Psalms 107:5 — Word Study
WLCרְעֵבִ֥ים גַּם־ צְמֵאִ֑ים נַ֝פְשָׁ֗ם בָּהֶ֥ם תִּתְעַטָּֽף׃
BSAThey were hungryrâʻêb [extremely, lacking food] andgam [also, even] thirstytsâmêʼ [parched] their soulnephesh [the essence of a person] faintedʻâṭaph▸ [became weak, felt discouraged]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| רְעֵבִ֥ים | hungry | Adj |
| גַּם־ | also | Adverb |
| צְמֵאִ֑ים | thirsty | Adj |
| נַ֝פְשָׁ֗ם | life their | Noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| בָּהֶ֥ם | in them | Preposition, suffix |
| תִּתְעַטָּֽף׃ | it was fainting away | Verb, Hithpael, imperfect third person feminine singular |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them. |
| KJV | Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. |
| ASV | Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them. |
| YLT | Hungry — yea — thirsty, Their soul in them becometh feeble, |
| WEB | Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. |
| BBE | Their souls became feeble for need of food and drink. |
Where they part company is תִּתְעַטָּֽף — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence has a main clause followed by a descriptive phrase, emphasizing the emotional impact of their physical state.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbעָטַף
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 107:5
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Struggles of the Wanderersgenerated
Psalm 107:5 reflects the hardships faced by the Israelites as they wandered in the desert. They experienced extreme hunger and thirst, leading to a sense of despair. This verse is part of a larger narrative that emphasizes God’s deliverance from distress, as seen in the surrounding verses, particularly Psalm 107:6, where they cry out to the Lord for help.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 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?” |
| 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— |
| 3 | 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. |
| 4 | 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.’” |
| 5 | 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. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — רָעֵב, re.'e.Vimgenerated
The word רָעֵב (ra'ev) is an adjective that means 'hungry.' It describes someone who is experiencing the physical sensation of hunger, which can be both a literal and emotional state. The root of this word is רָעַב (H7457), linked to the concept of hunger, and it appears frequently in contexts discussing need and lack.
In this verse, it highlights the extreme condition of the wanderers, emphasizing their desperation. The word can also imply a failing strength, suggesting that their hunger affects their vitality.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verb תִּתְעַטָּֽף (tit'attaf) governs the sentence, indicating the state of the subject, which is described by the preceding adjectives. The structure emphasizes the physical conditions leading to the emotional response.
The adjectives רְעֵבִ֥ים and צְמֵאִ֑ים are closely linked to the noun phrase נַ֝פְשָׁ֗ם, creating a vivid picture of their plight.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates רְעֵבִ֥ים as πεινῶντες (peinōntes), which captures the sense of being hungry. This choice reflects a direct correspondence to the Hebrew meaning, emphasizing the physical need.
For צְמֵאִ֑ים, the translation is διψῶντες (dipsōntes), again aligning closely with the Hebrew, indicating thirst. The consistent use of terms in the Septuagint shows a faithful rendering of the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 107:5 describes how the people wandering in the desert were both hungry and thirsty, leading to a feeling of weakness and despair within them. This verse highlights their suffering and need for help.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
The phrase indicates that the people felt overwhelmed and discouraged due to their hunger and thirst.
This verse sets the stage for the following verses, where the people cry out to the Lord, and He responds by delivering them from their distress.
Hunger and thirst symbolize not just physical needs but also spiritual longing and the need for divine intervention.
Their plight reminds us of the importance of relying on God during times of need and distress.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How do I respond when I feel spiritually hungry or thirsty?
- In what ways can I seek God's help during difficult times?
- What are some practical steps I can take to help those who are in need?
- How can I cultivate a deeper reliance on God in my life?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 107:5 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleHungry 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
Read John Gill on Psalms 107 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryHungry 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.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 107 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BiblePartly for want of necessary provisions, and partly through anguish of spirit.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 107 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 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.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 107 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(5) Fainted.—Literally, let itself be covered. (See Psalms 77:3.)
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 107 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges5. fainted] Was fainting within them; the imperfect tense graphically pictures their plight.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 107 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleHungry and thirsty - As they would be, when wandering in such a desert.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 107 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them.
They were hungry and thirsty; they fainted from exhaustion.
Tyndale line
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Hungry and thirsty, Their soul fainted in them.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Both hungrie and thirstie, their soule fainted in them.
Strictly literal
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them:
Hungry — yea — thirsty, Their soul in them becometh feeble,
Hungry—indeed—thirsty, || Their soul becomes feeble in them,
Hungry and thirsty, their soul within them fainted.
Because they were hungry and thirsty, they fainted from exhaustion.
From the Latin
For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth even unto the clouds.
Simplified
Hungry and thirsty, they became very discouraged.
Their souls became feeble for need of food and drink.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, "They were hungry and thirsty; their soul fainted within them," using the Hebrew words רְעֵבִ֥ים (hungry), גַּם־ (also), צְמֵאִ֑ים (thirsty), and נַ֝פְשָׁ֗ם (their soul), with the phrase בָּהֶ֥ם (within them) to convey the meaning. The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text, matching all six words in a word-by-word correspondence, although the Greek translation may have a different word order. The Dead Sea Scrolls (4Q88) contain five words from the verse, with one word partly restored and four supplied by an editor, but they also support the overall meaning found in the Masoretic Text. Therefore, the primary witnesses (Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Dead Sea Scrolls) are in agreement regarding the essence of the verse, although the Dead Sea Scrolls show some editorial intervention in their preservation.
רְעֵבִ֥ים גַּם־ צְמֵאִ֑ים נַ֝פְשָׁ֗ם בָּהֶ֥ם תִּתְעַטָּֽף׃
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[רעבים] גם [צמאים] [נפש׳ם] [ב׳הם]
5 words of the verse are on this fragment — 1 partly restored, 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 107:5
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
רָעֵב (ra'ev) means 'hungry' and can describe varying intensities of hunger. It can also refer to a 'hungry man' as a noun or imply failing strength in a figurative sense. The word is derived from רָעַב (ra'ab), which is linked to the concept of hunger.
רָעֵב adj. hungry
base
H7457 רָעֵב hungry
7457 ra`eb raw-abe'
from 7456; hungry (more or less intensely):--hunger bitten,
hungry.
see HEBREW for 07456
רָעֵב (ra.ev) — hungry.
1) hungry
1a) hungry
1b) hungry man (subst)
1c) of failing strength (fig)
Adj — AdjHAampa
גַּם (gam) is an adverb meaning 'also' or 'moreover,' indicating addition or emphasis. It can express various nuances, such as 'even,' 'indeed,' or 'but.' The term is often used in a correlational manner, as in 'both...and.' It appears in contexts that require clarification or reinforcement of a statement.
גַּם 768 adv. denoting addition, also, moreover, yea
base
H1571 גַּם denoting addition, also, moreover, yea
1571 gam gam
by contraction from an unused root meaning to gather;
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea,
though; often repeated as correl. both...and:--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.
גַּם (gam) — also.
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
DirObjM — AdverbHD
ol'-so: In the Greek kai, when it is equivalent to "also" or "even," is always placed before the word or phrase which it is intended to emphasize (e.g. Ac 12:3; 1 Joh 4:21). Mt 6:14 should therefore read, "Your heavenly Father will forgive you also"; Lu 6:13, "Whom also he named apostles"; Heb 8:6, "The mediator of a better covenant also"; and 1Th 4:14, `If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also (we believe that) those who are fallen asleep in Jesus, God will bring with Him.'
צָמֵא (tsame') means 'thirsty' and can be used both literally and figuratively. It is derived from the root word צָמֵא (H6770), which also relates to thirst. The entries consistently emphasize this single meaning without significant variation.
צָמֵא adj. thirsty
base
H6771 צָמֵא thirsty
6771 tsame' tsaw-may'
from 6770; thirsty (literally or figuratively):--(that)
thirst(-eth, -y).
see HEBREW for 06770
צָמֵא (tsa.me) — thirsty.
thirsty
Adj — AdjHAampa
The Hebrew word נֶ֫פֶשׁ (*nephesh*) broadly means 'soul' or 'living being,' encompassing concepts like life, self, person, desire, and emotion. It is derived from the root meaning 'to breathe' and signifies both physical and mental aspects of existence. The lexicons note its use in various contexts, including as the seat of appetites and emotions, though its application to will and character is uncertain.
נֶ֫פֶשׁ 756 n.f. soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
= that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
The נפשׁ becomes a living being
The נפשׁ is specif.
The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
נ׳ in D
base
H5315 נֶ֫פֶשׁ soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion . = that which breathes, the breathing substance or being
. The נפשׁ becomes a living being
. The נפשׁ is specif.
. The נפשׁ as the essential of man stands for the man himself
. נפשׁ = seat of the appetites, in all periods (46 t.)
. נ׳ = seat of emotions and passions
. נפשׁ is used occasionally for mental acts
. נפשׁ for acts of the will is dub.
. נפשׁ = character is still more dub.
. נ׳ in D
5315 nephesh neh'-fesh
from 5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of
(abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal,
accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):--any,
appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, X dead(-ly), desire,
X (dis-)contented, X fish, ghost, + greedy, he, heart(-y),
(hath, X jeopardy of) life (X in jeopardy), lust, man, me,
mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-,
thy-)self, them (your)-selves, + slay, soul, + tablet, they,
thing, (X she) will, X would have it.
see HEBREW for 05314
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul.
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
נֶ֫פֶשׁ (ne.phesh) — soul: life.
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
N-cs | Suff — Noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHNcfsc/Sp3mp
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word עָטַף (*ataph*) is a primitive root meaning to shroud or clothe, with a range of meanings including to turn aside, envelop oneself, and to be feeble or faint. It appears in various forms, such as Qal, Niph, Hiph, and Hithpael, indicating different nuances of turning aside or showing weakness. The word is notably referenced in Job 23:9.
[עָטַף] vb. be feeble, faint
Qal lit. be feeble
Niph. when infants faint
Hiph. when the flock shewed feebleness
Hithp. faint, faint away
base
H5848a עָטַף turn aside H5848b עָטַף envelop oneself (Aramaism) H5848c עָטַף be feeble, faint
5848 `ataph aw-taf'
a primitive root; to shroud, i.e. clothe (whether transitive
or reflex.); hence (from the idea of darkness) to languish:--
cover (over), fail, faint, feebler, hide self, be overwhelmed,
swoon.
עָטַף (a.taph) — to turn aside.
1) to turn aside
1a) (Qal) to turn aside, turn (in order to cover)
עָטַף (a.taph) — to envelope.
1) to envelop oneself
1a) (Qal) to envelop oneself, cover
עָטַף (a.taph) — to enfeeble.
1) to be feeble, be faint, grow weak
1a) (Qal) to be feeble, be faint
1b) (Niphal) to faint
1c) (Hiphil) to show feebleness
1d) (Hithpael) to faint, faint away
V-Hithpael-Imperf-3fs — Verb · Hithpael · imperfect third person feminine singularHVti3fs