Psalms 107:24-31

Context

107:24 They witnessed the acts of the Lord,

his amazing feats on the deep water.

107:25 He gave the order for a windstorm,¹

and it stirred up the waves of the sea.²

107:26 They³ reached up to the sky,

then dropped into the depths.

The sailors’ strength⁴ left them⁵ because the danger was so great.⁶

107:27 They swayed⁷ and staggered like a drunk,

and all their skill proved ineffective.⁸

107:28 They cried out to the Lord in their distress;

he delivered them from their troubles.

107:29 He calmed the storm,⁹

and the waves¹⁰ grew silent.

107:30 The sailors¹¹ rejoiced because the waves¹² grew quiet,

and he led them to the harbor¹³ they desired.

107:31 Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,

and for the amazing things he has done for people!¹⁴

[107:25] ¹tn Heb “he spoke and caused to stand a stormy wind.”

[107:25] ²tn Heb “and it stirred up its [i.e., the sea’s, see v. 23] waves.”

[107:26] ³tn That is, the waves (see v. 25).

[107:26] ⁴tn Heb “their being”; traditionally “their soul” (referring to that of the sailors). This is sometimes translated “courage” (cf. NIV, NRSV).

[107:26] ⁵tn Or “melted.”

[107:26] ⁶tn Heb “from danger.”

[107:27] ⁷tn Only here does the Hebrew verb חָגַג (khagag; normally meaning “to celebrate”) carry the nuance “to sway.”

[107:27] ⁸tn The Hitpael of בָלַע (vala’) occurs only here in the OT. Traditionally the form is derived from the verbal root בלע (“to swallow”), but HALOT 135 s.v. III בלע understands a homonym here with the meaning “to be confused.”

[107:29] ⁹tn Heb “he raised [the] storm to calm.”

[107:29] ¹⁰tn Heb “their waves.” The antecedent of the third masculine plural pronominal suffix is not readily apparent, unless it refers back to “waters” in v. 23.

[107:30] ¹¹tn Heb “they”; the referent (the sailors) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[107:30] ¹²tn Heb “they”; the referent (the waves) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[107:30] ¹³tn The Hebrew noun occurs only here in the OT.

[107:31] ¹⁴tn Heb “and [for] his amazing deeds for the sons of man.” See v. 8.