Psalm 107:17-18
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The verse points to how "fools" aren't just lacking sense, but are deeply foolish because their sin is a chosen "way"—a persistent, habitual course of action. This habitual sinning, rather than just a single slip-up, is what brings on their affliction, revealing a powerful connection between consistent rebellion and its consequences.
Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This section of Psalm 107 shifts to describe those suffering from sickness. It portrays them as "fools" because their persistent sinful actions, their ongoing "way of transgression," have brought this affliction upon themselves. The verses that follow will detail their extreme suffering, near death, and their eventual cry to God for deliverance.
Have you ever heard the phrase 'playing the fool'? This verse uses that idea, but with a much more serious spiritual weight. It's not just about making silly mistakes; it's about a fundamental choice.
A Deeper Kind of Foolishness
The Bible often calls wicked or stubborn people "fools." This isn't about a lack of intelligence, but a profound spiritual blindness. It means rejecting God's wisdom and choosing a path that leads to destruction.
This verse draws a direct line from sinful choices to suffering. But is all sickness a punishment for sin? Let's look closer.
The Consequence of Choice
The psalm links "foolishness" (sin) directly to "affliction." This affliction is often understood as sickness, a wasting disease that brings people to the brink of death.
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Understand the original words
eviyl · Hebrew Noun
A moral and intellectual deficiency; in a biblical context, it refers not to a lack of IQ but to one who persistently rejects God’s authority and wisdom, choosing a path of rebellion.
avon · Hebrew Noun
Refers to moral perversity, wrongdoing, or rebellion against God’s standard of righteousness. It carries the sense of twisting or distorting what is right and incurring guilt before God.
oni · Hebrew Noun
A state of distress, hardship, or severe trial. In the Psalms, it often results from divine discipline due to sin or general earthly frailty, serving as a catalyst to turn the sufferer back to God.
This passage echoes the sentiment of Psalm 107:17, highlighting that the 'simple' (often equated with fools in Proverbs) are destroyed by their turning away from God, implying a direct link between straying from wisdom and suffering.
Isaiah 53:5This prophetic passage speaks of the Suffering Servant being 'pierced for our transgressions' and 'crushed for our iniquities,' drawing a powerful parallel between human sin and suffering, which is central to the theme of Psalm 107:17.
Luke 15:17Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son vividly illustrates the 'foolishness' of straying from a loving father and suffering the consequences, mirroring the idea that sinful choices lead to affliction and a desolate state.
Romans 6:23This verse explicitly states that 'the wages of sin is death,' directly connecting sinful actions (iniquities and transgressions) to a final, severe form of affliction, reinforcing the cause-and-effect relationship seen in Psalm 107:17.
bensonPsalms 107:17: "Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted."
Psalm 107:17-22 . Fools — That is, wicked men whom he calls fools, because through their own sin and folly they wrong themselves, and act against their own interest; not only their spiritual, but their secular interest; they often even prejudice their bodily health by their intemperance, and endanger their lives by indulging their appetites and fleshly lusts, as well as bring upon themselves m…
wesleyPsalms 107:17: "Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted."
107:17 Afflicted - With sickness.
The verse points to how "fools" aren't just lacking sense, but are deeply foolish because their sin is a chosen "way"—a persistent, habitual course of action. This habitual sinning, rather than just a single slip-up, is what brings on their affliction, revealing a powerful connection between consistent rebellion and its consequences.
This section of Psalm 107 shifts to describe those suffering from sickness. It portrays them as "fools" because their persistent sinful actions, their ongoing "way of transgression," have brought this affliction upon themselves. The verses that follow will detail their extreme suffering, near death, and their eventual cry to God for deliverance.
This section of Psalm 107 shifts to describe those suffering from sickness. It portrays them as "fools" because their persistent sinful actions, their ongoing "way of transgression," have brought this affliction upon themselves. The verses that follow will detail their extreme suffering, near death, and their eventual cry to God for deliverance.
"Some were fools through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction; they loathed any kind of food, and they drew near to the gates of death." — The verse points to how "fools" aren't just lacking sense, but are deeply foolish because their sin is a chosen "way"—a persistent, habitual course of action. This habitual sinning, rather than jus…
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Last reviewed October 2026
