Psalms 107:5
Psalms 107:5 in Multiple Translations
They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them.
Their souls became feeble for need of food and drink.
Hungry and thirsty, they became very discouraged.
Both hungrie and thirstie, their soule fainted in them.
Hungry — yea — thirsty, Their soul in them becometh feeble,
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth even unto the clouds.
They were hungry and thirsty, and they were very discouraged.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 107:5
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 107:5 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
רְעֵבִ֥ים
גַּם
צְמֵאִ֑ים
נַ֝פְשָׁ֗/ם
בָּ/הֶ֥ם
תִּתְעַטָּֽף
רְעֵבִ֥ים
râʻêb
H7457
hungry
Adj
גַּם
gam
H1571
also
DirObjM
צְמֵאִ֑ים
tsâmêʼ
H6771
thirsty
Adj
נַ֝פְשָׁ֗/ם
nephesh
H5315
soul
N-cs | Suff
בָּ/הֶ֥ם
Prep | Suff
תִּתְעַטָּֽף
ʻâṭaph
H5848
to turn aside
V-Hithpael-Imperf-3fs
Hebrew Word Study
Select any word above to explore its original meaning, root, and usage across Scripture.
Use ← → arrow keys to navigate between words.
Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 107:5
רְעֵבִ֥ים
râʻêb
H7457
"hungry"
Adj
A person who is hungry is described by this Hebrew word, which appears in books like Deuteronomy and Amos. Hunger can be a physical or emotional state, and the Bible addresses both aspects.
Definition: 1) hungry 1a) hungry 1b) hungry man (subst) 1c) of failing strength (fig)
Usage: Occurs in 20 OT verses. KJV: hunger bitten, hungry. See also: 1 Samuel 2:5; Psalms 146:7; Psalms 107:5.
גַּם
gam
H1571
"also"
DirObjM
Also means 'even' or 'too', used for emphasis or to connect ideas, like 'both...and' or 'neither...nor'. It can introduce a climax or show contrast.
Definition: 1) also, even, indeed, moreover, yea 1a) also, moreover (giving emphasis) 1b) neither, neither...nor (with negative) 1c) even (for stress) 1d) indeed, yea (introducing climax) 1e) also (of correspondence or retribution) 1f) but, yet, though (adversative) 1g) even, yea, yea though (with 'when' in hypothetical case) 2) (TWOT) again, alike
Usage: Occurs in 661 OT verses. KJV: again, alike, also, (so much) as (soon), both (so)...and, but, either...or, even, for all, (in) likewise (manner), moreover, nay...neither, one, then(-refore), though, what, with, yea. See also: Genesis 3:6; Exodus 19:9; 1 Samuel 14:21.
צְמֵאִ֑ים
tsâmêʼ
H6771
"thirsty"
Adj
This word describes someone or something that is thirsty, like a person in a desert or a soul searching for God, as seen in Matthew 5:6 where Jesus talks about those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. It can also mean being thirsty for knowledge or fulfillment.
Definition: thirsty
Usage: Occurs in 9 OT verses. KJV: (that) thirst(-eth, -y). See also: Deuteronomy 29:18; Isaiah 21:14; Psalms 107:5.
נַ֝פְשָׁ֗/ם
nephesh
H5315
"soul"
N-cs | Suff
The Hebrew word for soul or living being, used in the Bible to describe the essence of a person or animal. It encompasses the ideas of life, breath, and vitality, and is translated as 'soul' or 'creature' in the KJV. This word is central to biblical concepts of humanity and existence.
Definition: 1) soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion 1a) that which breathes, the breathing substance or being, soul, the inner being of man 1b) living being 1c) living being (with life in the blood) 1d) the man himself, self, person or individual 1e) seat of the appetites 1f) seat of emotions and passions 1g) activity of mind 1g1) uncertain 1h) activity of the will 1h1) uncertain 1i) activity of the character 1i1) uncertain
Usage: Occurs in 683 OT verses. KJV: any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, [phrase] slay, soul, [phrase] tablet, they, thing, ([idiom] she) will, [idiom] would have it. See also: Genesis 1:20; Leviticus 26:43; Judges 18:25.
בָּ/הֶ֥ם
""
Prep | Suff
תִּתְעַטָּֽף
ʻâṭaph
H5848
"to turn aside"
V-Hithpael-Imperf-3fs
This Hebrew word means to feel weak or faint, like when someone is overwhelmed and can't cope. It appears in the Bible when people are struggling, like in Psalm 61:2. The word also means to be covered or hidden.
Definition: 1) to turn aside 1a) (Qal) to turn aside, turn (in order to cover)
Usage: Occurs in 15 OT verses. KJV: cover (over), fail, faint, feebler, hide self, be overwhelmed, swoon. See also: Genesis 30:42; Psalms 107:5; Psalms 61:3.
Study Notes — Psalms 107:5
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 107:5 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 107:5
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 107:5
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 107:5
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 107:5
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 107:5
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 107:5
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 107:5
- Sermons on Psalms 107:5
Context — Thanksgiving for Deliverance
3and gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.
4Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no path to a city in which to dwell.
5They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.
6Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. 7He led them on a straight path to reach a city where they could live.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mark 8:2–3 | “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.” |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 30:11–12 | Now his men found an Egyptian in the field and brought him to David. They gave the man water to drink and food to eat— a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights. |
| 3 | Lamentations 2:19 | Arise, cry out in the night from the first watch of the night. Pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord. Lift up your hands to Him for the lives of your children who are fainting from hunger on the corner of every street. |
| 4 | Judges 15:18–19 | And being very thirsty, Samson cried out to the LORD, “You have accomplished this great deliverance through Your servant. Must I now die of thirst and fall into the hands of the uncircumcised?” So God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned, and he was revived. That is why he named it En-hakkore, and it remains in Lehi to this day. |
| 5 | Isaiah 44:12 | The blacksmith takes a tool and labors over the coals; he fashions an idol with hammers and forges it with his strong arms. Yet he grows hungry and loses his strength; he fails to drink water and grows faint. |
| 6 | Jeremiah 14:18 | If I go out to the country, I see those slain by the sword; if I enter the city, I see those ravaged by famine! For both prophet and priest travel to a land they do not know.’” |
Psalms 107:5 Summary
[This verse is talking about people who were very hungry and thirsty, and they felt like they couldn't go on anymore. Their bodies and spirits were exhausted, like the Israelites in the wilderness who complained to God about their hunger and thirst, as seen in Exodus 16:3. But even in the midst of this desperation, God is near and ready to help, as He promised in Isaiah 41:17. He wants to fill our empty places and give us new life, just like Jesus promised in John 6:35, where He said that He is the bread of life.]
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean for the soul to faint within someone?
When the Bible says 'their soul fainted within them' in Psalms 107:5, it means that they were completely exhausted and hopeless, much like the psalmist felt in Psalms 42:11. This kind of fainting is a spiritual and emotional exhaustion, not just physical.
How can people become so hungry and thirsty that their soul faints?
People can become hungry and thirsty to the point of spiritual fainting when they are separated from God and His provision, as seen in Deuteronomy 8:3, where it is written that God humbled the Israelites and let them go hungry, so they might learn to rely on Him.
Is this verse only talking about physical hunger and thirst?
While physical hunger and thirst are certainly part of the picture in Psalms 107:5, the spiritual implications of hunger and thirst are also present, as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:6, where He said that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled.
How does this verse relate to the rest of the passage?
This verse is part of a larger narrative in Psalms 107, which describes how God delivers people from various forms of distress, including wandering in the desert and crying out to Him in their trouble, as seen in Psalms 107:6-7.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I have experienced hunger and thirst in my own life, and how have I responded to those feelings?
- How can I, like the people in Psalms 107:5, cry out to God in my times of trouble and trust that He will deliver me?
- In what ways am I currently feeling spiritually exhausted or hopeless, and what steps can I take to renew my strength and hope in God?
- How can I help others who are struggling with hunger and thirst, whether physical or spiritual, and point them to the provision and deliverance that God offers?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 107:5
Hungry and thirsty,.... As travellers in deserts sometimes are; their provisions being spent they bring with them, and none to be had on the road; there being no inns to stop at, nor any sort of food
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 107:5
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Psalms 137:1-9 describes the hungering and thirsting of the true sons and daughters of Zion for the holy city.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 107:5
Partly for want of necessary provisions, and partly through anguish of spirit.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 107:5
Psalms 107:5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.Ver. 5. Hungry and thirsty, &c.] The Lord’ s exiles meet many times with the like exigents in the wilderness of this wicked world; but let them be content, and say, We are well for the present, and it will be better with us hereafter (Melancthon). Exul erat Christus; comites nos exulis huius Esse decet, cuius nos quoque membra sumus.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 107:5
(5) Fainted.—Literally, let itself be covered. (See Psalms 77:3.)
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 107:5
5. fainted] Was fainting within them; the imperfect tense graphically pictures their plight.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 107:5
Hungry and thirsty - As they would be, when wandering in such a desert.
Sermons on Psalms 107:5
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
|
God's Track Record of Lovingkindness by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson emphasizes God's unwavering lovingkindness amidst the warnings of judgment found in Isaiah's prophecies. He highlights how, despite Israel's rebellion, Isaiah recal |
|
I Am the Resurrection and the Life by Thomas Bradbury | Thomas Bradbury preaches on the profound revelation of Jesus as 'the Resurrection and the Life,' emphasizing the assurance that all spiritual needs will be graciously met by Him. H |
|
Hungering by Mary Wilder Tileston | Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the importance of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, emphasizing the need for believers to cry out to the Lord in times of trouble, kn |
|
Evangelism and the Layman #1 by Ernest C. Reisinger | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of sharing the gospel with others. He highlights the contrast between selling products and sharing the message of salvation. T |
|
|
Jesus and Compassion by David Wilkerson | David Wilkerson emphasizes that Jesus exemplified God's compassion during His earthly ministry, often moved by the suffering of the people around Him. He reflects on the grief in C |
|
A Miracle for the Multitude by Dan Puckett | Dan Puckett preaches about Jesus' compassion for the multitude, emphasizing how He met people at their point of need, healed the sick, and provided for the hungry. Through the mira |
|
|
Forsaken and Found by Thomas Bradbury | Thomas Bradbury preaches on the marvellous grace of Jehovah-Jesus revealed in the narrative of David finding an Egyptian in the field. The sermon highlights the kindness and compas |