Psalm 107

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

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

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

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

5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

29 He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still.

30 Then they are glad because it is calm, so he brings them to their desired haven.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Around Psalm 107

Book context

PsalmsEditorial draft

Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers used in Israel’s worship, written by several people over a long period. Headings name David most often, along with Asaph, the sons of Korah and others. The collection falls into five books, each ending with a short blessing of the LORD (41:13, 72:19, 89:52, 106:48), and it closes with a call for everything that has breath to praise the LORD (150:6). The psalms hold praise, lament, thanksgiving, confession and trust, so readers find words for nearly every season of life.

Why we say this

HisFullGlory editorial · broad consensus · not yet reviewed by a theological reader

From the text itself

Sources

Notes summarise their sources in our own words. Where Christians or scholars disagree, the note says so. Notes are not original-language evidence and do not replace the text.

AI explanation

About Psalms as a whole · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this book is about

“How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever?” A prayer can begin like that, and in the Psalms it does. Four times the poet asks how long, and then, in the same short song, comes the turn: “But I trust in your loving kindness.”

That honesty runs through the whole book. Psalms is a collection of 150 songs and prayers, and it holds praise, thanksgiving, lament, confession, songs for the king, and reflections on wisdom and on God's law. It is arranged in five books and moves, on the whole, from many laments at the start to pure praise at the end.

Joy, fear, anger, guilt and doubt are all spoken to God directly.

Background

The psalms were written and gathered over several centuries. Their headings link about half of them with David and others with Asaph, the sons of Korah, Solomon and Moses. They were sung in the worship of the temple and later in synagogues and churches.

How Christians read it

Jews and Christians have prayed the Psalms daily for well over two thousand years. The New Testament quotes them more than any other book and reads many as speaking of Christ, among them Psalms 2, 22 and 110. The psalms that call for judgment on enemies are hard to read. Many understand them as handing vengeance over to God instead of taking it oneself.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 19 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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World English Bible. Public-domain source and edition notes