Psalm 107 14

Psalm 107:14 kjv

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.

Psalm 107:14 nkjv

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And broke their chains in pieces.

Psalm 107:14 niv

He brought them out of darkness, the utter darkness, and broke away their chains.

Psalm 107:14 esv

He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.

Psalm 107:14 nlt

He led them from the darkness and deepest gloom;
he snapped their chains.

Psalm 107 verses

Psalm 107 14 Meaning

God, in His active and powerful intervention, brought them forth from states of profound spiritual ignorance and overwhelming despair—represented by the deepest darkness and the very brink of death. Simultaneously, He definitively shattered and utterly dismantled the ties that bound them, whether literal chains or the spiritual fetters of sin and its consequences. This verse emphasizes divine liberation from dire circumstances.

Psalm 107 14 Context

Psalm 107 is a wisdom psalm, functioning as a song of thanksgiving. It emphasizes God's enduring lovingkindness (hesed) and His miraculous deeds in delivering His people from various troubles. The psalm presents four distinct groups of people in distress: wanderers in the wilderness (vv. 4-9), prisoners in darkness and bonds (vv. 10-16), the sick and dying (vv. 17-22), and those facing peril at sea (vv. 23-32). Each segment follows a pattern: distress due to their own actions or circumstances, crying out to the Lord, divine deliverance, and a call to give thanks. Verse 14 specifically refers to the second group—those who were "in darkness and in the shadow of death, bound in affliction and irons" (v. 10) "because they had rebelled against the words of God and spurned the counsel of the Most High" (v. 11). This verse marks God's powerful response to their cry, freeing them from the self-imposed consequences of their rebellion.

Psalm 107 14 Word analysis

• He brought them out (וַיּוֹצִיאֵם - vayyotzi'em): This is from the Hebrew verb yatza (יָצָא), appearing in the Hiphil causative stem. This grammatical construction signifies that God caused them to go out or led them forth. It denotes active, decisive, and powerful divine intervention. This highlights God's sovereignty and His direct agency in the act of salvation, emphasizing that their deliverance was not self-initiated but entirely God's doing, reminiscent of the Exodus.
• out of darkness (מֵחֹשֶׁךְ - mechoshek): The Hebrew word choshek (חֹשֶׁךְ) refers to deep physical darkness but more profoundly to spiritual ignorance, sin, confusion, despair, and separation from divine truth and presence. In biblical thought, darkness frequently symbolizes evil, judgment, and the chaos before creation or apart from God's order. It conveys a state of moral blindness and utter hopelessness.
• and the shadow of death (וְצַלְמָוֶת - v'tsalmavet): This is a powerful Hebrew compound word formed from tsel (צֵל - shadow) and mavet (מָוֶת - death). It denotes the most extreme form of gloom, a deadly darkness, a place or state of dire peril, mortal danger, or the very brink of demise. Beyond physical death, it encompasses a profound spiritual and existential abyss, a life devoid of God's light and hope, akin to a spiritual dungeon.
• and broke their bonds apart (וּמוֹסְרֹתֵיהֶם נִתֵּק - u'mosroteihem nitheq):
  • broke (נִתֵּק - nitheq): This verb comes from natak (נָתַק), appearing in the Piel stem. The Piel stem intensifies the action, signifying a violent, forceful, and complete tearing, breaking asunder, or severing. It implies a definitive rupture, not a gentle untying. This conveys the absolute and irreversible nature of God's deliverance; the chains are not merely loosened but shattered beyond repair.
  • their bonds (מוֹסְרֹתֵיהֶם - mosroteihem): This plural noun, moserot (מוֹסֵרוֹת), literally means "bands," "bonds," "fetters," or "chains." While referring to literal imprisonment, its usage within the biblical narrative extends to all forms of enslavement, including the spiritual bondage of sin, guilt, fear, addiction, or the oppressive consequences resulting from disobedience (as noted in Psa 107:11). The "apart" is implied by the forcefulness of the verb "broke."

Psalm 107 14 Bonus section

• The repeating refrain throughout Psalm 107 ("Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress" and "Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love") underscores a consistent pattern of human need, divine intervention, and required human gratitude. This verse (Psa 107:14) is God's response to the desperate cry described in Psa 107:12-13.
• The dramatic transformation described in this verse—from extreme darkness and bondage to freedom—highlights the incredible contrast of God's saving power. It emphasizes the profound mercy of God in liberating those who, by their own admission in prior verses, suffered justly for their rebellion.
• The concepts of "darkness" and "light" in the Bible are profound. This verse uses "darkness and shadow of death" as antithesis to the light of life, hope, and divine presence that God provides in liberation. This theme echoes from Genesis 1's creation of light from darkness to Christ's identity as the Light of the World in the New Testament.

Psalm 107 14 Commentary

Psalm 107:14 offers a poignant portrayal of God's magnificent power to redeem. It vividly describes the desperate plight of individuals entrapped in spiritual and physical dungeons, brought to that state by their own rebellion (as explained in previous verses), but then profoundly liberated by divine mercy. The imagery of "darkness and the shadow of death" represents a state of utter hopelessness, separation from God, and deep moral or existential despair. These are conditions from which human effort offers no escape. "Bonds" symbolize not just literal chains of imprisonment but also the spiritual and emotional fetters of sin, addiction, or despair that bind a person's life.

The verse emphasizes God as the sole, active Liberator. The Hebrew verb "brought them out" is causative, affirming that this was entirely God's initiative and power, not an act of self-rescue. Furthermore, He "broke" their bonds, a violent, complete, and irreversible act. This speaks to the definitive nature of God's deliverance—no chain, however strong, can withstand His power.

This historical account of deliverance powerfully prefigures the ultimate spiritual liberation found in Christ. He is the true Light who brings individuals out of the spiritual "darkness and shadow of death" of sin and spiritual ignorance, and by His atoning sacrifice and resurrection, He definitively "broke apart" the bonds of sin, guilt, and death that held humanity captive. For the believer, this verse testifies that no spiritual or circumstantial prison is too strong for the God who saves. It serves as an encouragement to cry out to Him in times of distress, trusting in His perfect and complete redemption.

Examples for practical usage:

• A person struggling with addiction, finding complete release through repentance and faith.
• Someone steeped in spiritual confusion or false doctrine, finding clear truth in God's Word.
• An individual burdened by past sins and guilt, experiencing freedom through Christ's forgiveness.