Psalm 107:10-14
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The verse doesn't just describe being in darkness, but emphasizes sitting in it, suggesting a resigned stillness, almost an acceptance of their bleak reality. This stillness in the "shadow of death" is compounded by being "bound in affliction and iron," highlighting how external chains mirror their internal, imprisoned state.
Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor; they fell down, with none to help. Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This psalm is a song of praise for God’s deliverance, and this section shifts to describe those held captive in dark, oppressive prisons. These individuals are depicted as being bound by chains and suffering immensely, a stark picture of hopelessness that comes before they cry out to God for rescue. The verses that follow will detail God’s merciful response to their desperate pleas.
Imagine a place where light never reaches, where hope is a forgotten whisper. This verse paints a vivid picture of such despair.
Psalms 107:10 plunges us into the deep misery of captivity. The phrases 'darkness' and 'shadow of death' aren't just metaphors for sadness; they describe a physical, suffocating reality. Ancient prisons were often unlit dungeons, places where life seemed to drain away. This wasn't just a lack of comfort; it was a state of being cut off from the world, from hope, and from God's light. The imagery is so potent because it speaks to the ultimate helplessness and isolation that captivity brings.
Beyond the darkness, there's the brutal reality of being held captive – physically and emotionally. What does it mean to be 'bound in affliction and iron'?
The verse doesn't stop at describing the environment; it details the physical restraints. 'Affliction and iron' points to heavy, agonizing chains that restrict movement and inflict pain. This wasn't just imprisonment; it was a constant, physical reminder of their brokenness and helplessness. The iron fetters symbolize a bondage so severe that escape feels impossible. This is more than just physical pain; it's the weight of suffering pressing down, a tangible representation of their distress.
Why do people end up in such desperate situations? The psalm hints at a deeper reason behind this crushing captivity.
While the psalm focuses on the cry for deliverance, commentators point out that this dire state is often a consequence of rebellion against God. When people turn away from God's commands and wisdom, they can find themselves 'bound in affliction and iron.' This isn't about God being cruel, but about the natural, often painful, consequences of rejecting His guidance. It’s a remedial discipline, meant to humble the proud heart and bring people back to a place where they recognize their need for Him. Their suffering becomes a stark lesson, driving them to cry out to the only one who can truly set them free.
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Understand the original words
choshek · Hebrew Noun
A figurative expression denoting a place of profound gloom, ignorance, hopelessness, or the presence of judgment and separation from God's light.
tsalmaveth · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for the realm of the grave or the immediate presence of lethal danger; it signifies the experience of utter hopelessness or the brink of physical extinction.
oniy · Hebrew Noun
Describes a state of physical or spiritual oppression, misery, or humiliation that weighs heavily upon a person; often the result of sin or divine judgment.
marah · Hebrew Verb
To act in opposition to an authority, specifically God's revealed will or covenant; it implies a willful defiance of God's sovereign rule.
na'ats · Hebrew Verb
To treat something with contempt or disregard, often referring to despising God’s instructions or rejecting His authority.
etsah · Hebrew Noun
The advice, plan, or purpose of God. It signifies His divine wisdom and guidance offered to humanity, which they are responsible to heed.
Elyon · Hebrew Adjective
A title for God emphasizing His sovereignty, majesty, and supremacy over all other powers or authorities in heaven and earth.
YHWH · Hebrew Noun
The covenant name of God (Yahweh), the self-existent One who enters into a personal, redemptive relationship with His people.
tsar · Hebrew Noun
A state of affliction, tight circumstances, or narrowing; often used in the Psalms to describe the experience of being pressured or besieged by enemies or sin.
choshek · Hebrew Noun
A condition representing not only physical darkness but also spiritual ignorance, judgment, alienation from God, and the absence of His favor.
tsalmavet · Hebrew Noun
A metaphorical phrase signifying the deepest state of despair, severe danger, the grip of the grave, or the proximity of death.
Psalm 107 vividly describes the suffering of exiles in Babylon, using imagery of dark dungeons and iron chains to convey their desperate state. This echoes the profound despair of those who experienced the destruction of Jerusalem and the subsequent Babylonian captivity.
c. 605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah and deports some of its people, including Daniel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar deports more Judeans, including the prophet Ezekiel, to Babylon after a rebellion.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar completely destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling the majority of the remaining population to Babylon.
c. 539 BC
Cyrus the Great Conquers Babylon
The Persian king Cyrus the Great conquers the Neo-Babylonian Empire, setting the stage for the return of the exiles.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland and rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem.
This passage directly parallels the imagery of opening blind eyes and bringing prisoners out of dungeons, echoing the themes of liberation and spiritual sight presented in Psalms 107.
Luke 4:18Jesus quotes Isaiah's prophecy, applying it to his own ministry of proclaiming freedom for prisoners, thus connecting the Old Testament imagery to a profound spiritual deliverance.
Acts 12:6-11This narrative shows Peter, literally imprisoned in chains and facing death, being miraculously delivered by an angel, mirroring the physical captivity and divine rescue described in Psalms 107.
Job 36:8This verse speaks of the afflicted being bound in fetters and held by the cords of affliction, a concept directly reflected in the description of prisoners bound 'in affliction and iron' in Psalms 107.
clarkePsalms 107:10: "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;"
Such as sit in darkness - Here begins the Second similitude, which he uses to illustrate the state of the captives in Babylon viz., that of a prisoner in a dreary dungeon. 1. They sit in or inhabit darkness. They have no light, no peace, no prosperity. 2. "In the shadow of death." The place where death reigns, over which he has projected his shadow; those against whom the sentence of death h…
bensonPsalms 107:10: "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron;"
Psalm 107:10-12 . Such as sit in darkness, &c. — In a disconsolate and forlorn condition, in dark prisons or dungeons; bound in affliction and iron — In afflicting or grievous irons: or, in the cords of affliction, as the expression is Job 36:8 , and particularly in iron fetters. Because they rebelled, &c. — As a just punishment for the crimes they had rebelliously committed against the expr…
The verse doesn't just describe being in darkness, but emphasizes sitting in it, suggesting a resigned stillness, almost an acceptance of their bleak reality. This stillness in the "shadow of death" is compounded by being "bound in affliction and iron," highlighting how external chains mirror their internal, imprisoned state.
This psalm is a song of praise for God’s deliverance, and this section shifts to describe those held captive in dark, oppressive prisons. These individuals are depicted as being bound by chains and suffering immensely, a stark picture of hopelessness that comes before they cry out to God for rescue. The verses that follow will detail God’s merciful response to their desperate pleas.
This psalm is a song of praise for God’s deliverance, and this section shifts to describe those held captive in dark, oppressive prisons. These individuals are depicted as being bound by chains and suffering immensely, a stark picture of hopelessness that comes before they cry out to God for rescue. The verses that follow will detail God’s merciful response to their desperate pleas.
"Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High. So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;…" — The verse doesn't just describe being in darkness, but emphasizes sitting in it, suggesting a resigned stillness, almost an acceptance of their bleak reality. This stillness in the "shadow of death…
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Last reviewed October 2026
