Psalm 107
His loving devotion endures forever
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Read
What does it say?
This is a plain-language guide, not a translation. Check it against the Bible text any time.
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
The whole passage, in shortThe main points of the whole passage, in a few sentences.
Psalm 107 opens Book V of the Psalter with a call to give thanks. Then it tells four stories: wanderers in the desert who could not find a city, brought safely to one; prisoners sitting in darkness and chains, brought out by God's word; those who were sick from their own foolishness, healed by a single word; sailors in a storm, stilled to a whisper. In each story the same line appears: they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so.
Where it is in the Bible: Psalm 107
Before You Read
Who wrote it. Anonymous — likely post-exilic, for those returning from Babylon.
What it is. A thanksgiving psalm built on four stories of rescue — wandering, imprisonment, illness, storm at sea — each ending with the same refrain.
What it's about. People in desperate need cried out to the LORD, and He delivered them. Let them give thanks. This is what steadfast love looks like in the dark.
When the church sings it. On Sundays in Ordinary Time and Epiphany.
Map of the Psalm
| Section | Verses | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gathered from Every Direction | 107:1–9 | Wanderers in the desert — they cried, He led them to a city |
| 2. Those Who Sat in Darkness | 107:10–16 | Prisoners in darkness — they cried, He broke their chains |
| 3. The Sick Who Were Brought Low | 107:17–22 | The sick near death — they cried, He healed them |
| 4. Those Who Went Down to the Sea | 107:23–32 | Sailors in a storm — they cried, He stilled the waves |
| 5. Wisdom | 107:33–43 | God turns deserts into springs and springs into deserts — the wise take note |
Section by Section
Section 1 of 5Gathered from Every Direction
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever" (107:1).
The opening line is the chorus of all Israel's praise. Here it introduces four specific stories.
"Let the redeemed of the LORD tell their story — those He redeemed from the hand of the foe, those He gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south" (107:2–3).
The redeemed are gathered from everywhere — the exiles returning.
"Some wandered in a desert wasteland, finding no city to dwell in. They were hungry and thirsty; their life was ebbing away" (107:4–5).
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He led them by a straight path to a city where they could dwell" (107:6–7).
"Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and for His wonders to the children of men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things" (107:8–9).
Refrain and application: satisfied thirst, filled hunger — God's direct answer to their direct need.
Section 2 of 5Those Who Sat in Darkness
"Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, imprisoned in iron chains of affliction, for they had rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High" (107:10–11).
This group is not innocent. They are in darkness partly because of their own choices.
"He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help." (107:12).
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke their chains in pieces" (107:13–14).
The refrain: they cried, He saved. Even those who brought the trouble on themselves.
"Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and for His wonders to the children of men, for He breaks down bronze gates and cuts through iron bars" (107:15–16).
Section 3 of 5The Sick Who Were Brought Low
"Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction. They loathed all food and drew near to the gates of death." (107:17–18).
Again: cause acknowledged. But the cry is still heard.
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. He sent forth His word and healed them; He rescued them from the Pit." (107:19–20).
"Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and for His wonders to the children of men. Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and tell of His works with joyful singing" (107:21–22).
Section 4 of 5Those Who Went Down to the Sea
"Others went out to sea in ships, conducting trade on the great waters. They saw the works of the LORD, His wonders in the deep" (107:23–24).
"For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea. They mounted up to the heavens, then sunk to the depths; their courage melted in their anguish." (107:25–26).
God raised this storm. The sailors' helplessness is total.
"They reeled and staggered like drunkards, and all their skill was useless." (107:27).
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed." (107:28–29).
"They rejoiced when the waves grew quiet, and He guided them to the harbor they desired. Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and for His wonders to the children of men" (107:30–31).
Section 5 of 5Wisdom
"He turns rivers into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of those who live there" (107:33–34).
"He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs." (107:35).
"He brings the hungry to dwell there, and they establish a city to live in. They sow their fields and plant their vineyards and reap a fruitful harvest" (107:36–37).
"Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD." (107:43).
The closing invitation: see the pattern. God reverses fortunes. Wisdom is paying attention to what He has done.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble" (107:6, 107:13, 107:19, 107:28) | The refrain repeats four times — the pattern of human need and divine response is universal. |
| "His loving devotion endures forever" (107:1) | The Hebrew hesed — steadfast, covenant love that does not give up. |
| "He sent forth His word and healed them" (107:20) | God acts by His word — the same word that created the world. |
| "He calmed the storm to a whisper" (107:29) | The God who raised the storm can also stop it. Both are His doing. |
| "Let him who is wise pay heed to these things" (107:43) | The psalm itself is an invitation to learn from what God has done. |
Back Then
Psalm 107 likely celebrates the return from Babylon — "He gathered them from the lands, from east and west, from north and south" (107:3) would have resonated powerfully with exiles returning home.
The four rescue stories (desert wanderers, prisoners, the sick, sailors) move from land to prison to sickbed to sea — covering every geography of human helplessness. Together they say: there is no situation from which God cannot deliver.
"He sent forth His word and healed them" (107:20) — the Gospel of John will later say that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. The word that heals here is the same word that became a person.
Literal Reader Alert
"He spoke and raised a tempest" (107:25) — God caused the storm? Yes. The psalmist does not shy away from God's sovereignty over even the things that terrify us. The storm is in His hand — and so is the stillness that follows.
"Fools, in their rebellious ways" (107:17) — the psalm does not pretend that all suffering is innocent. Sometimes we create our own distress. The remarkable thing is that the refrain still applies: they cried, He heard, He delivered. The cause of the trouble does not disqualify the rescue.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The wanderers | Desperate, then satisfied | Hungry and thirsty — then led to a city (107:4–9) |
| The prisoners | Helpless, then freed | Darkness and chains — then broken gates (107:10–16) |
| The sailors | Terrified, then glad | Storm and helplessness — then a whisper and harbor (107:23–32) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What does this psalm speak into? Tap one.
I'm wandering and can't find my way
He led them by a straight path to a city to dwell in. Cry out.
I feel imprisoned — by circumstances, choices, my own failures
He broke chains, even for those who put themselves there.
I'm sick and worn down
He sent forth His word and healed them. He rescued from the pit.
Everything feels out of control
He calmed the storm to a whisper. He guided them to the harbor they desired.
You Might Have Heard
"God only helps those who help themselves."
What's true: The psalm does distinguish between those who brought trouble on themselves and those who didn't.
What the passage is mainly about: In all four stories, what triggers deliverance is the cry — not human effort or merit. The wanderers couldn't find a city. The prisoners couldn't break their own chains. The sick loathed all food and were near death. The sailors' skill was useless. In each case: they cried, and He delivered. That is the pattern this psalm calls us to see and trust.
Where Jesus is: He stilled a storm with a word (Mark 4:39) — the sailors' story in real time. He healed the sick by His word (Matthew 8:16). He set prisoners free and led the wandering home. He is the word that heals (107:20) made flesh. And He is the wisdom at the end of the psalm — the one who teaches us to pay attention to what God has done.
Good News
"Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever" (107:1).
In the desert, in the prison, on the sickbed, in the storm — His steadfast love does not end. Cry out. He delivers.
Psalm 107: wanderers, prisoners, the sick, sailors — all cried out, all were delivered. His loving devotion endures forever. Let the wise pay heed to what God has done.
Big Idea
Psalm 107: give thanks — His loving devotion endures forever. Four stories: wanderers led to a city, prisoners freed, the sick healed, sailors stilled in a storm. They cried out, and He delivered. Let the wise pay attention.
If this passage brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. It appoints Psalm 107 on the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany in Year B and on other Sundays in Ordinary Time.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
- Fourth Sunday in Lent Year BPsalm, Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
- Lectionary 12 Year BPsalm, Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32
- Lectionary 18 Year CPsalm, Psalm 107:1-9, 43
- Lectionary 31 Year APsalm, Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Psalm 107, explained in plain words. Four stories of people in trouble — wanderers, prisoners, the sick, sailors — who cried out and were delivered. His loving devotion endures forever. About 12 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/psalm-107/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church