Psalms 107:30

Psa 107:30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

Ver. 30. Then are they glad because they be quiet] All is hushed on the sudden, as Mat 8:26, both their fears and the sea’s outrages being quickly reduced to a peaceable period.

So he bringeth them to their desired haven] This is more than they then wished for: God is many times better to men than their prayers.

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.

Psa_107:30

Then are they glad because they are quiet.

The quiet of the Sabbath

I. Why on this day of rest ought we to be glad?

1. Because the week is the scene of perpetual activity.

2. Because the week is the season for impairing rather than increasing our spiritual vigour.

3. Because the week is the time in which we ale exposed to the most spiritual danger.

II. What the quiet of the Sabbath signifies and symbolizes.

1. It does not mean mental inaction. It does not signify having nothing to think about, and nothing to do on this day of rest; but having other things to think about, and other things to do, than those which occupy and all but absorb us during the week. And not only other, but better things, things connected with the life that lies beyond the grave.

2. The quietness of the Sabbath is intended to prepare us for the toil and tumult of the week. Let a Christian man enter the house of God with this idea, and he will never find the Sabbath tedious, or its hours of public worship a weariness; he has laboured to enjoy this rest, and now he rests to be fitted for ensuing labour.

3. The quiet of the Sabbath is a happy quiet, because it is an emblem of the heavenly Sabbath. Learn--

(1) The fitness of Divine ordinances to our human constitution. We must have rest and quiet: nature demands; God graciously supplies them; and he that believes enters into rest.

(2) Let us remember the danger we are exposed to of forgetting the claims of the Sabbath amidst the perpetually recurring anxieties of the week.

(3) Let us rejoice if in our intelligent appreciation of this day we can truly say, This is the day the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it; and let memory ever say, Then were we glad because we were quiet. (W. G. Barrett.)

Memories of dangers passed

Thinking of the past, there may be a sense of not unwelcome lightening from a load of responsibility when we have got all the stress and strain of the conflict behind us, and have, at any rate, not, been altogether beaten. We may feel like a captain who has brought his ship safe across the Atlantic, through foul weather and past many an iceberg, and gives a great sigh of relief as he hands over the charge to the pilot, who will take her across the harbour bar and bring her to her anchorage in the land-locked bay, where no tempests rave any more for ever. (A. Maclaren, D.D.)

He bringeth them unto their desired haven.--

The desired haven

I. Thy Port. Their desired haven. Comforting view of heaven this! Tis a haven; not an undiscovered country, not a desolate coast chafed by storms, and strewn with wrecks and lifeless bodies. Entrance ample, water deep, anchorage secure, may be taken in all weathers; no blinding haze, no dreary night, no want, no sin. Tis a desired haven (Heb_11:13; Heb_11:16).

II. The pilot. He bringeth them; not He driveth, as if behind; nor draweth, as from far-off spot, as the pole draws the needle of the compass by a cold and mighty attraction; but He bringeth, as the reaper bringeth his sheaves. Jesus bringeth! Not ahead to draw, not astern to drive, but on board to bring! Oh! is He not a Pilot? He sounded the channel, took the bearings, mastered the details, made the chart, and now goes in company with the believer to perform the voyage. You ask who erected the beacon, placed the lightship, anchored the buoy? Christ, all Christ. He unites the pilot and commander in one: never leaves nor forsakes. Oh, come to Him; He bringeth, He only; He bringeth unto. None founder under His command.

III. The providence. So. His way is perfect. Tis not so short as you would like it, nor so easy, nor so pleasant, but it is so. Sometimes He brings to wits end, makes men to stagger, and the great billows, which they think will bury them, only lift them higher up into safety and peace. (H. T. Miller.)

The port of glory

Whether we will or not, it is ours to sail across the sea of life. As the ship on the sea is subject to calms, and storms, and fair weather, and is exposed to dangers untold, and driven here and there by the force of winds and tides; so is every mans experience; and it behoves each to ask himself whither he is bound, and whether he has a good hope of reaching his desired haven.

I. It is suggestive of rest. It is a haven. Fellow-voyagers, are you looking for rest? Beyond all this toil of the ocean, are you expecting the repose of the haven?

II. It is suggestive of safety. As the sailor cannot be endangered until the very harbour is destroyed; so, as long as Jehovah is, the Christian soul is safe. And this is true not only of his future, but also of his present state. Yes, God Himself is their protection.

III. It is suggestive of happiness. Do not blame us if we sometimes turn a longing gaze towards the fulness of joy which is in His presence, and to the pleasures for evermore which are at His right hand.

IV. It is suggestive of possession. He knows that when once the desired haven has been reached, all lifes dangers will be for ever over; all lifes mysteries will be for ever solved; all lifes labours will be for ever crowned, and he will enter into the joy of his Lord. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. (W. H. Burton.)

Sure sailing

1. The port, or harbour--Their desired haven. The spirits of the righteous, who have vanished out of their sight, are not flung upon the coast of some dreary country, desolate and unknown, whose shores are chafed with angry storms and strewn with wrecks. They reach their desired haven when all the ships company meet who sailed with their Saviour beneath.

2. The Pilot. He bringeth them. Adequate knowledge of the voyage is an important qualification in a pilot, and also a quick discernment or apprehension of dangers, and skill to avoid them. Every feature of perfect qualification is found in Christ, as the Pilot of humanity across the sea of life.

3. How He bringeth them is implied in this little demonstrative so. As professing Christians, it might be well for us to single out all the trials, sorrows, and calamities which are the result of our own folly, indolence, or presumption, and distinguish them from those over which we have no control and in the production of which we have shared no part. I believe that many of our trials in secular and spiritual matters are not Gods creations, but our own. (T. Kelly, D.D.)

Christ, the pilots Pilot

An old pilot of the Hudson River Line lay dying. A minister came in and talked with him, and he was respectful but unmoved. The preacher felt he must say something that would appeal to him. Just then the Spirit of God seemed to say to him: Present Jesus as the pilots Pilot. And so he said: Now, you have many times piloted your steamer away from the rocks; the current is running against you now, and the fog is on, and you need a pilot. Jesus is the pilots Pilot; wont you take Him on board? The mans attention had been caught and his heart won, and with tear-wet eyes he said, I will, and with the Saviours joy in his heart and a happy light in his eyes, Christ piloted him home. Will you take Jesus as your pilot to-day? (Sunday Circle.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

30. (Psa 107:30) And they are glad that they are quiet, and he guides them to their desired haven. The connection might be rendered clearer by translating with the English Bible, then are they glad, etc. The last word in the verse occurs only here, and is by some translated shore, by others goal: but it is safer to retain the old interpretation, which affords a perfectly good sense, and rests upon the joint authority of the Rabbinical tradition and the Septuagint version.

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

Though before every drop seemed to fight one against another, yet at his commandment they are as still, as though they were frozen.

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

Verse 30. Then are they glad because they be quiet] The turbulence of the sea being hushed, and the waves still, they rejoice to see an end to the tempest; and thus, having fine weather, a smooth sea, and fair wind, they are speedily brought to the desired haven.

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

30. because they be quiet] Because the waves are calmed. Cp. Jon_1:11.

unto their desired haven] Lit. the haven, or possibly, the mart, of their desire. The word mâchôz, which occurs here only, is rendered harbour by the Ancient Versions, but in the Talmud it means town. The destination of the sailors, where they intend to dispose of their wares, is obviously meant. The R.V. has wisely restored Coverdale’s musical phrase, the haven where they would be.

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.

He turneth rivers into a wilderness,.... A country abounding with rivers, as the country round about Sodom and the land of Canaan were, Gen 13:10. Such an one is sometimes, by the just judgment of God, turned into a desert.

And the water springs into dry ground: what was like a well watered garden becomes like dry and barren earth, on which nothing grows.

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

Then are they glad because they be quiet - Because the storm subsides, and they have the feeling of safety from danger.

So he bringeth them - Rather, “And he guides them.”

Unto their desired haven - The word translated “haven” occurs nowhere else. By some it is rendered “shore,” but the word “haven” or “port” seems best to express the sense of the passage: “the haven of their desire.” No one can appreciate this fully who has not been long at sea, and who has not experienced the intense desire once more to see “land.” Even then no one experiences it fully who has not some object there which he desires to see, or to accomplish. If his business is there, if it is his native land, if his father, mother, wife, or children are there, if it is the place of his father’s sepulchre, and the place where he was born and reared, how intense becomes the desire to see that land once more. So God brings his people to rest in heaven - their haven, their home. After being tossed by the tempests of life, after encountering its storms and dangers, after the fear and agitation experienced, he stills the storms; the way becomes smooth and calm; the end of the voyage is serene; and death is like the ship smoothly gliding into port with its sails all set. The soul enters heaven - the desired haven - the port that was longed for; a safe haven, beyond all storms or tempests; an eternal home!

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

Ver. 30. Then are they glad because they be quiet. No one can appreciate this verse unless he has been in a storm at sea. No music can be sweeter than the rattling of the chain as the shipmen let down the anchor; and no place seems more desirable than the little cove, or the wide bay, in which the ship rests in peace.

So he bringeth them unto their desired haven. The rougher the voyage the more the mariners long for port, and heaven becomes more and more "a desired haven", as our trials multiply. By storms and by favourable breezes, though tempest and fair weather, the great Pilot and Ruler of the sea brings mariners to port, and his people to heaven. HE must have the glory of the successful voyage of time, and when we are moored in the river of life above we shall take care that his praises are not forgotten. We should long ago have been wrecked if it had not been for his preserving hand, and our only hope of outliving the storms of the future is based upon his wisdom, faithfulness and power. Our heavenly haven shall ring with shouts of grateful joy when once we reach its blessed shore.

Ver. 30. Desired haven. At such a time as this sweet April morning, indeed, a breakwater like this (of Portland) may seem of little value, when the waves of the ocean only just suffice to break its face into gems of changing brilliance, and to make whispering music; while vessels of all sizes, like those whose clustering masts we see yonder under the promontory, ride with perfect security in the open road. But in the fierce gales of November or March, when the shrieking blasts drive furiously up the Channel, and the huge mountain billows, green and white, open threatening graves on every side, how welcome would be a safe harbour, easy of access, and placed at a part of the coast which else would be unsheltered for many leagues on either side! Blessed be God for the gift of his beloved Son, the only Harbour of Refuge for poor tempest tossed sinners! We may think lightly of it now, but in the coming day of gloom and wrath, when "the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow", they only will escape who are sheltered there! Philip Henry Gosse, in "The Aquarium", 1856.

Psalms 107:31*

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

Then are they glad because they be quiet; or, "because they be at rest," i.e. no longer tempest-tossed. So he bringeth them unto their desired haven; literally, the haven of their desire; i.e. the haven where they desire to be.

The Pilot, the passage, and the port.

"So he bringeth them to their desired haven." These three themes are suggested by the words. Therefore consider

I THE PILOT. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. We need his aid. Some think they can manage well enough without him, and hence refuse his aid; but no ship ever yet came safe to port without that aid. Receive him, therefore. His knowledge is perfect. His wisdom never errs. His power is omnipotent. His terms are such as all can comply with trust and obey. His authority is from God. There are many pretended pilots; he alone is sent of God. He never fails.

II THE PASSAGE. "So he bringeth them," etc. How?

1. By his Holy Spirit he guides the soul.

2. By his Word. "Thy Word is a lamp unto," etc. (Psa_119:105)

3. By his gracious providence, sending now one influence and now another to further our course.

4. By the ministries of his Church the means of grace, prayer, sacraments, etc.

III THE PORT. It is our desired haven. Desired because there is:

1. Rest.

2. Safety.

3. Joy and happiness.

4. Reward. S.C.

The desired haven.

"So he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be" (Prayer-book Version). The picture of the sea connected with this text is "painted as a landsman would paint it, but yet only as one who had himself been exposed to the danger could paint the storm the waves running mountains high, on which the tiny craft seemed a plaything; the helplessness of human skill, the gladness of the calm, the safe refuge in the haven." It is difficult for those who love the sea to enter into the feelings with which Eastern people in olden times, and especially the Israelites, regarded it. That feeling of mystery and dread must have been intense before Solomon"s time, when a commercial navy was employed in both the Mediterranean and Red Seas. For the severity of a storm in the Mediterranean, the story of Jonah, and of St. Paul"s shipwreck, may be studied. What seems more especially to have influenced ancient minds was the constant unrest of the sea. This is reflected in many of the Bible references to it; and this has always struck both poetic and pious minds.

I THE FASCINATION OF REST. To man it is the supreme idea of heaven; it is the perfection of bliss on earth. That not so much because of toil, as because of change and trouble. The rest man seeks is not rest from work, but rest from worry. The activity of work is, for healthy minds and bodies, the truest rest. But uncertainty, change, anxiety, make us long for the moral rest, which can only come when God"s will is no longer checked by man"s. It is not the rest of the grave man wants; it is the rest of the "desired haven the rest of the moral issue of life. Every man is, according to his own idea, moving towards and into rest. Alas! that so many make shipwreck.

II THE SYMBOL OF REST. A "desired haven." Harbor after a long and stormy voyage. "In the fierce gales of November or March, when the shrieking blasts drive furiously up the channel, and the huge mountain-billows, green and white, open threatening graves on every side, how welcome would be a safe harbor, easy of access, and placed at a part of the coast which else would be unsheltered for many leagues on either side!" (Gosse). "The stately ships go on, to the harbor under the hill" (Tennyson). The point suggestive of practical teachings is thrown out by the Prayer-book Version. Our "desired haven" is, "the haven where we would be." It is the realization of our life-objects, of our hopes; and so we are led to discuss men"s life-aims. Their rest, when they gain it, too often proves to be no rest. He only reaches rest that is rest indeed, who has voyaged life"s seas in hope of entering at last the harbor of God. R.T.

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

They rejoiced that they were stilled The waves.

the region Heb. מחוז, an expression of a border, and Menachem (p. 86) associated it with (Isa. 28:18): “and your limit (וחזותכם) with the grave,” your limit, that it should not enter our boundary. Similarly (I Kings 7:4): “an edge (מחזה מול מחזה) opposite an edge,” three times. In Tanchuma, I found [this].

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.