And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

PSALMS 107:36KJV
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Psalms 107:36 (KJV)

What does Psalms 107:36 mean?

Psalms 107:36 says that God provides a place for hungry people to settle, giving them the chance to build a city where they can live. The verse highlights God’s care in turning a difficult situation into a place where people can thrive and make a home.

The psalmist is speaking about how God helps those in need, especially people who have suffered or wandered. The verse comes in a section describing God’s power to transform barren or harsh places into places of life and community. The focus is on God’s active role in meeting basic needs and allowing people to establish a stable, lasting home.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 107:36

  • "hungry" (רָעֵב, raʿev): This word means someone who is truly in need of food, not just a little hungry. It emphasizes the depth of the need God is meeting.
  • "dwell" (יָשַׁב, yashav): This word often means to settle down or make a home, not just to stay temporarily. It points to God giving people a permanent place, not just a brief relief.
  • "prepare" (כּוּן, kun): This word means to make something ready or secure. Here, it shows that the city is not just thrown together, but carefully established as a safe place to live.
  • "city" (עִיר, ir): This word means a settled, organized community, not just a collection of tents or shelters. It suggests stability and society.
  • "habitation" (מוֹשָׁב, moshav): This word means a dwelling or a place where people live together. It highlights the idea of a lasting home, not just survival.

Why Psalms 107:36 matters

  • Psalms 107:36 clarifies that God’s help goes beyond meeting immediate needs; He provides a foundation for long-term stability and community.
  • The verse connects to the larger theme of Psalms 107, which describes God rescuing people from trouble and giving them new beginnings.
  • By focusing on the hungry and the building of a city, the verse shows that God’s care includes both physical needs and the chance to rebuild lives together.

Where else these words appear

“hungry” Hebrew H7457 · used in 22 verses

  • 1 Samuel 2:5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.
  • Psalms 107:5 Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.
  • Isaiah 29:8 It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.

“habitation” Hebrew H4186 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 10:30 And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.
  • Leviticus 23:31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
  • 2 Chronicles 9:4 And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her.