The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 107
In brief
Psalm 107 is a song of thanksgiving for those the Lord has redeemed. It presents four scenes of distress: wanderers in the desert, prisoners in darkness, sick people close to death, sailors in a storm. Each time the same pattern returns: the cry to God, the deliverance, the invitation to thank him. Often read as a song of the return from exile, it ends with a look of wisdom at how God leads. You can pray it when coming out of a trial or in the middle of one.
The chapter in 5 parts
1Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
2Let the redeemed by Yahweh say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,
3And gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
4They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way. They found no city to live in.
5Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
6Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses,
7he led them also by a straight way, that they might go to a city to live in.
8Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children of men!
9For he satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with good.
10Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron,
11because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High.
12Therefore he brought down their heart with labor. They fell down, and there was no one to help.
13Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.
14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke away their chains.
15Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children of men!
16For he has broken the gates of bronze, and cut through bars of iron.
17Fools are afflicted because of their disobedience, and because of their iniquities.
18Their soul abhors all kinds of food. They draw near to the gates of death.
19Then they cry to Yahweh in their trouble, he saves them out of their distresses.
20He sends his word, and heals them, and delivers them from their graves.
21Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children of men!
22Let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his deeds with singing.
23Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters;
24These see Yahweh’s deeds, and his wonders in the deep.
25For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves.
26They mount up to the sky; they go down again to the depths. Their soul melts away because of trouble.
27They reel back and forth, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
28Then they cry to Yahweh in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distress.
29He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still.
30Then they are glad because it is calm, so he brings them to their desired haven.
31Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds for the children of men!
32Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people, and praise him in the seat of the elders.
33He turns rivers into a desert, water springs into a thirsty ground,
34and a fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it.
35He turns a desert into a pool of water, and a dry land into water springs.
36There he makes the hungry live, that they may prepare a city to live in,
37sow fields, plant vineyards, and reap the fruits of increase.
38He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly. He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease.
39Again, they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.
40He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless waste.
41Yet he lifts the needy out of their affliction, and increases their families like a flock.
42The upright will see it, and be glad. All the wicked will shut their mouths.
43Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things. They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh.
Key verses
Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.
The opening call gives the reason for praise: God is good and his faithful love never ends. This verse returns in several psalms and serves as a refrain for the whole people.
Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses,
The first cry of distress, followed by deliverance. The refrain repeats in verses 13, 19 and 28: sincere prayer in trial is heard.
He sends his word, and heals them, and delivers them from their graves.
God sends his word and it heals. The psalm presents the word of God as a force that lifts up and saves, without turning it into an automatic formula.
He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still. Then they are glad because it is calm, so he brings them to their desired haven.
God calms the storm and brings the sailors to the harbor they longed for. The image is often used for trials where you no longer control anything.
Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things. They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh.
The last verse invites reflection: whoever is wise holds on to these stories and recognizes the goodness of the Lord in them.
Test your knowledge
What the sermons say
Frequently asked questions about Psalm 107
What is the message of Psalm 107?
Psalm 107 teaches that God hears those who cry out to him in distress and that he delivers them. Four very different situations answer with the same refrain: in their trouble they cried to the Lord, and he saved them out of their distress. The psalm then calls everyone to thank God for his goodness and to tell what he has done.
What does it mean to give thanks to the Lord because he is good and his loving kindness endures forever?
This phrase sums up the reason for biblical praise. God is good by nature, not only when circumstances are favorable. His loving kindness, hesed in Hebrew, means a faithful love that does not withdraw. Israel repeats this refrain in its worship, notably in Psalms 106, 118 and 136.
How can I pray or meditate on Psalm 107?
Read it slowly and find your own situation among the four scenes: wandering, captivity, sickness or storm. Then take up the refrain, praying in your own words, and finish with a specific thanksgiving for a deliverance you have already received. You can also read it with others, each one repeating the refrain aloud.
Articles quoting Psalm 107
- 20 Bible Verses for Christian Weddings in Japan: Vows, Blessing and Invitations
- 20 Bible Verses for a New Baby in Japan: Welcoming a Gift from God
- John 5: You Are Not Alone, Count on the LORD
- Choose Gratitude: God Is Good in Every Season
- Melchizedek or the King of Sodom: Which King Will You Choose?
- The Armor of God: Growing in Spiritual Warfare
World English Bible translation — public domain.