Psalm 107:5

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

Psalm 107:5 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 107:5

Hungry and thirsty
As travellers in deserts sometimes are; their provisions being spent they bring with them, and none to be had on the road; there being no inns to stop at, nor any sort of food to eat, nor springs of water to drink of. In such a condition are souls, when, like the prodigal, they come to themselves, and are thoroughly convinced of their state and condition by nature; they find themselves starving and famishing, and no provision to be had from themselves or the creature: they hunger after Christ, the bread of life, and thirst after his grace, the water of life, and the blessings of it; they hunger and thirst after his righteousness, and justification by it; after the pardon of their sins through his blood, and after salvation by him, and an interest in it; after more knowledge of him, and communion with him.

Their soul fainted in them;
for want of food and drink; as men do, in a spiritual sense, for want of Christ, the blessings of his grace, particularly salvation; for want of views of interest in it, of the joys and comforts of it; see ( Psalms 119:81 ) . Some refer all this to the apostles and apostolic men, wandering in the Gentile world, hungry, thirsty, and without any certain dwelling place; see ( 1 Corinthians 4:11 ) .

Psalm 107:5 In-Context

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.)