Psalm 107:28-29
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What's easy to miss here is how this is presented not just as a story, but as a pattern. The phrasing "Then they cried... and he delivered them" highlights an immediate cause and effect, showing that the moment of distress sparks their cry, and God's rescue follows right after. It implies that a prayer born out of genuine trouble is heard and answered swiftly.
Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage describes sailors caught in a violent storm, tossed by huge waves that threaten to swallow them. All their skill and efforts are useless, leaving them in utter despair as death seems imminent. In this moment of ultimate helplessness, they finally cry out to the Lord, and He answers by calming the storm and bringing them safely to their desired destination.
Ever felt so overwhelmed that words fail you? This verse reminds us that in our deepest troubles, there's a primal cry that echoes through human experience.
The psalm paints a vivid picture of people facing extreme danger, specifically sailors caught in a violent storm. Notice how the text describes their state:
In this state of utter helplessness, their sophisticated knowledge and skills become useless. All that's left is a desperate, instinctual plea. This isn't just about sailors; it's a metaphor for any situation where we feel completely out of control, where our usual coping mechanisms fail, and we're forced to confront our vulnerability.
When human strength collapses, where does help come from? This verse offers a powerful assurance about God's active role in our crises.
The core of this verse is not just that people cry out, but that God responds. The psalm doesn't suggest that cries to God are ignored or fall on deaf ears.
Ask a follow-up
Deliverance isn't the end of the story. What happens after the crisis passes? This psalm points to a crucial response.
The larger context of Psalm 107 reveals that the cry and deliverance are part of a cycle that leads to praise. After experiencing God's rescue, the natural and commanded response is gratitude and testimony:
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
The personal, covenantal name of God (Yahweh). It signifies the God who reveals Himself, fulfills His promises, and acts as the Redeemer of His people.
tsarah · Hebrew Noun
A general term for narrowness or constriction. Theologically, it describes a state of being hemmed in by circumstances, often leading to a call for divine intervention.
natsal · Hebrew Verb
A verb meaning to snatch away, rescue, or save. It describes God's act of pulling His people out of a situation of peril or captivity.
se'arah · Hebrew Noun
Refers to a tempestuous disturbance of nature, often used metaphorically for divine judgment or intense life crises that overwhelm human strength.
This verse, while speaking to the universal experience of crying out to God in crisis, is situated within the context of Israel's collective memory of exile and return. The imagery of deliverance from distress resonates deeply with the historical journey from Babylonian captivity back to Jerusalem.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy Solomon's Temple, and deport a significant portion of the population, initiating the Babylonian Exile.
c. 539 BC
Persian Conquest of Babylon
Cyrus the Great conquers Babylon, paving the way for the return of exiled peoples, including the Jews.
c. 538 BC
Edict of Cyrus
Cyrus issues a decree allowing the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple.
c. 516 BC
Rebuilding of the Second Temple
The Second Temple in Jerusalem is completed, marking a significant milestone in the return from exile and the restoration of worship.
c. 458 BC - 432 BC
Ministry of Ezra and Nehemiah
Ezra and Nehemiah lead further waves of returnees and focus on religious and civic reforms, solidifying the community in Jerusalem.
c. 100 BC - 50 BC— this verse
Composition of Psalm 107
Psalm 107 is likely composed or compiled during the Second Temple period, reflecting on God's faithfulness to Israel through historical experiences of deliverance, including the return from exile.
This passage shows a similar desperation and turning to God in a life-threatening storm, mirroring the sailors in Psalm 107 and highlighting the universal human response to extreme danger.
Exodus 14:10-14Here, the Israelites cry out to the Lord in their distress as the Egyptian army pursues them, and God delivers them by parting the Red Sea, demonstrating God's powerful intervention when His people cry out to Him in dire straits.
Luke 8:22-25This New Testament account depicts Jesus calming a violent storm at sea in response to the disciples' fearful cries, showing Jesus' divine authority over nature and His willingness to rescue those who call on Him.
Acts 27:21-25During a perilous shipwreck, Paul reassures the frightened sailors that no lives will be lost because an angel of God appeared to him, emphasizing that God hears and responds to cries for help even in the midst of overwhelming disaster.
pulpitPsalms 107:28: "Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses."
Verse 28. - Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. Practically identical with vers. 6, 13, and 19.
ellicottPsalms 107:28: "Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses."
(28) Then they cry. —There is a saying, “Qui nescit orare, discat navigare.”
What's easy to miss here is how this is presented not just as a story, but as a pattern. The phrasing "Then they cried... and he delivered them" highlights an immediate cause and effect, showing that the moment of distress sparks their cry, and God's rescue follows right after. It implies that a prayer born out of genuine trouble is heard and answered swiftly.
This passage describes sailors caught in a violent storm, tossed by huge waves that threaten to swallow them. All their skill and efforts are useless, leaving them in utter despair as death seems imminent. In this moment of ultimate helplessness, they finally cry out to the Lord, and He answers by calming the storm and bringing them safely to their desired destination.
This passage describes sailors caught in a violent storm, tossed by huge waves that threaten to swallow them. All their skill and efforts are useless, leaving them in utter despair as death seems imminent. In this moment of ultimate helplessness, they finally cry out to the Lord, and He answers by calming the storm and bringing them safely to their desired destination.
"Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed." — What's easy to miss here is how this is presented not just as a story, but as a pattern. The phrasing "Then they cried... and he delivered them" highlights an immediate cause and effect, showing that…
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Last reviewed October 2026
