Psalms 107

BOOK 5

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

Let the redeemed by the LORD say so, whom he has redeemed from the hand of the adversary,

and gathered out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way. They found no city to live in.

Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

He led them also by a straight way, that they might go to a city to live in.

Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children of men!

For he satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with good.

Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron,

because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High.

Therefore he brought down their heart with labor. They fell down, and there was no one to help.

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke away their chains.

Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children of men!

For he has broken the gates of bronze, and cut through bars of iron.

Fools are afflicted because of their disobedience, and because of their iniquities.

Their soul abhors all kinds of food. They draw near to the gates of death.

Then they cry to the LORD in their trouble, and he saves them out of their distresses.

He sends his word, and heals them, and delivers them from their graves.

Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds to the children of men!

Let them offer the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his deeds with singing.

Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters,

these see the LORD’s deeds, and his wonders in the deep.

For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves.

They mount up to the sky; they go down again to the depths. Their soul melts away because of trouble.

They reel back and forth, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.

Then they cry to the LORD in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distress.

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.

Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds for the children of men!

Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people, and praise him in the seat of the elders.

He turns rivers into a desert, water springs into a thirsty ground,

and a fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it.

He turns a desert into a pool of water, and a dry land into water springs.

There he makes the hungry live, that they may prepare a city to live in,

sow fields, plant vineyards, and reap the fruits of increase.

He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly. He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease.

Again, they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.

He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless waste.

Yet he lifts the needy out of their affliction, and increases their families like a flock.

The upright will see it, and be glad. All the wicked will shut their mouths.

Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things. They will consider the loving kindnesses of the LORD.

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. Psalm 107 is a song of corporate thanksgiving that celebrates God’s enduring covenant love and repeated deliverance of the redeemed from various forms of suffering. Structured around four distinct scenarios—wandering in the wilderness, imprisonment in darkness, affliction due to sin, and peril at sea—the psalm emphasizes a consistent pattern: rebellion or distress leads to suffering, the people cry to the Lord, and He delivers them by His power and mercy. The refrain calls for gratitude and praise, culminating in a final reflection on divine wisdom and justice.

Flow.

Opens with a call to thanksgiving, identifying the recipients of God’s mercy as the redeemed gathered from exile (vv. 1–3).
Presents four vivid illustrations of human desperation—physical, spiritual, moral, and natural—each followed by divine intervention (vv. 4–22, 23–32).
Shifts to a reflection on God’s sovereign control over land and nations, showing judgment on the wicked and blessing on the afflicted (vv. 33–41).
Concludes with a call to wisdom: the observant will recognize God’s steadfast love in all these works (v. 43).

Connections. Following Psalm 106, which recounts Israel’s repeated rebellion and God’s faithfulness in history, this chapter continues the theme of covenant failure and redemption but shifts to a broader, more universal frame—applying lessons from Israel’s story to all who suffer and seek God. Where Psalm 106 ends with a plea from exile (“Save us, O Lord…”), Psalm 107 answers with a testimony of deliverance. This pattern of cry and rescue, judgment and mercy, prepares the reader for the increasing focus on God’s sovereign rule in Psalms 108–110, which highlight divine kingship and salvation.

What it teaches. The psalm reveals God’s consistent mercy toward a wayward people, affirming that His steadfast love (ḥesed) endures through cycles of sin, discipline, repentance, and redemption. It teaches that affliction often follows rebellion (WCF 5.6), but the Lord is ever-ready to save those who call upon Him (HC LD 10), demonstrating His sovereignty over nature, history, and human suffering. The repeated refrain, “Let them praise the LORD for his loving kindness,” underscores that gratitude is the proper response to divine deliverance (BC Art. 24). This aligns with the biblical principle that God both humbles and exalts (CD IV.7), turning deserts into springs and storms into calm for the sake of His covenant.

Apply. When affliction comes—whether from sin, circumstance, or mystery—cry to the Lord, for He is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who call on Him in truth.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.