For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse highlights that God's power isn't just about gentle help; it's about utterly demolishing the seemingly unbreakable barriers—like solid bronze doors and iron bars—that hold people captive. It’s a vivid picture of divine intervention that shatters every obstacle, leaving no room for doubt about who is in control.
For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage continues the description of God's deliverance for those suffering in darkness and despair, specifically those held captive by oppressive forces. Just as these prisoners cried out to God from their deep affliction, the psalm explains that God's rescue is not a gentle unlocking of doors, but a forceful breaking of their prison, shattering even the strongest barriers like bronze gates and iron bars. This imagery echoes prophecies of a mighty liberation, signifying the absolute power God wields to set His people free from seemingly insurmountable oppression.
Ever felt completely trapped, like there's no way out? This verse describes a power that breaks through the strongest barriers imaginable.
The imagery here is incredibly powerful. 'Gates of bronze' and 'bars of iron' weren't just strong; they represented the ultimate in security and imprisonment in the ancient world. Bronze and iron were the hardest metals, used for city gates and prison bars to keep people in or out.
When the psalm says God 'shatters' these, it's not a gentle unlocking. It's a forceful, decisive breaking. This isn't about finding a hidden key; it's about divine might demolishing every obstacle. It points to God's ability to liberate His people from even the most hopeless situations, situations where human strength and ingenuity are utterly defeated.
Imagine being stripped of everything, locked away, and feeling like freedom is impossible. This verse speaks directly to that kind of desperate state.
This psalm often recalls the Israelites' experience in exile, particularly in Babylon. The 'gates of bronze' and 'bars of iron' vividly symbolize the seemingly inescapable prison of captivity. They were cut off, their national identity and freedom suppressed by immense fortifications and oppressive power.
But this isn't just about historical events. It's a metaphor for any state of being 'bound.' This could be a literal prison, or it could be the bondage of sin, despair, addiction, or any circumstance that feels like absolute confinement. The breaking of these barriers signifies not just physical release, but spiritual and emotional liberation. It's God intervening to rescue those who cry out to Him.
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This verse powerfully echoes the liberation of the Israelites from Babylonian captivity, particularly the conquest of the city by Cyrus the Great, which was prophesied in Isaiah using the same powerful imagery of shattered bronze gates and iron bars.
Late 8th century BC
Assyrian Captivity of Northern Kingdom
The Northern Kingdom of Israel (10 tribes) is conquered and exiled by the Assyrians, illustrating a historical context of severe imprisonment and loss of national identity.
605 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar's forces invade Judah, taking skilled workers and nobility, including Daniel, to Babylon, marking the beginning of the Babylonian exile.
597 BC
Second Deportation to Babylon
Following a revolt, Jehoiachin and many more Judeans are exiled to Babylon, intensifying the experience of captivity and reinforcing the imagery of iron bars and bronze gates.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Babylon conquers Jerusalem, destroys Solomon's Temple, and deports the majority of the remaining population, solidifying the sense of being utterly imprisoned.
c. 539 BC— this verse
Fall of Babylon to Persia
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, an event often symbolized by the breaching of the city's immense bronze gates and iron defenses.
538 BC
Edict of Cyrus and Return from Exile
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the exiled Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple, signifying the breaking of their chains and liberation from exile.
This passage directly parallels the language of Psalm 107:16, describing God's power to break down gates of bronze and bars of iron, echoing the theme of sovereign deliverance from insurmountable obstacles.
Luke 11:22Jesus' teaching about a stronger one disarming a strong man and dividing his spoils is a powerful metaphor for God's intervention to rescue people from the grip of evil, similar to shattering the strongholds mentioned in Psalms.
Acts 12:6-10This narrative vividly illustrates God's power to liberate His people from seemingly inescapable imprisonment, echoing the imagery of broken gates and bars when Peter is miraculously freed from prison.
Romans 8:38-39This passage speaks of nothing being able to separate believers from God's love, emphasizing God's ultimate power to protect and preserve His own, similar to how He breaks through any barrier to deliver His people.
clarkePsalms 107:16: "For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder."
For he hath broken - This is the reason given for thanks to God for his deliverance of the captives. It was not a simple deliverance; it was done so as to manifest the irresistible power of God. He tore the prison in pieces, and cut the bars of iron asunder.
ellicottPsalms 107:16: "For he hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder."
-16 Isaiah 45:2 was present to the poet’s mind. Virgil’s picture of the shrine of war (Æn. vii. 607) has been compared to this.
This verse highlights that God's power isn't just about gentle help; it's about utterly demolishing the seemingly unbreakable barriers—like solid bronze doors and iron bars—that hold people captive. It’s a vivid picture of divine intervention that shatters every obstacle, leaving no room for doubt about who is in control.
This passage continues the description of God's deliverance for those suffering in darkness and despair, specifically those held captive by oppressive forces. Just as these prisoners cried out to God from their deep affliction, the psalm explains that God's rescue is not a gentle unlocking of doors, but a forceful breaking of their prison, shattering even the strongest barriers like bronze gates and iron bars. This imagery echoes prophecies of a mighty liberation, signifying the absolute power God wields to set His people free from seemingly insurmountable oppression.
This passage continues the description of God's deliverance for those suffering in darkness and despair, specifically those held captive by oppressive forces. Just as these prisoners cried out to God from their deep affliction, the psalm explains that God's rescue is not a gentle unlocking of doors, but a forceful breaking of their prison, shattering even the strongest barriers like bronze gates and iron bars. This imagery echoes prophecies of a mighty liberation, signifying the absolute power God wields to set His people free from seemingly insurmountable oppression.
"For he shatters the doors of bronze and cuts in two the bars of iron." — This verse highlights that God's power isn't just about gentle help; it's about utterly demolishing the seemingly unbreakable barriers—like solid bronze doors and iron bars—that hold people captive.…
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Last reviewed October 2026