Psalms 107
107
PSALM 107
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
1Praise God, for he is good: for still
his mercies lasting be.
2Let God's redeem'd say so, whom he
from th' en'my's hand did free;
3And gather'd them out of the lands,
from north, south, east, nd west.
4They stray'd in desert's pathless way,
no city found to rest.
5For thirst and hunger in them faints
6their soul. When straits them press,
They cry unto the Lord,
and he them frees from their distress.
7Them also in a way to walk
that right is he did guide,
That they might to a city go,
wherein they might abide.
8O that men to the Lord would give
praise for his goodness then,
And for his works of wonder done
unto the sons of men!
9For he the soul that longing is
doth fully satisfy;
With goodness he the hungry soul
doth fill abundantly.
10Such as shut up in darkness deep,
and in death's shade abide,
Whom strongly hath affliction bound,
and irons fast have ty'd:
11Because against the words of God
they wrought rebelliously,
And they the counsel did contemn
of him that is most High:
12Their heart he did bring down with grief,
they fell, no help could have.
13In trouble then they cry'd to God,
he them from straits did save.
14He out of darkness did them bring,
and from death's shade them take;
These bands, wherewith they had been bound,
asunder quite he brake.
15O that men to the Lord would give
praise for his goodness then,
And for his works of wonder done
unto the sons of men!
16Because the mighty gates of brass
in pieces he did tear,
By him in sunder also cut
the bars of iron were.
17Fools, for their sin, and their offence,
do sore affliction bear;
18All kind of meat their soul abhors;
they to death's gates draw near.
19In grief they cry to God; he saves
them from their miseries.
20He sends his word, them heals,
and them from their destructions frees.
21O that men to the Lord would give
praise for his goodness then,
And for his works of wonder done
unto the sons of men!
22And let them sacrifice to him
off 'rings of thankfulness;
And let them shew abroad his works
in songs of joyfulness.
23Who go to sea in ships,
and in great waters trading be,
24Within the deep these men God's works
and his great wonders see.
25For he commands,
and forth in haste the stormy tempest flies,
Which makes the sea with rolling waves
aloft to swell and rise.
26They mount to heav'n, then to the depths
they do go down again;
Their soul doth faint and melt away
with trouble and with pain.
27They reel and stagger like one drunk,
at their wit's end they be:
28Then they to God in trouble cry,
who them from straits doth free.
29The storm is chang'd into a calm
at his command and will;
So that the waves, which rag'd before,
now quiet are and still.
30Then are they glad, because at rest
and quiet now they be:
So to the haven he them brings,
which they desir'd to see.
31O that men to the Lord would give
praise for his goodness then,
And for his works of wonder done
unto the sons of men!
32Among the people gathered
let them exalt his name;
Among assembled elders spread
his most renowned fame.
33He to dry land turns water-springs,
and floods to wilderness;
34For sins of those that dwell therein,
fat land to barrenness.
35The burnt and parched wilderness
to water-pools he brings;
The ground that was dry'd up before
he turns to water-springs:
36And there, for dwelling, he a place
doth to the hungry give,
That they a city may prepare
commodiously to live.
37There sow they fields, and vineyards plant,
to yield fruits of increase.
38His blessing makes them multiply,
lets not their beasts decrease.
39Again they are diminished,
and very low brought down,
Through sorrow and affliction,
and great oppression.
40He upon princes pours contempt,
and causeth them to stray,
And wander in a wilderness,
wherein there is no way.
41Yet setteth he the poor on high
from all his miseries,
And he, much like unto a flock,
doth make him families.
42They that are righteous shall rejoice,
when they the same shall see;
And, as ashamed, stop her mouth
shall all iniquity.
43Whoso is wise, and will these things
observe, and them record,
Ev'n they shall understand the love
and kindness of the Lord.
Book 5
Psalms 107—150
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Psalms 107: MP1650
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maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society
Psalms 107
107
Book 5(Psalms 107-150)
Psalm 107#sn Psalm 107. The psalmist praises God for his kindness to his exiled people.
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
and his loyal love endures!#tn Heb “for forever [is] his loyal love.”
2 Let those delivered by the Lord speak out,#tn Or “let the redeemed of the Lord say [so].”
those whom he delivered#tn Or “redeemed.” from the power#tn Heb “hand.” of the enemy,
3 and gathered from foreign lands,#tn Heb “from lands.” The word “foreign” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
from east and west,
from north and south.
4 They wandered through the wilderness on a desert road;
they found no city in which to live.
5 They were hungry and thirsty;
they fainted from exhaustion.#tn Heb “and their soul in them fainted.”
6 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
7 He led them on a level road,#sn A level road. See Jer 31:9.
that they might find a city in which to live.
8 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!#tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.”
9 For he has satisfied those who thirst,#tn Heb “[the] longing throat.” The noun נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh), which frequently refers to one’s very being or soul, here probably refers to one’s parched “throat” (note the parallelism with נֶפֱשׁ רְעֵבָה, nefesh rÿ’evah, “hungry throat”).
and those who hunger he has filled with food.#tn Heb “and [the] hungry throat he has filled [with] good.”
10 They sat in utter darkness,#tn Heb “those who sat in darkness and deep darkness.” Synonyms are joined here to emphasize the degree of “darkness” experienced by the exiles. The Hebrew term צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, “deep darkness”) has traditionally been understood as a compound noun, meaning “shadow of death” (צֵל + מָוֶת [tsel + mavet]; see BDB 853 s.v. צַלְמָוֶת; cf. NASB). Other authorities prefer to vocalize the form צַלְמוּת (tsalmut) and understand it as an abstract noun (from the root צלם) meaning “darkness.” An examination of the word’s usage favors the latter derivation. It is frequently associated with darkness/night and contrasted with light/morning (see Job 3:5; 10:21-22; 12:22; 24:17; 28:3; 34:22; Ps 107:10, 14; Isa 9:1; Jer 13:16; Amos 5:8). In some cases the darkness described is associated with the realm of death (Job 10:21-22; 38:17), but this is a metaphorical application of the word and does not reflect its inherent meaning. In Ps 107:10 the word refers metonymically to a dungeon, which in turn metaphorically depicts the place of Israel’s exile (see vv. 2-3).
bound in painful iron chains,#tn Heb “those bound in suffering and iron.” “Suffering and iron” is a hendiadys (like English “good and angry”), where both words contribute to one idea. In this case the first word characterizes the second; the iron (chains) contribute to the prisoners’ pain and suffering.
11 because they had rebelled against God’s commands,#tn Heb “the words of God.”
and rejected the instructions of the sovereign king.#tn Heb “the counsel of the Most High.”
12 So he used suffering to humble them;#tn Heb “and he subdued with suffering their heart.”
they stumbled and no one helped them up.
13 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
14 He brought them out of the utter darkness,#tn Heb “darkness and deep darkness.” See the note on the word “darkness” in v. 10.
and tore off their shackles.
15 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!#tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
16 For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars.#sn The language of v. 16 recalls Isa 45:2.
17 They acted like fools in their rebellious ways,#tn Heb “fools [they were] because of the way of their rebellion.”
and suffered because of their sins.
18 They lost their appetite for all food,#tn Heb “all food their appetite loathed.”
and they drew near the gates of death.
19 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
20 He sent them an assuring word#tn Heb “he sent his word.” This probably refers to an oracle of assurance which announced his intention to intervene (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 59). and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped.#tn Heb “he rescued from their traps.” The Hebrew word שְׁחִית (shekhit, “trap”) occurs only here and in Lam 4:20, where it refers to a trap or pit in which one is captured. Because of the rarity of the term and the absence of an object with the verb “rescued,” some prefer to emend the text of Ps 107:20, reading מִשַׁחַת חַיָּתָם (mishakhat khayyatam, “[he rescued] their lives from the pit”). Note also NIV “from the grave,” which interprets the “pit” as Sheol or the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!#tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
22 Let them present thank offerings,
and loudly proclaim what he has done!#tn Heb “and let them proclaim his works with a ringing cry.”
23#sn Verses 23-30, which depict the Lord rescuing sailors from a storm at sea, do not seem to describe the exiles’ situation, unless the word picture is metaphorical. Perhaps the psalmist here broadens his scope and offers an example of God’s kindness to the needy beyond the covenant community. Some traveled on#tn Heb “those going down [into].” the sea in ships,
and carried cargo over the vast waters.#tn Heb “doers of work on the mighty waters.”
24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,
his amazing feats on the deep water.
25 He gave the order for a windstorm,#tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”
and it stirred up the waves of the sea.#tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”
26 They#tn That is, the waves (see v. 25). reached up to the sky,
then dropped into the depths.
The sailors’ strength#tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV). left them#tn Or “melted.” because the danger was so great.#tn Heb “from danger.”
27 They swayed#tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.” and staggered like a drunk,
and all their skill proved ineffective.#tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”
28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
29 He calmed the storm,#tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”
and the waves#tn Heb “their waves.” The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not readily apparent, unless it refers back to “waters” in v. 23. grew silent.
30 The sailors#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity. rejoiced because the waves#tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity. grew quiet,
and he led them to the harbor#tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT. they desired.
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!#tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people!
Let them praise him in the place where the leaders preside!#tn Heb “in the seat of the elders.”
33 He turned#tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. (The use of prefixed forms with vav [ו] consecutive in vv. 36-37 favor this.) The psalmist may return to the theme of God’s intervention for the exiles (see vv. 4-22, especially vv. 4-9). However, many regard vv. 33-41 as a hymnic description which generalizes about God’s activities among men. In this case it would be preferable to use the English present tense throughout (cf. NEB, NRSV). streams into a desert,
springs of water into arid land,
34 and a fruitful land into a barren place,#tn Heb “a salty land.”
because of the sin of its inhabitants.
35 As for his people,#tn The words “As for his people” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. The psalmist contrasts God’s judgment on his enemies with his blessing of his people. See the note on the word “enemies” in v. 39 for further discussion. he turned#tn The verbal form appears to be a preterite, which is most naturally taken as narrational. See the note on the word “turned” in v. 33. a desert into a pool of water,
and a dry land into springs of water.
36 He allowed the hungry to settle there,
and they established a city in which to live.
37 They cultivated#tn Heb “sowed seed in.” fields,
and planted vineyards,
which yielded a harvest of fruit.#tn Heb “fruit [as] produce.”
38 He blessed#tn “Bless” here carries the nuance “endue with sexual potency, make fertile.” See Gen 1:28, where the statement “he blessed them” directly precedes the command “be fruitful and populate the earth” (see also 1:22). The verb “bless” carries this same nuance in Gen 17:16 (where God’s blessing of Sarai imparts to her the capacity to bear a child); 48:16 (where God’s blessing of Joseph’s sons is closely associated with their having numerous descendants); and Deut 7:13 (where God’s blessing is associated with fertility in general, including numerous descendants). See also Gen 49:25 (where Jacob uses the noun derivative in referring to “blessings of the breast and womb,” an obvious reference to fertility) and Gen 27:27 (where the verb is used of a field to which God has given the capacity to produce vegetation). them so that they became very numerous.
He would not allow their cattle to decrease in number.#tn The verbal form in this line appears to be an imperfect, which may be taken as customary (drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame) or as generalizing (in which case one should use the English present tense, understanding a move from narrative to present reality).
39 As for their enemies,#tn The words “As for their enemies” are not included in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity. Without such clarification, one might think that v. 39 refers to those just mentioned in v. 38 as objects of divine blessing, which would contradict the point just emphasized by the psalmist. The structure of vv. 33-42 is paneled (A-B-A-B). In vv. 33-34 the psalmist describes God’s judgment upon his enemies (perhaps those who had enslaved his people). In vv. 35-38 he contrasts this judgment with the divine blessing poured out on God’s people. (See the note on the word “people” in v. 35.) In vv. 39-40 he contrasts this blessing with the judgment experienced by enemies, before returning in vv. 41-42 to the blessing experienced by God’s people. they decreased in number and were beaten down,
because of painful distress#tn Heb “from the oppression of calamity.” and suffering.
40 He would pour#tn The active participle is understood as past durative here, drawing attention to typical action in a past time frame. However, it could be taken as generalizing (in which case one should translate using the English present tense), in which case the psalmist moves from narrative to present reality. Perhaps the participial form appears because the statement is lifted from Job 12:21. contempt upon princes,
and he made them wander in a wasteland with no road.
41 Yet he protected#tn Heb “set on high.” the needy from oppression,
and cared for his families like a flock of sheep.
42 When the godly see this, they rejoice,
and every sinner#tn Heb “all evil,” which stands metonymically for those who do evil. shuts his mouth.
43 Whoever is wise, let him take note of these things!
Let them consider the Lord’s acts of loyal love!
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