Psalms 107:26-36

26 The sailors go up to heaven, and down into the deep; their souls are wasted because of their trouble.

27 They are turned here and there, rolling like a man who is full of wine; and all their wisdom comes to nothing.

28 Then they send up their cry to the Lord in their sorrow, and he gives them salvation out of all their troubles.

29 He makes the storm into a calm, so that the waves are at peace.

30 Then they are glad, because the sea is quiet, and he takes them to the harbour of their desire.

31 Let men give praise to the Lord for his mercy, and for the wonders which he does for the children of men!

32 Let them give glory to him in the meeting of the people, and praise among the chiefs.

33 He makes rivers into waste places, and springs of water into a dry land;

34 He makes a fertile country into a salt waste, because of the sins of those who are living there.

35 He makes a waste land into a place of water, and a dry land into water-springs.

36 And there he gives the poor a resting-place, so that they may make themselves a town;

Psalms 107:26-36 Meaning and Commentary

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.''