Psalms 107:3

Psa 107:3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

Ver. 3. And gathered them out of the lands] He beginneth with wayfaring men and exiles, because, according to Tyrtaeus, Non exul curae dicitur esse Deo.

And from the south] Heb. from the sea, that is, as the Chaldee expoundeth it, from the southern sea, called the Red Sea.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. (Psa 107:3) And from the lands has gathered them, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea. The Babylonish exile is continually spoken of as a dispersion, either because it is considered as including other minor deportations, or because the migration of the great mass of the people into Babylonia was unavoidably accompanied, followed, or preceded, by a less extensive and more scattering migration of many individuals and families to other quarters. On the false assumption of a perfect parallelism as indispensable, some have supposed that sea is here put for the south. But this is not the only case in which the enumeration of the cardinal points is complete only in number. See Isa 49:12, and compare Isa 43:5-6; Isa 56:8. The mention of the sea instead of the south may perhaps have reference to the prophecy in Deu 28:68. The verse before us records the answer to the prayer in Psa 106:47, and thus affords another indication, that the writer of the later composition had the earlier in his eye, and wrote with some intention to illustrate or complete it.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

107:3 exiles: People came from all nations where the people of Israel and Judah had been scattered.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, from the sea: meaning the red sea, which is on the South part of the land.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 3. And gathered them out of the lands] Though many Jews returned into Jerusalem from various parts of the world, under the reigns of Darius Hystaspes, Artaxerxes, and Alexander the Great; yet this prophecy has its completion only under the Gospel, when all the ends of the earth hear the salvation of God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) Gathered them.—The usual prophetic word for the Restoration. (See references in margin, and with the verse comp. Isa_49:12.)

From the south.—See margin. The sea here can hardly be any sea but the Mediterranean, and therefore ought, according to general use (see Gen_12:8, &c), to stand for the west. But as this makes the enumeration of the points of the compass imperfect, several emendations have been proposed, the best of which is yamin (the “right hand,” and so “south”) for yam.

Or is the text right, and instead of looking for a complete compass, ought we to connect this general statement with the four tableaux of misery presently painted, and so take “out of the sea” literally in reference to Psa_107:23-30?

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. gathered them out of the lands] In accordance with many a prophetic promise (Jer_32:37; Eze_20:34; &c.); cp. the prayer of Psa_106:47.

from the east &c.] “From the four quarters of the earth,” Isa_11:12; Isa_43:5-6. Israelites from many lands doubtless returned to join the newly-founded community in Jerusalem.

from the south] Heb. from the sea, which according to general usage means the west. The Targ. explains it to mean ‘the southern sea,’ the Arabian gulf or the Indian ocean; possibly it may denote the southern part of the Mediterranean, washing the shore of Egypt: but on the whole it seems most probable that the Psalmist borrowed the phrase “from the north and from the sea” from Isa_49:12, and does not strictly enumerate the points of the compass. ‘The sea’ or ‘west’ there denotes the islands and coasts of the Mediterranean (Isa_11:11). A slight change of the text, yâmîn for yâm, would give the usual word for south (Psa_89:12), but the text is supported by the Versions.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way,.... Not the people of Israel, as the Targum. These seem not to be particularly intended, whatever allusion there may be to their passage through the wilderness to Canaan's land; but rather, in general, travellers through waste places, especially the wild deserts of Arabia; where the wind blowing the sand, covers the roads with it, so that frequently travellers lose their way, and wander about, till directed to it by one providence or another. Some compare this with the case of the Old Testament saints, mentioned in Heb 11:37 others with the church in the wilderness, and the witnesses prophesying in sackcloth, Rev 11:2. But it is certain that the redeemed and gathered are here meant; and this fitly describes their case, before and at effectual calling: they are in the wilderness of the people, Eze 20:35, from whence they are gathered; are in a state of error and ignorance; are like straying sheep, gone out of the right way; and are as lost sheep, they have lost their way; and though there may be many ways that present unto them, and which they think bid fair to be the right way; yet the true way of peace, life, and salvation by Christ, they know not, while in a state of nature and unregeneracy; and when they come to be effectually called, they see themselves to be in a bewildered state and condition.

They found no city to dwell in; nor even to call at or lodge in, for miles together; which is the case of travellers in some parts, particularly in the deserts of Arabia. Spiritual travellers find no settlement, rest, peace, joy, and comfort, but in Christ; nor any indeed in this world, and the things of it; here they have no continuing city, Heb 13:14.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

And gathered them out of the lands - The countries where they were scattered. In the times of the captivity the people were not all taken to one place, or did not all abide in one place. In the long exile - of seventy years - in Babylon, they would naturally be much scattered in the different provinces; and the attempt to collect them together, to restore them again to their native land, might be attended with much difficulty.

From the east ... - From all quarters; from the places where they were scattered abroad. That is, one taking his position in Babylon would see them dispersed from that place as a center into all the surrounding country.

And from the south - Margin, as in Hebrew, “from the sea.” In general, in the Old Testament, the word “sea” is used for the west, because the western boundary of the land of Palestine was the Mediterranean Sea. Compare Psa 139:9. But the supposed position of the speaker here is “Babylon,” and on that account the south might be fitly designated by the word “sea;” as, on the south of Babylon, the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean would be soon reached.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Bringing them into their own land, out of the several quarters of the world into which they had been carried.

From the south, Heb. from the sea; which in Scripture commonly notes the west, because the great midland sea was on the west of Canaan; but here, as it appears from the opposition of this to the

north, it notes the south, so called from the Red Sea, which was on the south, and which is sometimes called the sea, simply and without addition, as Psa 72:8; 114:3.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 3. And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. Gathering follows upon redeeming. The captives of old were restored to their own land from every quarter of the earth, and even from beyond the sea; for the word translated south is really the sea. No matter what divides, the Lord will gather his own into one body, and first on earth by "one Lord, one faith, and one baptism", and then in heaven by one common bliss they shall be known to be the one people of the One God. What a glorious Shepherd must, he be who thus collects the blood bought flock from the remotest regions, guides them through countless perils, and at last makes them to lie down in the green pastures of Paradise. Some have wandered one way and some another they have all left Immanuel's land and strayed as far as they could, and great are the grace and power by which they are all collected into one flock by the Lord Jesus. With one heart and voice let the redeemed praise the Lord who gathers them into one.

Ver. 3. And gathered. If anything can inspire us with gratitude, this motive should prevail, because we cannot but feel the force of it, as it reminds us of that misery from which we in particular were redeemed. The Gentiles had wandered from God, and were so lost and bewildered in the mazes of error and superstition, that nothing but the almighty love of our Lord Jesus could have gathered them together into one church. William Romaine.

Ver. 3. Gathered them. The Syriac gives as the title of this psalm: God collects the Jews out of captivity, and brings them back out of Babylon the only begotten Son of God also, Jesus Christ, collects the nations from the four corners of the world, by calling upon man to be baptized. E.W. Hengstenberg.

Ver. 3. From the west. The mention of the west leads the psalmist's thoughts to Egypt; and the remembrance of the bondage and labours of the ancestors of the Israelites in Egypt, coupled with the description in a previous psalm (Ps 105:17) of the imprisonment of Joseph. Joseph Francis Thrupp.

Ver. 3. The ingathering of the chosen.

1. All wandered.

2. Their ways different.

3. All observed of the Lord.

4. All brought to Jesus as to one centre. Note ways, and times of gathering.

Psalms 107:4*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. East… west… north… south—That is, from all points, whithersoever the seed of Israel had been scattered. The Hebrew here rendered “south” is sea, but being used in an enumeration of the cardinal points of the compass must mean “south.” It may be understood of the southeast coast of the Mediterranean, or of the Red sea, either of which, being southwesterly from Palestine, and a boundary line of Egypt, might denote the latter, to which the eastern wars had scattered many of the Jews. See Jeremiah 43, 44; Isa_43:5-6; Isa_49:12.Verses 4-9 comprise the first strophic division, with Psa_107:6; Psa_107:8 as the double refrain. These give life and dramatic effect to the musical performance. Psa_107:4-6 are a glance at their wilderness life under Moses; perhaps, also, at the privations of the first caravan of returning exiles under Zerubbabel, (Ezr_2:64; Ezr_2:67,) and afterward of the second, under Ezra. See Ezr_7:8

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And gathered them out of the lands (compare the prayer of Psa_106:47; and for the expression, "the lands" i.e. the foreign countries see Psa_106:27 Ezr_9:1) From the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. The present Hebrew text has "from the sea" and so the LXX, apo yalasshv but it is thought that probably is a corruption of ymiYmi (Cheyne), which would mean "from the south."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Gathered - Into their own land.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.