Psalms 107:27

27 They reel to and fro, and move as a drunkard, And all their wisdom is swallowed up.

Psalms 107:27 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 107:27

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man
Through the agitation of the water, and motion of the ship, not being able to stand upon deck.

And are at their wit's end;
or, "all their wisdom is swallowed up" F14; their wisdom in naval affairs, their art of navigation, their skill in managing ships, all nonplussed and baffled; they know not what method to take to save the vessel and themselves; their knowledge fails them, they are quite confounded and almost distracted. So Apollinarius paraphrases it,

``they forget navigation, and their wise art does not appear;''

so Ovid, describing a storm, uses the same phrase, "deficit ars",

``art fails.''


FOOTNOTES:

F14 (elbtt Mtmkx lk) "omnis sapientia eorum absorpta est", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.

Psalms 107:27 In-Context

25 And He saith, and appointeth a tempest, And it lifteth up its billows,
26 They go up [to] the heavens, they go down [to] the depths, Their soul in evil is melted.
27 They reel to and fro, and move as a drunkard, And all their wisdom is swallowed up.
28 And they cry to Jehovah in their adversity, And from their distresses He bringeth them out.
29 He establisheth a whirlwind to a calm, And hushed are their billows.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.