Psalms 107:12
Psalms 107:12 in Multiple Translations
He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help.
So that he made their hearts weighted down with grief; they were falling, and had no helper.
So he humbled their pride with the troubles of life; they tripped over and no one was there to stop them falling.
When he humbled their heart with heauines, then they fell downe and there was no helper.
And He humbleth with labour their heart, They have been feeble, and there is no helper.
Therefore he brought down their heart with labor. They fell down, and there was no one to help.
Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help.
Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our armies?
That is why their bodies were worn out from hard labor; when they fell down, there was no one who would help them.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 107:12
BAB
Word Study
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Psalms 107:12 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
וַ/יַּכְנַ֣ע
בֶּ/עָמָ֣ל
לִבָּ֑/ם
כָּ֝שְׁל֗וּ
וְ/אֵ֣ין
עֹזֵֽר
וַ/יַּכְנַ֣ע
kânaʻ
H3665
be humble
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms
בֶּ/עָמָ֣ל
ʻâmâl
H5999
trouble
Prep | N-cs
לִבָּ֑/ם
lêb
H3820
heart
N-ms | Suff
כָּ֝שְׁל֗וּ
kâshal
H3782
to stumble
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
וְ/אֵ֣ין
ʼayin
H369
nothing
Conj | Part
עֹזֵֽר
ʻâzar
H5826
to help
V-Qal
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 107:12
וַ/יַּכְנַ֣ע
kânaʻ
H3665
"be humble"
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms
To be humble means to bend your knee and submit to someone or something, like God. In the Bible, it's about being lowly and under God's authority. It appears in books like Proverbs and Isaiah.
Definition: 1) to be humble, be humbled, be subdued, be brought down, be low, be under, be brought into subjection 1a) (Niphal) 1a1) to humble oneself 1a2) to be humbled, be subdued 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to humble 1b2) to subdue
Usage: Occurs in 32 OT verses. KJV: bring down (low), into subjection, under, humble (self), subdue. See also: Leviticus 26:41; 2 Chronicles 12:12; Psalms 81:15.
בֶּ/עָמָ֣ל
ʻâmâl
H5999
"trouble"
Prep | N-cs
This word refers to trouble or hard work that causes worry or pain, whether physical or mental, like the struggles of the Israelites in the book of Exodus.
Definition: 1) toil, trouble, labour 1a) trouble 1b) trouble, mischief 1c) toil, labour
Usage: Occurs in 54 OT verses. KJV: grievance(-vousness), iniquity, labour, mischief, miserable(-sery), pain(-ful), perverseness, sorrow, toil, travail, trouble, wearisome, wickedness. See also: Genesis 41:51; Ecclesiastes 1:3; Psalms 7:15.
לִבָּ֑/ם
lêb
H3820
"heart"
N-ms | Suff
Leb refers to the heart, but also represents feelings, will, and intellect in the Bible. It is used figuratively to describe the center of something, and is often translated as heart or mind. Leb is a complex concept that encompasses emotions and thoughts.
Definition: 1) inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding 1a) inner part, midst 1a1) midst (of things) 1a2) heart (of man) 1a3) soul, heart (of man) 1a4) mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory 1a5) inclination, resolution, determination (of will) 1a6) conscience 1a7) heart (of moral character) 1a8) as seat of appetites 1a9) as seat of emotions and passions 1a10) as seat of courage
Usage: Occurs in 552 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom] themselves, [idiom] unawares, understanding, [idiom] well, willingly, wisdom. See also: Genesis 6:5; 2 Samuel 13:33; Psalms 4:8.
כָּ֝שְׁל֗וּ
kâshal
H3782
"to stumble"
V-Qal-Perf-3cp
To stumble means to lose your balance and almost fall, often because of weakness. In the Bible, it can also mean to falter or fail spiritually. This word is used in many books, including Psalms and Proverbs.
Definition: 1) to stumble, stagger, totter 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to stumble 1a2) to totter 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to stumble 1b2) to be tottering, be feeble 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to cause to stumble, bring injury or ruin to, overthrow 1c2) to make feeble, make weak 1d) (Hophal) to be made to stumble 1e) (Piel) bereave
Usage: Occurs in 59 OT verses. KJV: bereave (from the margin), cast down, be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall (down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown, (cause to) stumble, [idiom] utterly, be weak. See also: Leviticus 26:37; Jeremiah 6:15; Psalms 9:4.
וְ/אֵ֣ין
ʼayin
H369
"nothing"
Conj | Part
This word means nothing or not, often used to indicate the absence of something, as in Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form. It emphasizes the idea of something lacking or non-existent.
Definition: 1) nothing, not, nought n 1a) nothing, nought neg 1b) not 1c) to have not (of possession) adv 1d) without w/prep 1e) for lack of
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן). See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 14:27; 1 Kings 15:22.
עֹזֵֽר
ʻâzar
H5826
"to help"
V-Qal
To help or aid is the meaning of this Hebrew word, used to describe God's protection or assistance. It is used in the Psalms to express trust in God's help and in the book of Exodus to describe God's aid to the Israelites.
Definition: 1) to help, succour, support 1a) (Qal) to help 1b) (Niphal) to be helped 1c) (Hiphil) to help
Usage: Occurs in 77 OT verses. KJV: help, succour. See also: Genesis 49:25; Job 26:2; Psalms 10:14.
Study Notes — Psalms 107:12
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 107:12 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 107:12
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 107:12
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 107:12
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 107:12
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
- Sermons on Psalms 107:12
Context — Thanksgiving for Deliverance
10Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and chains,
11because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.
12He humbled their hearts with hard labor; they stumbled, and there was no one to help.
13Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them from their distress. 14He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and broke away their chains.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalms 22:11 | Be not far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. |
| 2 | Exodus 5:18–19 | Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.” The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.” |
| 3 | Exodus 2:23 | After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. |
| 4 | Luke 15:14–17 | After he had spent all he had, a severe famine swept through that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. He longed to fill his belly with the pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him a thing. Finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death! |
| 5 | Isaiah 51:23 | I will place it in the hands of your tormentors, who told you: ‘Lie down, so we can walk over you,’ so that you made your back like the ground, like a street to be traversed.” |
| 6 | Lamentations 5:5–6 | We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest. We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. |
| 7 | Job 9:13 | God does not restrain His anger; the helpers of Rahab cower beneath Him. |
| 8 | Nehemiah 9:37 | Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress. |
| 9 | 2 Kings 6:33 | While Elisha was still speaking with them, the messenger came down to him. And the king said, “This calamity is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?” |
| 10 | Judges 10:16–18 | So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the LORD, and He could no longer bear the misery of Israel. Then the Ammonites were called to arms and camped in Gilead, and the Israelites assembled and camped at Mizpah. And the rulers of Gilead said to one another, “Whoever will launch the attack against the Ammonites will be the head of all who live in Gilead.” |
Psalms 107:12 Summary
This verse, Psalms 107:12, tells us that God can use difficult circumstances to humble our hearts and bring us to a place of recognition of our need for Him. When we are faced with hard labor and struggles, it can be easy to feel like we are all alone and that there is no one to help us. However, as seen in Jeremiah 29:11, God has a plan to prosper us and not to harm us, and He can use those struggles to teach us valuable lessons about trust and dependence on Him. By crying out to God in our trouble, like the people in Psalms 107:13, we can experience His deliverance and rescue, just as the Israelites did in Exodus 14:13-14.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does God humble people's hearts with hard labor?
God humbles people's hearts with hard labor to bring them to a place of repentance and recognition of their need for Him, as seen in Psalms 107:12 and also in Deuteronomy 8:2-3 where God humbled the Israelites in the wilderness to teach them to trust in Him.
What does it mean to stumble and have no one to help?
To stumble and have no one to help means to be in a desperate situation where human strength and resources are insufficient, much like the disciples in Matthew 14:30 who were struggling to stay afloat in the stormy sea before Jesus came to their rescue.
Is God being cruel by allowing hard labor and struggles?
No, God is not being cruel, but rather He is using hard labor and struggles as a means to draw people to Himself, as stated in Psalms 107:12, and to teach them valuable lessons about trust, obedience, and dependence on Him, as seen in Romans 8:28-29 where all things work together for good for those who love God.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the Psalm?
This verse is part of a larger narrative in Psalms 107 that highlights God's deliverance of His people from various forms of distress, including captivity, sickness, and stormy weather, and serves as a reminder of God's faithfulness and love, as expressed in Psalms 107:1 and Psalms 107:43.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that God has humbled your heart in the past, and how did you respond to those experiences?
- How do you typically react when faced with difficulties and struggles, and what can you learn from the example of those in Psalms 107:12?
- In what ways can you trust God to be your helper and deliverer in times of need, just like He was for the Israelites in the wilderness, as described in Exodus 14:13-14?
- What are some areas of your life where you may be stumbling and in need of God's help, and how can you cry out to Him for rescue, as mentioned in Psalms 107:13?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 107:12
Therefore he brought down their heart with labour,.... Humbled them under his mighty hand; brought down their haughty spirits and proud stomachs by one afflictive providence or another; by which the
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 107:12
Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Therefore he brought down their heart with labour. Their heart had been proud and rebellious. The Lord brought it down by affliction.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
Their heart; the pride, and rebellion, and obstinacy of their hearts. With labour; or, with trouble or troubles. They fell into their enemy’ s hands, and into hopeless and remediless miseries.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
Psalms 107:12 Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and [there was] none to help.Ver. 12. Therefore he brought down their heart] That proud piece of flesh, Quod erat elatum et verba Dei contempsit, saith Kimchi, which had stouted it out with God, and thought to have carried it away with a strong hand; as Manasseh, that sturdy rebel, till God had hampered him, and laid him in cold irons.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
(12) Brought down.—Literally, made them bend.Fell down.—Better, stumbled.The whole verse presents a picture of men staggering under the forced labour which was the usual fate of captives under the great Oriental monarchies.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
Verse 12. He brought down their heart with labour] He delivered them into the hands of their enemies. and, as they would not be under subjection to GOD, he delivered them into slavery to wicked men: "So they fell down, and there was none to help ;" God had forsaken them because they had forsaken him.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 107:12
12. So that he subdued their heart with travail. Cp. Psalms 106:42. they fell down] Lit. they stumbled; figuratively as in Psalms 105:37 (note); Isaiah 3:8 (A.V. is ruined).
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 107:12
Therefore he brought down their heart - Their pride; their self-sufficiency; their self-complacency.
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 107:12
12. Brought down their heart with labour—He bowed down their heart, as one bends low to a heavy, servile task. The bowing down the “heart,” shows that the seat of their greatest suffering and labour was inward.
Sermons on Psalms 107:12
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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The Mercy of God by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on Psalm 107 and emphasizes the enduring mercy of God. He highlights how God's mercy is shown to those who are hungry, thirsty, homeless, and lo |
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Lawful Strife by J.C. Philpot | J.C. Philpot preaches about the importance of striving lawfully in the Christian race, drawing parallels between the natural and spiritual realms. He emphasizes the need for the Ho |
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An Anxious Inquiry and a Gracious Response by J.C. Philpot | The preacher delves into the concept of 'kopos' in the Bible, which refers to labor involving toil, fatigue, suffering, weariness, and sorrow. This labor speaks of intense effort u |
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Acceptable Present to the Lord of Hosts by J.C. Philpot | Joseph Philpot preaches about the nature of the present that is brought to the Lord of hosts, describing a people who are scattered, peeled, meted out, trodden under foot, and whos |
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(Hebrews - Part 37): Faith Is a Pertubing Thing by A.W. Tozer | In this sermon, the preacher shares a personal story about a moral rebound. He talks about his own past of indulging in drinking and reckless behavior, even on Christmas Eve. Howev |
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(Exodus) Exodus 6:1-5 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the preacher focuses on Exodus 6:2-4, where God reveals himself to Moses as Jehovah, the self-existing one. The preacher emphasizes that God is who he says he is an |
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The Spirit of Grace and Power by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of distributing the word of God rather than simply producing knowledge. He encourages ministers to focus on providing spiritua |