Psalms 107

General context

The psalm calls for thanks to the Lord, whose mercy endures for ever, and tells the redeemed, gathered from east, west, north and south, to say so. Some wandered in the wilderness, found no city, cried to the Lord, and he led them by the right way to a city of habitation; Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness. Some sat in darkness and the shadow of death, bound in affliction and iron because they rebelled against God's words; they fell with none to help, cried, and he broke their bands and the gates of brass; the refrain returns. Fools afflicted for their transgression abhorred all meat and drew near the gates of death; they cried, he sent his word and healed them; the refrain, with a call to sacrifice thanksgiving. Those who go down to the sea in ships see the Lord's wonders in the deep; he raises the stormy wind, they mount to heaven and go down to the depths, reel like a drunken man and are at their wits' end; they cry, he makes the storm a calm and brings them to their desired haven; the refrain, with a call to exalt him in the congregation. He turns rivers into wilderness and fruitful land into barrenness for wickedness, and turns wilderness into standing water where the hungry dwell, sow fields, plant vineyards and multiply. Again they are brought low by oppression; he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander, yet sets the poor on high and makes him families like a flock. The righteous shall see it and rejoice, iniquity shall stop her mouth, and whoever is wise will observe these things and understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.

Cited passages: Psalms 107:1, Psalms 107:2, Psalms 107:3, Psalms 107:4, Psalms 107:6, Psalms 107:7, Psalms 107:8, Psalms 107:10, Psalms 107:11, Psalms 107:12, Psalms 107:14, Psalms 107:16, Psalms 107:17, Psalms 107:18, Psalms 107:20, Psalms 107:22, Psalms 107:23, Psalms 107:25, Psalms 107:27, Psalms 107:29, Psalms 107:30, Psalms 107:32, Psalms 107:33, Psalms 107:34, Psalms 107:36, Psalms 107:39, Psalms 107:40, Psalms 107:41, Psalms 107:42, Psalms 107:43

Psalms 107 (KJV)

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Historical context

This source prints no superscription; the psalm begins with O give thanks unto the Lord. No speaker is named; the poem speaks about groups in the third person, they, and addresses no one directly except in the wish Oh that men would praise the Lord. The redeemed are described as gathered out of the lands from four directions, without naming the lands or the enemy from whose hand they were redeemed. The four groups are wanderers in the wilderness, prisoners in darkness and iron, fools sick to the gates of death, and seafarers in a storm; two of the four are said to suffer because of rebellion or transgression, and the other two are given no cause. No place, nation, king or date is given anywhere in the psalm; the city of habitation, the gates of brass and the desired haven are unnamed. The closing verses speak of princes and the poor in general terms. There is no Selah.

Cited passages: Psalms 107:2, Psalms 107:3, Psalms 107:11, Psalms 107:17, Psalms 107:5, Psalms 107:24, Psalms 107:40, Psalms 107:8

Literary context

Four scenes share one frame. Each begins with a group in trouble, turns on the same sentence, Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, printed as cry in the third and fourth scenes, and ends with the same refrain, Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, in verses 8, 15, 21 and 31. Within the frame the details differ: a right way for the wanderers, broken bands and gates of brass for the prisoners, a sent word for the sick, and a calm for the sailors, so the rescue matches the trouble each time. The refrain is followed twice by an added instruction, sacrifice thanksgiving and exalt him in the congregation, so the praise becomes something done in public. The storm scene is the longest and most physical, with the ship going up to heaven and down to the depths and the sailors staggering like a drunken man. After the fourth scene the psalm changes shape into reversals, rivers to wilderness and wilderness to water, princes brought down and the poor set high, and it ends by turning to the reader with whoso is wise, so that observing these things becomes a fifth response to the four rescues.

Cited passages: Psalms 107:6, Psalms 107:13, Psalms 107:19, Psalms 107:28, Psalms 107:15, Psalms 107:21, Psalms 107:31, Psalms 107:7, Psalms 107:26, Psalms 107:35, Psalms 107:43

Key moments

1. Gathered from four directions (Psalms 107:3). The redeemed are gathered out of the lands from east, west, north and south.
2. They cried, he delivered (Psalms 107:6). The wanderers cry in their trouble and are led to a city of habitation.
3. Bands broken (Psalms 107:14). Prisoners in darkness and iron are brought out and their bands broken.
4. He sent his word and healed (Psalms 107:20). The sick near the gates of death are healed by God's word.
5. The storm made a calm (Psalms 107:29). Sailors at their wits' end are brought to their desired haven.
6. The poor set on high (Psalms 107:41). Princes wander while the poor are given families like a flock.
7. Whoso is wise (Psalms 107:43). The psalm closes by inviting the wise to observe and understand.

For reflection

Two of the four groups are said to have brought their trouble on themselves, and the same cry brings the same rescue for all four. Does the psalm treat the cause of the trouble as mattering at all once the cry is made?