Psalms 107 · Verse 40

Psalms 107:40

He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.
Psalms 107:40, King James Version

Psalms 107:40 in other translations

BSBHe pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
WEBHe pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless waste.
ASVHe poureth contempt upon princes, And causeth them to wander in the waste, where there is no way.
YLTHe is pouring contempt upon nobles, And causeth them to wander in vacancy--no way.
DARBYHe poureth contempt upon nobles, and causeth them to wander in a pathless waste;
BBEHe puts an end to the pride of kings, and sends them wandering in the waste lands where there is no way.
WebsterHe poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

What does Psalms 107:40 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 107:33-41

33-41. He turneth rivers into a wilderness, &c.--God's providence is illustriously displayed in His influence on two great elements of human prosperity, the earth's productiveness and the powers of government. He punishes the wicked by destroying the sources of fertility, or, in mercy, gives fruitfulness to deserts, which become the homes of a busy and successful agricultural population. By a permitted misrule and…

Read the full comment on Psalms 107:33-41 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 40 He poureth contempt upon princes - How many have lately been raised from nothing, and set upon thrones! And how many have been cast down from thrones, and reduced to nothing! And where are now those mighty troublers of the earth? On both sides they are in general gone to give an account of themselves to God. And what an account! Where there is no way - Who can consider the fate of the late emperor of the French, Napoleon, without seeing the hand of God in his downfall! All the powers of Europe were leagued against him in vain, they were as stubble to his bow. "He came, He saw, and He conquered" almost every where, till God, by a Russian Frost, destroyed his tens of thousands of veteran troops. And afterwards his armies of raw conscripts would have over-matched the world had not a particular providence intervened at Waterloo, when all the skill and valor of his opponents had been nearly reduced to nothing. How terrible art thou, O Lord, in thy judgments! Thou art fearful in praises, doing wonders. The dreary rock of St. Helena, where there was no way, saw a period to the mighty conqueror, who had strode over all the countries of Europe!

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 107:33-43

What surprising changes are often made in the affairs of men! Let the present desolate state of Judea, and of other countries, explain this. If we look abroad in the world, we see many greatly increase, whose beginning was small. We see many who have thus suddenly risen, as suddenly brought to nothing. Worldly wealth is uncertain; often those who are filled with it, ere they are aware, lose it again. God has many…

Read the full comment on Psalms 107:33-43 →

Psalms 107:40 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

שֹׁפֵ֣ךְsho.Fekh[he was] pouring outH8210
בּ֭וּזbuzcontemptH937
עַל\־'al-onH5921
נְדִיבִ֑יםne.di.Vimnoble [people]H5081
וַ֝יַּתְעֵ֗םvai.yat.'Emand he made wander themH8582
בְּתֹ֣הוּbe.To.huin a wastelandH8414
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
דָֽרֶךְ\׃Da.rekha wayH1870

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 107:40

  • Job 12:24

    He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

  • Job 12:21

    He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

  • Daniel 4:33

    The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles’ feathers, and his nails like birds’ claws.

  • Isaiah 23:8-9

    Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth? The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.

  • Jeremiah 13:15-18

    Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness. But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the Lord’s flock is carried away captive. Say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down: for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory.

  • 2 Kings 9:35-37

    And they went to bury her: but they found no more of her than the skull, and the feet, and the palms of her hands. Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the Lord, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel: And the carcase of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel; so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.

  • Exodus 8:3

    And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:

  • Joshua 10:24-26

    And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war which went with him, Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings. And they came near, and put their feet upon the necks of them. And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the Lord do to all your enemies against whom ye fight. And afterward Joshua smote them, and slew them, and hanged them on five trees: and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

  • Acts 12:23

    And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

  • Judges 1:6-7

    But Adoni–bezek fled; and they pursued after him, and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes. And Adoni–bezek said, Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

  • 1 Kings 21:19

    And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.

  • Psalms 107:4

    They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
poureth.
Job 12:21,24; Isa 23:8,9
contempt.
78:66; Ex 8:3,17,24; Jos 10:24-26; Jud 1:6,7; 4:21; 1Sa 5:9; 6:4
1Ki 21:19; 2Ki 9:35-37; Da 4:33; 5:5,6,18-30; Ac 12:23; Re 19:18
causeth.
4; Job 12:24; Jer 13:15-18
wilderness. or, void place.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 107:39

    Again, they are minished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.

  • Psalms 107:40

    He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way.

  • Psalms 107:41

    Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock.

Read all of Psalms 107

Psalms 107:40 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El derrama menosprecio sobre los príncipes, y les hace andar errados, vagabundos, sin camino:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Il verse le mépris sur les nobles, et les fait errer dans un désert où il n’y a pas de chemin;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Er schüttet Verachtung auf Fürsten, und läßt sie umherirren in pfadloser Einöde;