We continue in Psalm 107. This long thanksgiving psalm portrays refugees or exiles in four ways, as thirsty wanderers, released prisoners, rebellious and broken fools, and sailors on a rough sea. Each of these four scenes ends with a two verse coda of thanksgiving. We looked at the first three acts in the previous blogpost. Now we look at the fourth act, and the conclusion.
Psalm 107:23-27, In peril on the sea
Others went out on the sea in ships;
they were merchants on the mighty waters.
They saw the works of the LORD,
his wonderful deeds in the deep.
For he spoke and stirred up a tempest that lifted high thwaves.
They mounted up to the heavens and went down to the depths;
in their peril their courage melted away.
They reeled and staggered like drunken men;
they were at their wits' end.
Act 4, verses 23-32, see the refugees as frightened sailors, in ships surrounded by giant and chaotic waves, tumbling the sailors around like drunken men.
Psalm 107:28-30, In peril on the sea
Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
and he brought them out of their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper;
the waves of the sea were hushed.
They were glad when it grew calm,
and he guided them to their desired haven.
The sailors cry out to God and the storm is stilled. They are then guided safely home.
The Christian sees here a foreshadowing of the actions of Messiah Jesus in Mark 4:35-41.
Psalm 107:31-32, Give thanks and exalt him!
Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men.
Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the council of the elders.
The sailors give thanks back home among the congregation and in the council of the elders.
Psalm 107:33-38, Rivers to desert and back again
He turned rivers into a desert,
flowing springs into thirsty ground,
and fruitful land into a salt waste,
because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
He turned the desert into pools of water
and the parched ground into flowing springs;
there he brought the hungry to live,
and they founded a city where they could settle.
They sowed fields and planted vineyards
that yielded a fruitful harvest;
he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,
and he did not let their herds diminish.
In verses 33 and 34, fresh water sources, rivers and springs, are turned into dry wastes. This action is reversed afterwards, as the desert and parched ground receive water. Now the fields are moist and fertile, allowing bountiful harvests and increased prosperity. Not only can YHWH free and redeem the people but He can also free and redeem the land.
Psalm 107:39-40, Humbled by oppression
Then their numbers decreased, and they were humbled
by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
he who pours contempt on nobles
made them wander in a trackless waste.
The people, once a large population, are humbled by calamity.
As Alter points out, the phrase "pours contempt on nobles" appears also in Job 12:21.
Psalm 107:41-43, Needy lifted up
But he lifted the needy out of their affliction
and increased their families like flocks.
The upright see and rejoice,
but all the wicked shut their mouths.
Whoever is wise, let him heed these things
and consider the great love of the LORD.
In the final stanza, the people are restored, restored to prosperity, justice and wisdom. In this wisdom they should, once again, sing of YHWH's great love.
In the first half of this psalm I was reminded of Mary's song in Luke 1:46-55. As Kidner points out, this psalm might also remind us of Hannah's song in 1 Samuel 2.
First published October 14, 2025; updated October 14, 2025
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