The Meaning of Psalms 107:21 Explained

Psalms 107:21

KJV: Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

YLT: They confess to Jehovah His kindness, And His wonders to the sons of men,

Darby: Let them give thanks unto Jehovah for his loving-kindness, and for his wondrous works to the children of men,

ASV: Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Oh that [men] would praise  the LORD  [for] his goodness,  and [for] his wonderful works  to the children  of men! 

What does Psalms 107:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 107:17-32 - "his Wonders In The Deep"
Sickness yields the third type of suffering. Emphasis is laid on the cause of the suffering, which in the view of the writer is transgression and sin. We shall be justified, therefore, in confining our view of this section to the pain which is directly traceable to wrong-doing. Men ruin their health by evil courses, and the sinner drags down his punishment with his own hands. The portals of death had already opened to receive the sick men, but before they passed through they cried to Jehovah, and though their voice was feeble, they were heard. May we not make our own application of Psalms 107:20, by referring it to that Word of God through whom God's love and healing came to sinners in the days of his flesh?
The storm at sea is the next tableau. We have the sudden gale, the high waves, the ship now on the crest and then in the trough; the terror of the crew; the failure of the helm; the desperation of the sailors; and finally the voice of God above and through the storm. The sudden subsidence of the tempest is a grateful change to the sailors and the crew; and what gladness is theirs when they reach the harbor which they had longed for but had never thought to see again! Such is life, and such will be, by God's mercy our coming into harbor. "Safe into the haven guide"! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 107

1  The psalmist exhorts the redeemed in praising God to observe his manifold providence
4  Over travelers
10  Over captives
17  Over sick men
23  Over sailors
33  And in diverse varieties of life

What do the individual words in Psalms 107:21 mean?

Oh that [men] would give thanks to Yahweh [for] His goodness and [for] His wonderful works to the sons of men -
יוֹד֣וּ לַיהוָ֣ה חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְ֝נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו לִבְנֵ֥י ! אָדָֽם ‪‬׆‬

יוֹד֣וּ  Oh  that  [men]  would  give  thanks 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: יָדָה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast.
לַיהוָ֣ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
חַסְדּ֑וֹ  [for]  His  goodness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
וְ֝נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו  and  [for]  His  wonderful  works 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Participle, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּלָא  
Sense: to be marvellous, be wonderful, be surpassing, be extraordinary, separate by distinguishing action.
לִבְנֵ֥י  to  the  sons 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
! אָדָֽם  of  men 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
‪‬׆‬    - 
Parse: Punctuation