Give Thanks
Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men. Psalm 107:31 · Berean Standard Bible
The psalmist repeats the call to gratitude: these same themes of God's faithful love and His incredible works demand thanksgiving and public recognition.
You'll notice this verse echoes verse 21 exactly. That's intentional. The psalmist is creating a refrain—a pattern that says this isn't just about one situation. Whether you're trapped in a prison, wandering in wilderness, sick, or nearly drowned at sea, the response is always the same: recognize what God did and say thank you out loud.
The psalmist, repeating the communal call to gratitude as a refrain.
In Hebrew poetry, repetition doesn't mean the writer ran out of ideas—it means this point is essential. You're meant to feel the weight of it returning. Gratitude should be your default posture toward God, regardless of circumstances.
The psalmist reiterates the call to thanksgiving, now explicitly directed toward those delivered from maritime peril, creating liturgical closure for the second narrative cycle.
This verse reprises the language of verse 21 with formulaic precision—a recurring pattern throughout Psalm 107 creating what scholars call 'responsorial psalmodic structure,' where identical refrains punctuate successive narrative cycles. The repetition itself becomes pedagogically important, reinforcing the normative response to deliverance.
The psalmist, functioning as liturgical choreographer establishing congregational practice
This iterative structure—narrative plus refrain—mirrors the deuteronomic historical method, where retelling with interpretive framework becomes the mechanism through which covenantal memory is transmitted across generations.
29He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired.
31Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.
32Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders.
33He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground,
Read all of Psalm 107 — Four stories of people in trouble — lost, imprisoned, sick, storm-tossed. Each time they cry out. Each time God delivers. Let the redeemed say so.
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