Psalm 107:41 kjv
Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.
Psalm 107:41 nkjv
Yet He sets the poor on high, far from affliction, And makes their families like a flock.
Psalm 107:41 niv
But he lifted the needy out of their affliction and increased their families like flocks.
Psalm 107:41 esv
but he raises up the needy out of affliction and makes their families like flocks.
Psalm 107:41 nlt
But he rescues the poor from trouble
and increases their families like flocks of sheep.
Psalm 107 41 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Sam 2:7-8 | The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low, and lifts up... sets them among princes. | God's power to reverse fortunes and elevate. |
| Ps 75:7 | For God is the Judge: He puts down one and exalts another. | God's sovereign control over human status. |
| Job 5:11 | He sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. | God exalts the humble and secures the suffering. |
| Ps 113:7-8 | He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes. | God's specific act of elevating the lowliest. |
| Lk 1:52-53 | He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted the lowly... filled the hungry with good things. | Mary's song echoing God's reversal of fortunes. |
| Lk 6:20-21 | Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God... blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. | Christ's blessing on the humble and suffering. |
| James 1:9 | Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation. | The spiritual elevation of the humble in Christ. |
| Prov 22:22-23 | Do not rob the poor because he is poor... for the Lord will plead their cause. | God's defense and vindication of the poor. |
| Ps 103:6 | The Lord works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. | God's character as a champion of justice for the oppressed. |
| Ps 146:7-9 | He executes justice for the oppressed; He gives food to the hungry... He lifts up those who are bowed down. | God's active provision and justice for the vulnerable. |
| Jer 31:12 | They shall stream to the goodness of the Lord... and shall not sorrow anymore. | God's provision brings joy and sustenance. |
| Deut 28:11 | The Lord will grant you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground. | Blessing of multiplication and abundance as part of covenant. |
| Gen 12:2 | And I will make of you a great nation... I will bless you. | God's promise of abundant descendants and blessing. |
| Gen 22:17 | I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the seashore. | Promise of innumerable descendants, akin to a flock. |
| Isa 40:11 | He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms. | Image of God as shepherd, caring for His people as a flock. |
| Eze 34:31 | You are My flock, the flock of My pasture, you are men, and I am your God. | God's people identified as His cherished flock. |
| John 10:11 | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. | Christ's role as the Good Shepherd caring for His flock. |
| Jer 23:3-4 | Then I will gather the remnant of My flock... and I will set up shepherds over them... and they shall be fruitful and increase. | Restoration and multiplication of God's people like a flock. |
| Ps 23:1-2 | The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. | Metaphor of a flock receiving full provision and security. |
| Ez 21:26 | Thus says the Lord God: Remove the turban... exalt the lowly, and abase the high. | Prophecy of God's reversal of status and fortunes. |
| Matt 11:5 | The blind receive their sight... and the poor have the good news preached to them. | Jesus' ministry affirming God's focus on the poor. |
| Isa 58:11 | The Lord will guide you continually... you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. | Blessing of sustenance and fruitfulness from God. |
Psalm 107 verses
Psalm 107 41 Meaning
Psalm 107:41 portrays God's benevolent act of elevating the humble and afflicted, lifting them from their distressed state to one of security, honor, and prosperity. It declares His justice in reversing human fortunes, specifically His provision of stability, increase, and protection, likened to the abundant multiplication and safety of a well-tended flock. This verse highlights God's compassion and sovereign power over the affairs of humanity, showing His active intervention to rescue the oppressed and establish their lineage.
Psalm 107 41 Context
Psalm 107 is a profound psalm of thanksgiving, highlighting God's enduring steadfast love (hesed) displayed in various deliverances. It recounts the travails and redemptions of four distinct groups: wandering travelers, prisoners, the sick, and storm-tossed sailors. Each section concludes with an invitation to give thanks to the Lord. Verse 41 belongs to the final section (vv. 33-43), which contrasts God's judgments on the proud and wicked (vv. 33-40) with His blessings on the righteous and needy. Verse 40 specifically states God pours contempt on princes, making them wander. Verse 41 directly counters this by showcasing His active elevation of the poor, demonstrating God's consistent character of justice and compassion by reversing societal norms and expectations. It's a testament to His sovereign control over creation and human destiny, designed to be observed by the wise who will ponder His hesed.
Psalm 107 41 Word analysis
- Yet setteth he: Implies a sharp contrast and reversal from the preceding verse (40), where God's hand brings low the high. "Setteth" (from Hebrew va-yasem, וַיָּשֶׂם) denotes an active, decisive act of establishment or placement by God. This is not passive outcome but divine intervention.
- the poor: (Hebrew: dal, דַּל). This term signifies those who are weak, powerless, vulnerable, lowly, or without resources, often afflicted by circumstances or oppression. It encompasses economic poverty, social marginalization, and spiritual humility. The significance here is God's intentional focus on the least esteemed.
- on high: (Hebrew: misgav, מִשְׂגָּב). This means a high place, a refuge, a stronghold, a fortress. It implies security, safety, and a place of eminence or protection from harm. Being set "on high" speaks of elevation in status, security from threat, and perhaps honor.
- from affliction: (Hebrew: me'oni, מֵעֹנִי). The preposition "from" (min) indicates the source or condition from which they are delivered. Oni refers to affliction, misery, suffering, or oppression, often associated with the condition of being dal. God releases them out of their state of distress.
- and maketh him families: (Hebrew: va-yasem lo mishpachot, וַיָּשֶׂם לֹו מִשְׁפָּחוֹת). "Maketh him" indicates God's creative and enabling power. Mishpachot refers to households, clans, or families. This signifies not just individual prosperity but generational blessing, stability, and continuance of lineage. It implies an increase in descendants and established social structures.
- like a flock: (Hebrew: katzon, כַּצֹּאן). This simile is profoundly rich in biblical imagery. A flock (sheep or goats) signifies multiplication, abundance, fertility, safety in numbers, unity, and divine care under a shepherd. In a society where wealth was often measured by livestock, it represents substantial prosperity and growth, overseen and protected by God.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- Yet setteth he the poor on high: This phrase encapsulates God's redemptive justice, showing His active choice to lift up the disadvantaged. It counters human systems that often perpetuate oppression, demonstrating divine power to alter status.
- from affliction: Highlights the preceding state of suffering or oppression that the poor endure. God's action is specifically to rescue them from this hardship, providing true relief.
- and maketh him families: This moves beyond individual elevation to corporate and generational blessing. God doesn't just improve their immediate circumstances; He establishes their legacy and provides the security of offspring and kinship, crucial in ancient societies.
- like a flock: This simile powerfully conveys both quantity and quality of blessing. "Like a flock" means abundant in number, but also protected, secure, and well-provided for by the Great Shepherd (God Himself), contrasting starkly with the former state of wandering and isolation mentioned for the humbled princes in verse 40.
Psalm 107 41 Bonus section
This verse can be understood as a theological counter-narrative to human systems that favor the powerful and oppress the weak. It reveals God's intrinsic character as a judge who balances the scales, humbling the proud and exalting the lowly, which is a consistent theme throughout biblical wisdom literature and prophetic writings. The prosperity described is not necessarily material wealth in a modern sense but covenantal well-being, including stability, descendants, safety, and sustenance within community. This principle also finds its ultimate expression in the New Testament with Jesus’ focus on the poor and the marginalized, indicating God's kingdom values challenge conventional worldly status and power dynamics.
Psalm 107 41 Commentary
Psalm 107:41 beautifully illustrates God's preferential option for the poor and marginalized. It's a stark divine reversal to the previous verse (107:40) which describes God pouring contempt on princes. Where human power diminishes, divine compassion exalts. God actively intervenes to elevate the humble, transforming their dire circumstances. He not only lifts them to a position of safety and honor ("on high from affliction") but also grants them the blessing of increase and stability through families, a sign of prosperity and continuity in ancient times. The image of "families like a flock" evokes not only numerous descendants but also the sense of being carefully tended and protected by God, their Shepherd. This verse underlines God's unwavering justice, demonstrating His care for the vulnerable and His power to radically change destinies, ensuring security and abundance for those He chooses to bless, providing practical relief from despair and establishment of life.