Psalms 107

1 Alleluia. Acknowledge ye to the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy is into the world. (Alleluia. Give ye thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his love is forever.)

2 Say they, that be again-bought of the Lord; which he again-bought from the hand of the enemy, (Say they, who were redeemed by the Lord; whom he rescued from the power of the enemy,)

3 from countries he gathered them together. From the rising of the sun, and from the going down; from the north, and from the sea. (yea, he gathered them together from all the countries. From the rising of the sun, and from the going down of the same; from the north, and from the sea.)

4 They erred in wilderness, in a place without water; they found not way of the city of dwelling place. (They wandered about in the desert, in a place without water; they could not find the way to a city to live in.)

5 They were hungry and thirsty; their soul(s) failed in them.

6 And they cried to the Lord, when they were set in tribulation; and he delivered them from their needinesses. (And they cried to the Lord, when they were in trouble; and he saved them from all their distress.)

7 And he led forth them into the right way; that they should go into the city of dwelling. (And he led them forth by the right way; so that they came to a city to live in.)

8 The mercies of the Lord, acknowledge to him; and his marvels acknowledge to the sons of men. (Give thanks to the Lord for his constant love; and for the marvellous deeds which he hath done, for the sons and daughters of men.)

9 For he [ful]filled a void man; and he filled with goods an hungry man. (For he fulfilleth the thirsty; and he filleth the hungry with good things to eat.)

10 God delivered men sitting in darkness, and in the shadow of death; and men imprisoned in beggary, and in iron(s).

11 For they made bitter the speeches of God; and wrathed the counsel of the Highest. (Because they had rebelled against the words of God; and had rejected the counsel of the Most High.)

12 And the heart of them was made meek in travails; and they were sick, and none was that helped (them). (And their hearts were made weary by their labour; and they were enfeebled, or weak, and there was no one to help them.)

13 And they cried to the Lord, when they were set in tribulation; and he delivered them from their needinesses. (And they cried to the Lord, when they were in trouble; and he saved them from all their distress.)

14 And he led them out of darknesses, and [the] shadow of death; and brake the bonds of them.

15 The mercies of the Lord, acknowledge to him; and his marvels, acknowledge to the sons of men. (Give thanks to the Lord for his constant love; and for the marvellous deeds which he hath done, for the sons and daughters of men.)

16 For he all-brake [the] brazen gates; and he brake [the] iron bars. (For he broke all the bronze gates; and the iron bars.)

17 He up-took them from the way of their wickedness; for they were made low for their unrightfulnesses. (And some were fools, and they went forth in their wicked ways; and they were made low for their unrighteousnesses.)

18 The soul of them loathed all meat (They hated all kinds of food); and they nighed unto the gates of death.

19 And they cried to the Lord, when they were set in tribulation; and he delivered them from their needinesses. (And they cried to the Lord, when they were in trouble; and he saved them from all their distress.)

20 He sent his word, and healed them; and delivered them from the perishings of them (and saved them from death).

21 The mercies of the Lord, acknowledge to him; and his marvels to the sons of men. (Give thanks to the Lord for his constant love; and for the marvellous deeds which he hath done, for the sons and daughters of men.)

22 And offer they the sacrifice of praising; and tell they his works with full out joying. (And offer they the sacrifice of praise; and tell they about his works with rejoicing.)

23 They that go down into the sea in ships; and make working in many waters. (And let others go down to the sea in ships; and do their work/and ply their trade in many waters.)

24 They saw the works of the Lord; and his marvels in the depth. (And they saw the works of the Lord; and his marvellous deeds in the depths of the sea.)

25 He said, and the spirit of tempest stood; and the waves thereof were areared. (He spoke, and the wind of the tempest stood still; and its waves were lifted up high.)

26 They ascend till to heavens, and go down unto the depths; the soul of them failed in evils. (They were lifted up to the heavens, and then brought down to the depths; and their souls failed because of their troubles, yea, they lost all hope, or all courage.)

27 They were troubled, and they were moved as a drunken man; and all the wisdom of them was devoured. (They were troubled, and they staggered around like drunken men; and all their wisdom, or all their skill, had fled.)

28 And they cried to the Lord, when they were set in tribulation; and he led them out of their needinesses. (And they cried to the Lord, when they were in trouble; and he saved them from all their distress.)

29 And he ordained the tempest thereof into a soft wind, either peaceability; and the waves thereof were still(ed).

30 And they were glad, for those were still; and he led them forth into the haven of their will. (And they were glad that all was still; and he led them forth into the haven of their desire, yea, into a safe harbour.)

31 The mercies of the Lord, acknowledge to him; and his marvels to the sons of men. (Give thanks to the Lord for his constant love; and for the marvellous deeds which he hath done, for the sons and daughters of men.)

32 And enhance they him in the church of the people; and praise they him in the chair(s) of the elder men. (And let them exalt him in the congregation of the people; and praise they him in the council of the elders.)

33 He hath set floods into desert; and the outgoings of waters into thirst(y) (ground). (He hath turned rivers into desert; and springs of water into thirsty ground.)

34 He hath set fruitful land into saltiness; for the malice of men dwelling therein. (He hath set fruitful land into a salty wasteland; because of the evil, or the wickedness, of the people who live there.)

35 He hath set desert into ponds of waters; and [the] earth without water into [the] outgoings of waters. (He hath turned the desert into pools of water; yea, the place without water into springs of water.)

36 And he set there hungry men; and they made a city of dwelling. (And he put the hungry there; and they made a city to live in.)

37 And they sowed fields, and planted vines; and made fruit of birth. (And they sowed fields, and planted vines; and reaped a fruitful harvest.)

38 And he blessed them, and they were multiplied greatly (And he blessed them, and they were greatly multiplied); and he made not less their work beasts.

39 And they were made few; and were travailed of tribulation of evils and of sorrow. (And then, they were made few; and were troubled with trials, and evils, and sorrow.)

40 Strife was shed out on princes; and he made them for to err without the way, and not in the way. (And he poured out his contempt upon their enemies? leaders; and he made them to wander without a way, and to go not on the way.)

41 And he helped the poor man from poverty; and setted families as a sheep bringing forth lambs. (But he helped the poor out of their poverty; and made families to be like sheep bringing forth lambs.)

42 Rightful men shall see, and shall be glad; and all wickedness shall stop his mouth. (The upright shall see, and shall be glad; and all the wicked shall close their mouths.)

43 Who is wise, and shall keep these things; and shall understand the mercies of the Lord? (Whoever is wise, shall think about these things; and then they shall understand the Lord's constant love.)

Psalms 107 Commentary

Chapter 107

God's providential care of the children of men in distresses, in banishment, and dispersion. (1-9) In captivity. (10-16) In sickness. (17-22) Danger at sea.(23-32) God's hand is to be seen by his own people. (33-43)

Verses 1-9 In these verses there is reference to the deliverance from Egypt, and perhaps that from Babylon: but the circumstances of travellers in those countries are also noted. It is scarcely possible to conceive the horrors suffered by the hapless traveller, when crossing the trackless sands, exposed to the burning rays of the sum. The words describe their case whom the Lord has redeemed from the bondage of Satan; who pass through the world as a dangerous and dreary wilderness, often ready to faint through troubles, fears, and temptations. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, after God, and communion with him, shall be filled with the goodness of his house, both in grace and glory.

Verses 10-16 This description of prisoners and captives intimates that they are desolate and sorrowful. In the eastern prisons the captives were and are treated with much severity. Afflicting providences must be improved as humbling providences; and we lose the benefit, if our hearts are unhumbled and unbroken under them. This is a shadow of the sinner's deliverance from a far worse confinement. The awakened sinner discovers his guilt and misery. Having struggled in vain for deliverance, he finds there is no help for him but in the mercy and grace of God. His sin is forgiven by a merciful God, and his pardon is accompanied by deliverance from the power of sin and Satan, and by the sanctifying and comforting influences of God the Holy Spirit.

Verses 17-22 If we knew no sin, we should know no sickness. Sinners are fools. They hurt their bodily health by intemperance, and endanger their lives by indulging their appetites. This their way is their folly. The weakness of the body is the effect of sickness. It is by the power and mercy of God that we are recovered from sickness, and it is our duty to be thankful. All Christ's miraculous cures were emblems of his healing diseases of the soul. It is also to be applied to the spiritual cures which the Spirit of grace works. He sends his word, and heals souls; convinces, converts them, makes them holy, and all by the word. Even in common cases of recovery from sickness, God in his providence speaks, and it is done; by his word and Spirit the soul is restored to health and holiness.

Verses 23-32 Let those who go to sea, consider and adore the Lord. Mariners have their business upon the tempestuous ocean, and there witness deliverances of which others cannot form an idea. How seasonable it is at such a time to pray! This may remind us of the terrors and distress of conscience many experience, and of those deep scenes of trouble which many pass through, in their Christian course. Yet, in answer to their cries, the Lord turns their storm into a calm, and causes their trials to end in gladness.

Verses 33-43 What surprising changes are often made in the affairs of men! Let the present desolate state of Judea, and of other countries, explain this. If we look abroad in the world, we see many greatly increase, whose beginning was small. We see many who have thus suddenly risen, as suddenly brought to nothing. Worldly wealth is uncertain; often those who are filled with it, ere they are aware, lose it again. God has many ways of making men poor. The righteous shall rejoice. It shall fully convince all those who deny the Divine Providence. When sinners see how justly God takes away the gifts they have abused, they will not have a word to say. It is of great use to us to be fully assured of God's goodness, and duly affected with it. It is our wisdom to mind our duty, and to refer our comfort to him. A truly wise person will treasure in his heart this delightful psalm. From it, he will fully understand the weakness and wretchedness of man, and the power and loving-kindness of God, not for our merit, but for his mercy's sake.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 107

This psalm, from its style, and from its connection with the preceding psalms, seems to have been written by David. The two foregoing psalms respect the children of Israel; this is generally thought to concern all mankind, and its view to assert a general providence which attends all, in whatsoever condition and circumstance; and to encourage men in their distresses to cry unto the Lord. According to Kimchi, Aben Ezra, and others, four sorts of persons are mentioned, travellers through a wilderness, prisoners, sick persons, and such who use the seas; to which some add a fifth, husbandmen; these are instanced in, not to the exclusion of others, but from them it may be concluded that whatsoever state or condition persons may be in, they are known and taken notice of by the Lord, and are relieved by him when they call upon him. Some restrain the whole to the Israelites, as the Targum, R. Obadiah, Arama, and others, where they make any application; and others apply the psalm to New Testament times; and indeed, though the literal sense should be attended unto and preserved, yet it seems to be applicable to spiritual persons and things. The title of it in the Syriac version is pretty remarkable,

``it is said concerning Joab and Abiah the sons of Samuel, who recited the commandments of the Lord. God gathered the Jews out of captivity, and brought them out from Babylon. Also the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, gathered the Gentiles from the four corners of the world, by preaching to baptism.''