Psalm 107 (106):16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

If "Alleluia" signifies the adoration of God, it should resonate from our innermost being; His praise will always be upon my lips. The repetition of "Hallelujah" is also a motif seen in the first psalm. As suggested by its content, it was sung by the people of Israel and continues to be sung by the universal Church across the globe. The double occurrence of "Alleluia" carries significance, reflecting our cries of "Abba, Father." The term "Abba" denotes the Father, as the Apostle mentions, "in whom we cry, Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15), illustrating how both sides of humanity call out to the Father through the Cornerstone that unites us.

Let us acknowledge the Lord and proclaim His sweetness as we find refuge in His mercy (Psalm 105:1). To confess His sweetness is to recognize it, and those who have not tasted cannot testify to what they do not know. But if you have experienced the sweetness of the Lord (1 Peter 2:3), be sure to declare it before Him. His mercy is everlasting. Here, the Greek term εἰς αἰῶνα is understood as "forever," affirming that His mercy endures beyond time. The purpose of His mercy is that we might dwell with angels eternally.

Let those redeemed by the Lord declare His great works, those whom He has released from their adversaries (Psalm 105:2). While it may seem that the people of Israel were freed from Egypt and from slavery, we must discern who truly belongs to the redeemed. Those fully redeemed are not merely the Israelites, but all who have been saved from their enemies. This psalm invites us to recognize the true nature of our deliverance from various forms of oppression. The Lord gathers His people from diverse lands, including those scattered in Egypt and beyond, as He calls them from the east, west, north, and sea (Psalm 105:3). Thus, we see the redeemed across the entirety of creation. Just as God led the Israelites through the Red Sea (Exodus 14:22), He leads His people through baptism, cleansing away the sins of their oppressors.

However, all of this serves as a figure for our instruction, as we are those upon whom the culmination of ages has come (1 Corinthians 10:11). The people wandered in the wilderness, finding no path to a city to settle in (Psalm 105:4). They experienced profound need—hunger and thirst made their souls weary (Psalm 106:5). But their faintness is not out of despair; rather, it reveals God's kindness, inviting our weary hearts to cry out to Him, who responds in love by providing help. Following their cries in affliction, God delivered them from distress (Psalm 105:6) and guided them on a straight path (Psalm 106:7). Their struggles, while not always specified, lead us to understand that His mercies and wonders are to be recounted.

Those who dwell in darkness, bound by poverty and despair (Psalm 105:10), may find their condition stems from neglecting God's grace and resisting His counsel (Luke 7:30). They rebelled against the Lord's word out of pride (Psalm 105:11), lacking insight into His righteousness and attempting to establish their own (Romans 10:3), ultimately experiencing a weary heart and labor. In such trials, their inner turmoil becomes a cry for deliverance: "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). When liberated, they acknowledge the mercy of the Lord. In times of trouble, they cried to Him, and He rescued them from their troubles (Psalm 105:13). Following this deliverance, God took them out of darkness and shattered their chains (Psalm 105:14). Therefore, let them proclaim the Lord's mercies and wonders (Psalm 105:15) as He overcomes myriad difficulties, breaking down barriers and leading them away from their sinful paths (Psalm 105:17). Their pride brought them low, revealing their helplessness without God's aid.

Even while their souls loathed all nourishment (Psalm 105:18), they suffered from spiritual satiety. It is vital to understand that even amid abundance, one can spiritually starve. They cried out to the Lord in their distress, and He delivered them from their troubles (Psalm 105:19), sending His Word to heal them (Psalm 106:20). The danger lies not only in longing for sustenance but in the disdain of it; thus, let them once again acknowledge the Lord's mercies and wonders (Psalm 105:21). They are to offer a sacrifice of adoration (Psalm 105:22), full of joy rather than sorrow or anxiety.

Those navigating turbulent seas (Psalm 105:23)—the nations represented by stormy waters—will witness the works of the Lord and His wonders in profound depths (Psalm 105:24). As storms of rebellion and strife arise, God desires both rulers and those under their authority to call upon Him. He commands the storm, causing it to cease (Psalm 105:29), and His followers rejoice when brought to safety (Psalm 105:30). Let all remember His mercies and miracles (Psalm 105:31)—that our strengths and wisdom pale in comparison to His grace and deliverance.

In the assembly of the faithful, let them exalt Him, praising Him among elders (Psalm 106:32) for His mighty deeds and established works. For He has humbled the proud while bestowing grace upon the humble (James 4:6). God removed the natural branches due to pride, welcoming the humble instead. The once-abundant rivers now lie dry (Psalm 105:33), with no prophets emerging from among those who boast in their heritage. The ground, once fertile, has turned desolate because of their iniquities, a clear demonstration of God opposing pride and lifting the humble.

He transforms wastelands into fruitful lands (Psalm 105:35), providing sustenance for the hungry (Psalm 105:36). This echoes the eternal priesthood of Christ, a Priest forever after the order of Melchizedek—thus bringing nourishment not through the old covenant but throughout the Church worldwide, where His name is glorified from dawn till dusk. They cultivate vineyards and reap a bountiful harvest (Psalm 106:37); the laborers rejoice in God's provision (Philippians 4:17).

Yet, they dwindled and faced troubles (Psalm 105:39), reflecting an internal struggle rather than external failure. Even though they appeared part of the community, their hearts strayed, for they lacked genuine faith and connection. Those separated from unity diminish, becoming few amidst their arrogance that drove them away from God. They faced disdain and were cast aside due to their desiring positions of honor (Psalm 105:40), ultimately leading to a trackless path—a state of self-betrayal (Romans 1:24). But God remains faithful, lifting the downtrodden (Psalm 105:41).

He protects the poor, contrasting the proud with the humble, reminding us that the humble can become spiritually rich, creating a vast household of faith. These are profound truths that reveal hidden mysteries of joy for the righteous who look upon them, while the mouths of the unrighteous will be silenced (Psalm 106:42). Wickedness, which divides unity and distorts truth, will face judgment.

Let the wise contemplate these matters and grasp the mercy of the Lord (Psalm 105:43). It is not by our efforts or might but through His mercy that we find our way back, are nourished despite struggle, liberated from sin's chains, refreshed by His Word, and brought safely to harbor amid life's storms. As He graces the humble, multiplying them, the righteous rejoice, and evil’s voice is quelled.

Why do we talk about the mercies of God, namely those of Christ? Because, as it is said, Christ shattered the formidable and unyielding gates of hell. Christ alone, having descended into hell, dismantled those gates and freed the souls confined there, as noted by Athanasius, while also severing the iron bonds of hell’s gates. According to Theodoret, these gates and cords signify the inescapable and impossible nature of escape from hell, where no one could find deliverance. Theodoret further explains that through the healing He offers, the true nature of the affliction is unveiled. When it was mentioned that it was humbled by labor, it indicated a neglect stemming from arrogance. Athanasius observes that the phrase “dissolved them” illustrates the swift purification from sin. Chrysostom notes how quickly the release is provided, illustrating that He did not merely loosen the bonds but rather dissolved them with great might, freeing them from their adversaries and ensuring that new bonds could not be imposed on them. Just as He did not say “He loosed” but “loosed,” He did not open the doors but shattered them, and He did not merely remove the cords; He broke them.

Thus, it becomes clear that true solace in times of trouble comes from adhering to God’s directives. Therefore, those who cry out to God in their desperate circumstances—and not merely from a fleeting emotional impulse—act foolishly if they fail to recognize that their rescue lies solely in His hands. The gates of bronze and the bars of iron symbolize the capacity of God to shatter even the most formidable chains of oppression.