฐืฉึดืื™ืžื•ึนืŸ), which means a desolate, waste, or lonely place. This intensifies the sense of isolation and utter barrenness, highlighting their extreme vulnerability and lack of direction.

Practical Application

While rooted in a historical context, Psalms 107:4 speaks to the human experience of feeling lost, aimless, or without a spiritual home. Many today can identify with periods of life that feel like a "wilderness" โ€“ whether it's a time of confusion, spiritual dryness, unemployment, or a sense of not belonging. This verse reminds us:

  • God Sees Our Lostness: Even when we feel utterly alone and without direction, God is aware of our plight.
  • The Need for Divine Guidance: Just as the Israelites needed God to lead them through the wilderness, we too need His guidance when we find ourselves adrift. The psalm goes on to show that when they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, He delivered them.
  • Finding Rest in Christ: Ultimately, for believers, the "city to dwell in" is found in God's presence and the security of His salvation. As the New Testament speaks of our citizenship in heaven and finding rest for our souls in Jesus, it offers the ultimate refuge from life's wanderings.
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Cross-References

  • Deuteronomy 32:10 (7 votes)

    He found him in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.

  • Ezekiel 34:6 (5 votes)

    My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek [after them].

  • Numbers 14:33 (5 votes)

    And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcases be wasted in the wilderness.

  • Ezekiel 34:12 (5 votes)

    As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep [that are] scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

  • Genesis 21:14 (2 votes)

    ยถ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave [it] unto Hagar, putting [it] on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

  • Genesis 21:16 (2 votes)

    And she went, and sat her down over against [him] a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against [him], and lift up her voice, and wept.

  • Revelation 12:6 (2 votes)

    And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred [and] threescore days.