Psalms 107:1–9

In its context

Its words in the original

• הֹדוּhodu· praise, give thanks; confess

  In one form of the verb, praise, give thanks. In another, confess: acknowledge sins or the name of God aloud. Its root sense is to throw.

• יהוָהyhva· YHWH

  The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

• טוֹבtov· good

  Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".

• עוֹלָםolam· forever, eternal

  A very long time whose end cannot be seen: looking forward, "forever"; looking back, "of old", "ancient".

• חַסְדּchasd· loyal love

  "Chesed": love that stays faithful to a commitment. It is kindness that does not remain a feeling: it acts in favor of the other and does not abandon him. The Bible says it above all of God's love for his people.

• יֹאמְרוּyomru· say

  Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".

• גְּאוּלֵיgeule· redeem; redeemer

  Redeem: recover, by paying whatever is needed, a relative who sold himself or the land he lost; take responsibility for him. Of God, deliver his people. The one who does it is the "redeemer" (kinsman-redeemer).

• יַּדyad· hand, power

  Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.

• צָרtsar· enemy; distress

  Enemy, adversary; also distress, a tight spot. The common idea is something that hems in and presses.

• אֲרָצוֹתaratsot· earth, land

  The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").

• קִבְּצָkibtsa· gather

  Gather, bring together.

• מִּזְרָחmizrach· east

  Where the sun rises: the east.

• מַּעֲרָבmaarav· west

  West: the side where the sun sets.

• צָּפוֹןtsafon· north

  North.

• יָּםyam· sea, west

  Sea, or any great body of water (also a lake). Since the Mediterranean lies west of Israel, the word also means "west".

• תָּעוּtau· wander, go astray

  Wander, go astray, be lost; in the causative form, make wander, lead astray.

• מִּדְבָּרmidbar· wilderness

  Wilderness: in the Bible it is not only sand; it is dry, untilled land, where flocks can be led but people cannot live by sowing.

• ישִׁימוֹןyshimon· wasteland

  Wasteland, desolation: desert land with no inhabitants.

• דָּרֶךְdarech· way

  Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.

• עִירir· city

  City: in ancient times any settlement with protection, however small.

• מוֹשָׁבmoshav· dwelling, seat

  The place where someone lives or sits; dwelling, seat; also the time of living there.

• מָצָאוּmatsau· find

  Find, come upon; also obtain, reach; in the passive, be found, be present.

• רְעֵבִיםreevim· hungry

  Hungry, suffering hunger.

• צְמֵאִיםtsemeim· thirsty

  Thirsty; said of land, dry.

• נַפְשָׁnafsha· soul, living being, life

  A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.

• תִּתְעַטָּףtitataf· grow faint

  Grow faint, be weak; also wrap, cover oneself.

• יִּצְעֲקוּyitsaku· cry out

  Cry out, call for help or justice; also summon.

• מְּצוּקוֹתֵיmetsukote· distress

  Straits, narrowness; figuratively, distress, trouble.

• יַצִּילֵyatsile· rescue, deliver

  Snatch away, take away; very often, deliver or rescue from danger. In another form, strip oneself of something.

• יַּדְרִיכֵyadriche· tread, march, bend

  Tread, walk, march on; also string a bow by stepping on it.

• יְשָׁרָהyeshara· upright, right

  Upright: what is right and just; straight.

• לֶכֶתlechet· go, walk

  Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.

• נִפְלְאוֹתָיniflotay· be wonderful, too hard

  Be extraordinary, beyond what one can do; be wonderful. "Is anything too hard for YHWH?"

• בְנֵיvene· son

  Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).

• אָדָםadam· human being, man, Adam

  The Hebrew word "adam". It has three uses: (1) humanity in general, men and women alike: "human beings" (Genesis 1:27); (2) a particular man; in Genesis 2-4, the first man, "the man"; (3) the personal name of that first man, "Adam". In Hebrew "adam" sounds like "adamah", the ground he was formed from (Genesis 2:7).

• הִשְׂבִּיעַhisbia· be satisfied

  Be filled, be satisfied.

• שֹׁקֵקָהshokeka· rush about; long eagerly

  To run back and forth eagerly, like an animal seeking its prey; from this, to desire greedily.

• מִלֵּאmile· fill, be full

  Fill or be full; also fulfill or complete (a time, a word given).