Psalms 147:14
He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.
Original Language Analysis
הַשָּׂם
He maketh
H7760
הַשָּׂם
He maketh
Strong's:
H7760
Word #:
1 of 6
to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically)
גְּבוּלֵ֥ךְ
in thy borders
H1366
גְּבוּלֵ֥ךְ
in thy borders
Strong's:
H1366
Word #:
2 of 6
properly, a cord (as twisted), i.e., (by implication) a boundary; by extension the territory inclosed
שָׁל֑וֹם
peace
H7965
שָׁל֑וֹם
peace
Strong's:
H7965
Word #:
3 of 6
safe, i.e., (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, i.e., health, prosperity, peace
חֵ֥לֶב
thee with the finest
H2459
חֵ֥לֶב
thee with the finest
Strong's:
H2459
Word #:
4 of 6
fat, whether literally or figuratively; hence, the richest or choice part
Cross References
Psalms 81:16He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.Psalms 29:11The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.Psalms 132:15I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.Deuteronomy 32:14Butter of kine, and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs, and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.Zechariah 9:8And I will encamp about mine house because of the army, because of him that passeth by, and because of him that returneth: and no oppressor shall pass through them any more: for now have I seen with mine eyes.Isaiah 66:12For thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream: then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.Psalms 122:6Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.1 Chronicles 22:9Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.Ezekiel 27:17Judah, and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants: they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and Pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.Leviticus 26:6And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
Historical Context
Israel's agricultural economy made wheat the staple grain, ground into flour for daily bread. Quality wheat meant survival and prosperity; poor harvests meant famine. The covenant promised agricultural blessing for obedience (Deuteronomy 28:4-5) and crop failure for disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:38-40). Post-exilic Judah struggled economically (Haggai 1:6; Nehemiah 5:1-5), making God's promise of finest wheat particularly precious—pointing to future restoration.
Questions for Reflection
- How does God's provision of 'shalom' (comprehensive well-being) differ from the world's definition of peace?
- In what ways does Jesus, as 'the bread of life,' fulfill God's promise to fill His people with the finest wheat?
- Where in your life do you need to move from barely surviving to experiencing God's abundant satisfaction?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat. The Hebrew hassam gevulek shalom (הַשָּׂם גְּבוּלֵךְ שָׁלוֹם) uses shalom (שָׁלוֹם), a rich term meaning peace, wholeness, completeness, and well-being. God establishes (hassam) this comprehensive peace within Israel's "borders" (gevulek, גְּבוּלֵךְ)—not merely absence of war, but positive flourishing, right relationships, and covenant harmony.
The agricultural imagery completes the picture: "filleth thee with the finest of the wheat" (chelev chittim yasbi'ek, חֵלֶב חִטִּים יַשְׂבִּיעֵךְ). The word chelev (חֵלֶב) literally means "fat" or "richest part," signifying the best quality grain. God doesn't merely provide subsistence but abundance—the choicest wheat that satisfies (yasbi'ek, from sava, to be satisfied or filled). This echoes Deuteronomy 32:13-14, where God fed Israel "with honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock... and fat of kidneys of wheat."
Spiritually, Jesus declares Himself "the bread of life" (John 6:35, 48), the ultimate "finest wheat" that satisfies humanity's deepest hunger. The Eucharistic imagery is unmistakable—Christ's body, broken bread, becomes spiritual nourishment for God's people. The peace He establishes is not geopolitical but reconciliation with God (Romans 5:1) and inner wholeness (Philippians 4:7).