Psalms 107:5
Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
Original Language Analysis
גַּם
H1571
גַּם
Strong's:
H1571
Word #:
2 of 6
properly, assemblage; used only adverbially also, even, yea, though; often repeated as correl. both...and
Cross References
Isaiah 44:12The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms: yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint.Lamentations 2:19Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.
Historical Context
Wandering in wilderness without provisions would have been fatal without intervention. The image recalls Israel's wilderness experience where God provided manna and water. For returning exiles, the journey home through desert regions posed real dangers of hunger and thirst. Spiritually, this depicts humanity's condition without God—dying of spiritual thirst and hunger, needing the salvation only God provides.
Questions for Reflection
- How does recognizing spiritual hunger and thirst lead to seeking God?
- What does it mean that 'their soul fainted'—how does this describe spiritual death?
- How is Christ the ultimate answer to humanity's hunger and thirst?
Analysis & Commentary
This verse describes the extremity of need. 'Hungry and thirsty' indicates basic survival needs unmet. 'Their soul fainted in them' (nefesh עָטַף, soul/life being covered/wrapped/faint) means life force was draining away—they were dying. This describes physical desperation but also spiritual condition: humanity starving and dying without God, the bread of life and living water (John 4:10-14; 6:35). The extremity emphasizes human helplessness apart from God's intervention. We're not merely uncomfortable but dying, which makes rescue urgent and makes grace precious. Only those who recognize desperation cry out for deliverance.