Bible Commentaries
Psalms 107

Verses 1-43

BOOK V.— PSS. CVII.– CL.

CVII. A Psalm of Thanksgiving for Yahweh’ s Special Goodness.— It is divided at Psalms 107:8 f., Psalms 107:15 f., Psalms 107:21 f., Psalms 107:31 f. by a refrain: viz. “ Oh that men would praise Yahweh for his goodness and for his wonderful works,” etc. The Ps. therefore falls into the following divisions: Psalms 107:1-9. Deliverance of homeless wanderers. In our text, as it stands, there seems to be some confusion between deliverance from adversity in general and especially from loss of way in the desert and the return from exile ( Psalms 107:3).

Psalms 107:10-16 . Deliverance from prison. In Psalms 107:12 LXX has “ was brought down.”

Psalms 107:17-22 . Deliverance from sickness which, according to the accepted doctrine, was the consequence of sin.

Psalms 107:23-32 . Deliverance from perils at sea.

After this the refrain recurs no more, and the remaining verses are an addition by a later hand, and have no strict connexion with the preceding Ps. They are chiefly borrowed from Is. and Job. They treat of Yahweh’ s power and righteous judgment, not specially of His mercy.