He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just describe being freed from external chains, but also God's power to shatter the "bands" that keep us trapped in our own despair and spiritual death, offering a radical liberation beyond mere physical escape. It highlights that the most profound darkness and bondage are often internal, and God's intervention is needed to break those more insidious bonds apart.
He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of a psalm celebrating God's deliverance, specifically recounting how He rescued those who were trapped in deep despair, suffering, and imprisonment, often as a consequence of their rebellion. It follows a description of these individuals crying out to God in their dire situation and anticipates a call for them to praise God for His mighty works of liberation.
The Bible paints vivid pictures of confinement, but what if these 'prisons' are more than just physical bars?
The 'Darkness and Shadow of Death'
This verse speaks of being "brought out of darkness and the shadow of death." While it can certainly describe literal captivity, the imagery often extends to deeper forms of suffering and despair.
Psalms 107 highlights that God's deliverance isn't just about physical escape, but a profound rescue from any situation that feels like a living death.
When God intervenes, His power isn't gentle; it's a force that shatters what holds us captive.
God's Mighty Intervention
The phrase "burst their bonds apart" isn't a quiet loosening, but a forceful breaking. This imagery speaks to the absolute power of God to overcome any obstacle.
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This speaks to the nature of God's saving grace – it's not merely suggestive, but powerfully transformative, obliterating the forces that enslave us.
Understand the original words
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.
This psalm vividly captures the despair of the Babylonian exile, a time when God's people felt utterly lost in 'darkness and the shadow of death.' The 'bursting of bonds' wasn't just a physical liberation but a profound theological declaration of God's power to rescue His people from even the most crushing circumstances.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern Kingdom of Israel, deporting many citizens and scattering them throughout their empire. This loss of homeland and sovereignty plunged many into despair.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Southern Kingdom
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling a significant portion of the remaining Judean population. This marked the end of the Davidic monarchy and a profound national crisis.
c. 586-539 BC— this verse
Babylonian Exile
Judeans lived in exile in Babylon, experiencing a loss of freedom, national identity, and direct access to worship at the Temple. This period is characterized by deep sorrow and a sense of divine abandonment.
539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great of Persia conquers Babylon, opening the way for the return of Jewish exiles to their homeland.
538 BC onwards
Return from Exile
Under Persian decree, exiled Judeans began returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple and their community. This marked a significant turning point, but the memory of bondage remained.
This passage prophesies God breaking 'gates of bronze' and cutting 'bars of iron in two' to deliver His people, mirroring the imagery of bursting bonds and freeing people from impenetrable confinement found in Psalm 107:14.
Luke 1:79This verse speaks of giving 'light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,' directly echoing the powerful imagery of liberation from despair and doom that Psalm 107:14 describes.
Acts 26:18In this commission, Jesus tells Paul he is sent to open eyes, turn people from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, which is a spiritual parallel to the physical deliverance from darkness and bonds described in Psalm 107:14.
Colossians 1:13This verse describes God rescuing believers from the dominion of darkness and translating them into the kingdom of His beloved Son, reflecting the theme of deliverance from a state of oppression and gloom found in Psalm 107:14.
clarkePsalms 107:14: "He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder."
He brought then out of darkness - 1. Gave them again peace and prosperity. 2. Repealed the sentence of death. 3. "Unbound the poor prisoners." 4. Broke their iron bonds in sunder.
poolePsalms 107:14: "He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder."
No text from Poole on this verse.
The verse doesn't just describe being freed from external chains, but also God's power to shatter the "bands" that keep us trapped in our own despair and spiritual death, offering a radical liberation beyond mere physical escape. It highlights that the most profound darkness and bondage are often internal, and God's intervention is needed to break those more insidious bonds apart.
This passage is part of a psalm celebrating God's deliverance, specifically recounting how He rescued those who were trapped in deep despair, suffering, and imprisonment, often as a consequence of their rebellion. It follows a description of these individuals crying out to God in their dire situation and anticipates a call for them to praise God for His mighty works of liberation.
This passage is part of a psalm celebrating God's deliverance, specifically recounting how He rescued those who were trapped in deep despair, suffering, and imprisonment, often as a consequence of their rebellion. It follows a description of these individuals crying out to God in their dire situation and anticipates a call for them to praise God for His mighty works of liberation.
"He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and burst their bonds apart." — The verse doesn't just describe being freed from external chains, but also God's power to shatter the "bands" that keep us trapped in our own despair and spiritual death, offering a radical liberatio…
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Last reviewed October 2026