Psalms 107:9 (KJV)

What does Psalms 107:9 mean?

Psalms 107:9 says that God answers the needs of people who have been left wanting. The verse uses hunger and thirst to describe people in need, and it credits God with giving them what satisfies them.

The verse gives a reason for the call to praise God in verse 8. Its picture fits the travelers in the surrounding passage, who were hungry and thirsty as they wandered and then reached a place where they could live.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 107:9

• “soul” — נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh): This word can mean a living person or a life. Here, “the longing soul” and “the hungry soul” picture people with urgent needs, including bodily hunger and thirst.
• “longing” — שָׁקַק (shaqaq): This word carries the sense of craving or yearning. In this setting, it brings to mind the thirst of travelers who had been struggling in the wilderness.
• “goodness” — טוֹב (tov): This word can mean something good or beneficial. Its use here leaves the good things unnamed, while the picture of hunger suggests the kind of help the people needed.

Why Psalms 107:9 matters

• The two halves of the verse belong together. “Longing” and “hungry” give two pictures of need, while “satisfieth” and “filleth” describe God’s full response.
• The verse connects God’s care with the travelers’ destination. In verses 6–7, God leads them out of distress toward a city where they can live; verse 9 explains why that rescue calls for praise.
• The verse describes more than finding a route through the wilderness. “Filleth the hungry soul with goodness” draws attention to what the people receive after their deprivation.