Psalms 107

The occasion of this psalm was one of great national deliverance like that of Israel from Egypt and the lesson which it teaches is, that God’s judgments and mercies are dispensed according to a wise plan of correction, proceeding from his eternal love of holiness and hatred of sin, punishing the latter and encouraging the former; the design being to draw men from iniquity, which, if they are wise to observe, “they shall understand the loving kindness of the Lord.” From the occasion of Israel’s experience of backsliding, suffering, repentance, and restoration, the psalmist surveys the general methods of God with men in analogous cases, and cites various illustrative examples. The psalm is one of praise, given on some great feast day, (Psalms 107:22,) when their city had been recently revived, (Psalms 107:7; Psalms 107:36,) and their lands restored to fertility by tillage after long barrenness, Psalms 107:35-37. Their redemption, too, had been one of power, (Psalms 107:14; Psalms 107:16,) and from a scattered state they had become a united people, Psalms 107:38. It clearly belongs to the return of the exiles probably to the erection of the “great altar.” Ezra 3:1-7. The resemblances traceable between this and Psalms 104, 105, 106, do not necessarily imply oneness of date and authorship, but would naturally arise from similarity of theme and design, especially as regards the last two, where the subject is Israel’s redemption from heathen rule and from their own backslidings, and re-establishment in Canaan according to the covenant. As to date and authorship, they must be considered as standing apart; but as to subject and scope, as nearly allied; and in this latter sense, Psalms 105, 106, 107, form a trilogy. According to Hengstenberg, Psalms 101-106 form a double trilogy, to which this was added after the captivity.

The strophic divisions are six, embraced between an introduction, Psalms 107:1-3, and a conclusion, Psalms 107:43. The first four contain a double refrain of two lines each, which are wanting in the latter two. These particulars will be explained in the notes.