Short answer: Psalm 107 is a thanksgiving psalm that calls the redeemed of the Lord to give thanks. It presents four pictures of people in distress — wanderers in the desert, prisoners in chains, the sick who draw near to death, and sailors caught in a storm. In each case, they cry to the Lord, and he delivers them. The psalm also describes God's power over nature and his provision for the needy. It ends with a call for the wise to ponder the steadfast love of the Lord.
The setting of the psalm
Psalm 107 is a thanksgiving psalm that calls the redeemed of the Lord to give thanks. The opening verses invite those whom the Lord has redeemed from trouble and gathered from the lands — from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. The call is to those who have experienced God's deliverance.
The psalm presents four vivid pictures of people in distress. The first is wanderers in the desert who were hungry and thirsty and whose soul fainted within them. They cried to the Lord, and he led them by a straight way to a city where they could dwell. Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love!
The second picture is prisoners in chains who had rebelled against God's words. They were bowed down and fell with no one to help. They cried to the Lord, and he brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their bonds apart. Let them thank the Lord!
The third picture is the sick who drew near to death. They loathed any food and drew near to the gates of death. They cried to the Lord, and he sent out his word and healed them, delivering them from their destruction. Let them thank the Lord! The fourth picture is sailors caught in a storm at sea who cried to the Lord, and he stilled the storm.
For Christians, this psalm celebrates the many ways God delivers his people. The four pictures represent the various troubles from which God saves — physical need, imprisonment, illness, and danger. The repeated refrain 'Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love' is a call to grateful worship. The psalm ends with a call to wisdom — whoever is wise, let him attend to these things.
Give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. Let the redeemed by Yahweh 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.
Psalm 107:1-3 (World English Bible)
Key words and their meaning
The Hebrew word for 'redeemed' (ga'al) in verse 2 describes the kinsman-redeemer who buys back a relative from slavery or debt. The redeemed of the Lord are those he has ransomed from trouble. This word anticipates the greater redemption in Christ.
The word 'steadfast love' (chesed) appears in the refrain four times. Each stanza ends with the call to thank the Lord for his chesed and his wonderful works to the children of man. The refrain ties the four pictures together.
The word 'wise' (chacham) in verse 43 concludes the psalm. Those who are wise will attend to these things and consider the steadfast love of the Lord. Wisdom is recognizing God's hand in deliverance.
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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh 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.
Psalm 107:4-9 (World English Bible)
What the psalm claims
First, God delivers his people from every kind of trouble. The four pictures show that no situation is beyond God's power to save.
Second, crying out to the Lord is the right response to distress. In each picture, those in trouble cried to the Lord, and he delivered them.
Third, deliverance should lead to thanksgiving. The repeated refrain 'Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love' is the central call of the psalm.
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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh 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.
Psalm 107:10-16 (World English Bible)
Where readers disagree
The structure of the psalm has been discussed. Some see four stanzas (verses 4-9, 10-16, 17-22, 23-32) plus a concluding section (verses 33-43), while others identify a different structure.
The relationship between this psalm and the wisdom tradition has been discussed. The concluding call for the wise to attend to these things suggests a wisdom perspective.
The question of whether the four pictures represent specific historical situations or generalized types of distress has been discussed. The lack of specific historical details allows the psalm to be applied to many situations.
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 Yahweh in their trouble, he saves them out of their distresses. He sends his word, and heals them, and delivers them from their graves. Let them praise Yahweh 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.
Psalm 107:17-22 (World English Bible)
How this psalm connects to the gospel
The themes of Psalm 107 find their ultimate fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The New Testament frequently draws on the Psalms to explain who Jesus is and what he accomplished. The psalm's language of deliverance, kingship, and steadfast love all point toward the gospel.
In Jesus, believers see the perfect fulfillment of everything this psalm celebrates. The deliverance the psalmist experienced was a foreshadowing of the greater deliverance Christ would accomplish. The kingship celebrated in the psalm points to Christ's eternal reign. The steadfast love described in the psalm is fully revealed in Jesus's sacrificial death and resurrection.
For Christians, reading this psalm is an opportunity to see God's faithfulness across the entire biblical story. The same God who heard the psalmist's cry also hears the prayers of his people today. The same deliverance finds its ultimate expression in the salvation Christ offers. The psalm invites believers to trust in this faithful God and to make his praise known to all generations.
The New Testament writers understood the Psalms as a prophetic witness to Christ. Jesus himself told his disciples that everything written about him in the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44). When the apostles preached about Jesus, they regularly quoted the Psalms to demonstrate that his suffering, death, resurrection, and exaltation were all part of God's redemptive plan.
Psalm 107 participates in this prophetic witness. Whether through its language of kingship, its descriptions of suffering and deliverance, or its celebration of God's steadfast love, this psalm contributes to the biblical portrait of the Messiah. Reading it in light of Christ does not diminish its original meaning but reveals its deepest significance.
Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters; These see Yahweh’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 Yahweh 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 Yahweh 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.
Psalm 107:23-32 (World English Bible)
Biblical fidelity check
Psalm 107 is theologically sound and consistent with the broader biblical witness. Its themes of God's steadfast love, faithfulness, and righteousness are central to biblical theology. The psalm contributes to the Psalter's comprehensive portrait of God's relationship with his people. While each psalm reflects its original historical context, its truths are enduring and applicable to believers today. The New Testament affirms and deepens the themes found in this psalm, particularly through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main message of Psalm 107?
The main message of Psalm 107 is give thanks to the lord for his steadfast love. The psalm teaches that God is worthy of trust and praise. It calls believers to respond to God's character with faith, obedience, and worship.
How does Psalm 107 point to Christ?
Psalm 107, like all Scripture, ultimately points to Jesus Christ. The themes of God's deliverance, steadfast love, and kingship find their fullest expression in Christ. The New Testament frequently quotes the Psalms to explain Christ's person and work. As Jesus himself said, the Scriptures bear witness to him (John 5:39).
How does Psalm 107 apply to Christians today?
Psalm 107 applies to believers today by providing language for prayer, praise, and lament. It teaches about God's character and how believers should respond to him. The psalm's truths are timeless, addressing the universal human experiences of joy, suffering, hope, and trust.
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