Chapter Summary
Core Passages from Psalms 107
Psalms 107:1-2Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble
This opening verse sets the theme for the entire psalm, establishing that God's goodness and enduring love are the foundation for all thanksgiving. It's a call to action for those who have personally experienced God's rescue to share their story.Psalms 107:19Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
This verse captures the central pattern of the psalm: in the midst of trouble, the simple act of crying out to God is the turning point. It shows that God's deliverance is not based on our merit but on His mercy in response to our plea.Psalms 107:43Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
The psalm concludes with this call to wisdom, suggesting that true understanding comes from reflecting on God's actions. It challenges the reader to look at life's events and see the consistent pattern of God's faithful love at work.
Historical & Cultural Context
A Song for the Redeemed
Psalm 107 opens the fifth and final book of the Psalms. It functions as a powerful hymn of thanksgiving, likely intended for use in temple worship. Many scholars believe it was written after the Babylonian exile, as its opening lines speak of God gathering His people 'from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.' This historical backdrop of restoration gives the psalm a deep sense of gratitude for a national deliverance that is then illustrated through personal stories of rescue.
Four Stories, One Deliverer
The psalm is beautifully structured around a repeating chorus. It presents four different scenarios of human distress: being lost in the desert, trapped in prison, suffering from a self-inflicted illness, and caught in a storm at sea. In each case, the people cry out to God, He delivers them, and the psalmist calls on them to 'thank the Lord for his steadfast love.' This structure emphasizes that God's power to save extends to every imaginable human crisis, whether caused by circumstance, sin, or nature itself.
Stories of Rescue and a Call to Praise
The psalm begins with a broad call to worship in verses 1-3, inviting all who have been redeemed to give thanks. From there, it unfolds into four distinct vignettes, each illustrating a different kind of human suffering and God's powerful deliverance. Each story follows a predictable and comforting rhythm: a description of the trouble, the cry for help, God's miraculous rescue, and a concluding refrain of praise. The final section then zooms out to reflect on God's sovereign power over all creation and history.
Rescue for the Lost and Wandering (Psalms 107:1-9)
1 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble
3 and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.
4 Some wandered in desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;
5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.
6 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
7 He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.
8 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
9 For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.
Commentary:
God guides the lost and satisfies the hungry who cry out to Him for direction.
Freedom for the Prisoners of Rebellion (Psalms 107:10-16)
10 Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons,
11 for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 Therefore he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help.
13 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.
15 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16 For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.
Commentary:
God frees those imprisoned by their own rebellion when they turn back to Him in desperation.
Healing for the Foolish and Afflicted (Psalms 107:17-22)
17 Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18 they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.
19 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He sent out his word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction.
21 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22 And let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, and tell of his deeds in songs of joy!
Commentary:
God sends His word to heal and restore those suffering the consequences of their own foolishness.
Calm for the Sailors in the Storm (Psalms 107:23-32)
23 Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters;
24 And they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
25 For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight;
27 They reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits' end.
28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.
Commentary:
God calms the fiercest storms and brings His people to safety when they cry out in fear.
Related Verse Analysis
The Wise Consider God's Love (Psalms 107:33-43)
33 He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.
35 He turns a desert into pools of water, a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry dwell, and they establish a city to live in;
37 They sow fields and plant vineyards and get a fruitful yield.
38 He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; he does not let their livestock diminish.
39 When they are diminished and brought low through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40 he pours contempt on princes and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
41 But he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks.
42 The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.
43 Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things; let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
Commentary:
The wise will recognize God's sovereign power and his steadfast love in the way He governs the world.
God's Unfailing Love in Every Trouble
God's Steadfast Love (Hesed)
This is the central theme of the psalm, repeated in the refrain of each story. The Hebrew word 'hesed' describes a loyal, persistent, covenant-keeping love. It means more than mere affection. The psalm demonstrates that God's love isn't a passive feeling but an active, powerful force that intervenes to rescue and restore His people, proving His faithfulness again and again.
The Cycle of Distress and Deliverance
Psalm 107 reveals a fundamental pattern in our relationship with God: we fall into trouble, we cry out for help, and God delivers us. This cycle is shown in four different contexts, proving its universal truth. It offers immense hope, showing that no matter how we got into our trouble - even if it was our own fault - a sincere cry to God is the key to experiencing His salvation.
The Necessity of Thanksgiving
Deliverance is not the end of the story. Thanksgiving is the necessary response. The psalm insists that those who are rescued must 'say so' and 'thank the Lord.' This gratitude is meant to be public and vocal, shared 'in the congregation of the people,' so that one person's story of rescue becomes a source of faith and encouragement for the entire community.
Finding Hope in God's Steadfast Love
Psalm 107 teaches you that no situation is beyond God's reach, whether you feel lost, trapped, sick, or overwhelmed by chaos. It encourages you to see your trouble not as a final destination, but as a place from which you can cry out to God (Psalms 107:6, 13, 19, 28). Your difficulty becomes the very stage for witnessing His powerful deliverance.
The psalm shows that true thanksgiving is an active, public testimony. It means you don't keep God's goodness to yourself but 'tell of his deeds in songs of joy' (Psalms 107:22) and 'extol him in the congregation of the people' (Psalms 107:32). It's about turning your personal story of rescue into a public declaration of God's faithfulness for others to hear.
This psalm offers incredible hope by showing that God's rescue isn't reserved for the innocent. Even when people were imprisoned for rebellion (Psalms 107:10-11) or sick from their own foolishness (Psalms 107:17), God saved them the moment they cried out. This means that no matter the cause of your struggle, repentance and a cry for help are always met with His steadfast love and deliverance.
God's Love Rescues and Restores
Psalm 107 serves as a powerful gallery of God's rescuing love in action. It declares that God's character is not one of distant observation but of active intervention in the face of human suffering. Through these timeless stories, we see that His steadfast love is a present and powerful force that saves, heals, guides, and restores. The message is both universal and deeply personal: no matter the cause or the kind of our distress, a heartfelt cry to God opens the door to His deliverance and gives us a new song of thanksgiving to sing.
What This Means for Us Today
This psalm is an invitation to testify. It offers more than a history of past rescues. The command for the redeemed is to 'say so,' to tell the story of what God has done. Psalm 107 invites us to find our own stories within its verses and to join the timeless chorus of those who have been saved by God's steadfast love.
- What story of God's deliverance in your own life can you 'say so' about this week?
- In what area of your life do you need to stop striving and 'cry to the Lord' for help?
- How can you actively 'consider the steadfast love of the Lord' when you look at the world around you today?
Further Reading
Immediate Context
This psalm is a historical confession of Israel's repeated sin and rebellion, setting the stage for Psalm 107's celebration of God's repeated deliverance.
Following the stories of rescue in Psalm 107, this psalm is a confident song of praise and a prayer for future victory, born from remembering God's past faithfulness.
Connections Across Scripture
This passage contains God's promise to gather His children from the east, west, north, and south, a promise that Psalm 107:2-3 celebrates as fulfilled.
Jonah's prayer from inside the great fish is a powerful example of someone crying out to the Lord in trouble and being delivered, mirroring the themes of Psalm 107.
In this account, Jesus calms a storm on the sea, demonstrating the same divine authority over the chaos of nature that is praised in Psalm 107:29.
Thematic Connections
The parables of the lost sheep, lost coin, and lost son echo the theme of God's relentless love seeking out and restoring those who are lost, just as seen in Psalm 107.
Discussion Questions
- Psalm 107 describes four different kinds of 'trouble' (being lost, imprisoned, sick, and in a storm). Which of these scenarios do you relate to most in your own life experiences, and why?
- The refrain 'Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them' appears four times. What does this repetition teach us about the nature of prayer and the character of God?
- The final verse says that the wise will 'consider the steadfast love of the Lord.' What are some practical ways we can do this in our daily lives, beyond times of crisis?