Psalms 107:11 · Bible study
Psalms 107:11 Commentary: Rebelling Against God's Words and Counsel
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean to rebel against God's words and spurn His counsel? This verse explains the cause of suffering and points to God's mercy.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Suffering and bondage often result from rebellion against God's commands and rejection of His wise counsel.
- Key words: rebelled (מָרָה, defiant disobedience), spurned (נָאַץ, contemptuous rejection), counsel (עֵצָה, wise purpose or advice).
- Main debate: Whether this verse teaches that all suffering is a direct punishment for sin, or whether it describes a specific historical pattern.
- Teological theme: The justice of God in disciplining His people, and His readiness to deliver when they repent.
- Best use: A warning against wilful sin and an encouragement to embrace God's counsel and cry out for mercy.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
because they rebelled against the words of God and despised the counsel of the Most High.
WEB World English Bible 2000
because they rebelled against the words of God, and condemned the counsel of the Most High.
KJV King James Version 1769
Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Because they rebelled against the words of God, And contemned the counsel of the Most High:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Because they changed the saying of God, And the counsel of the Most High despised.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Because they had rebelled against the words of God, and had despised the counsel of the Most High; ...
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Por cuanto fueron rebeldes á las palabras de Jehová, y aborrecieron el consejo del Altísimo,
Porque se rebelaram contra os mandamentos de Deus, e rejeitaram o conselho do Altíssimo.
Parce qu’ ils s’étaient révoltés contre les paroles de Dieu,
darum daß sie Gottes Geboten ungehorsam gewesen waren und das Gesetz des Höchsten geschändet hatten,
Omdat zij wederspannig waren geweest tegen Gods geboden, en den raad des Allerhoogsten onwaardiglijk verworpen hadden.
perché s’erano ribellati alle parole di Dio e aveano sprezzato il consiglio dell’Altissimo;
Przeto, że byli odpornymi wyrokom Bożym, a radą Najwyższego pogardzili;
Кто введет меня в укрепленный город? Кто доведет меня до Едома?
是因 他們違背 神 的話語，藐視 至高者 的旨意。
Because they went against the words of God, and gave no thought to the laws of the Most High:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 107:11
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Psalm 107:11 offers a moral explanation for the affliction described in the preceding verses. The prisoners sitting in darkness and iron bonds (v.10) suffer because they "rebelled against the words of God" and "condemned the counsel of the Most High." Adam Clarke sees rebellion as a casting off of God's authority, while Barnes notes that the law of God is also "counsel", the best advice God can give. Calvin places the verse within the psalm's larger theme: adversity is a token of God's displeasure, but deliverance comes when people cry out. The two Hebrew verbs, מָרָה (ma.rah, to rebel) and נָאַץ (na.ats, to spurn), are strong: they imply active defiance and contempt. The words of God (אִמְרֵי־אֵל, imrei El) refer to His commands and revelation; the counsel of the Most High (עֲצַת עֶלְי֣ון, atzat Elyon) points to His wise purposes. Commentators agree that this cause-and-effect relationship is central to the stanza, but they consistently read it within the psalm's pattern of sin, cry, and gracious rescue, not as a universal statement that all suffering is direct punishment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Specific historical: The verse applies to Israel's exile, not every individual case of suffering (context of Psalm 107 and 2 Chronicles 36).
- Universal moral principle: The declarative statement 'because they rebelled' suggests a general truth: rebellion leads to punishment (parallels in Deuteronomy 28, Proverbs).
- Poetic wisdom pattern: The psalm uses stylized cause-and-effect to teach theology; not every detail is meant as a literal universal, but as a pattern of God's ways.
What is clear: The verse states that rebellion against God's words and contempt for His counsel lead to affliction, and that God responds when the afflicted cry out.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Cause of suffering | The verse clearly links the prisoners' suffering to their rebellion and contempt for God. | Some Christians take this as a universal moral law (all suffering is punishment for sin), while others see it as a specific case within the psalm's poetic structure, not a blanket statement. Job 1-2 and John 9:1-3 complicate the universal view. |
| Meaning of 'counsel of the Most High' | It refers to God's wise governance and commands. | Some commentators (e.g., Barnes) emphasize that God's law is also counsel, advice for our good. Others (e.g., Keil & Delitzsch) focus on God's sovereign plan, especially His purpose for Israel. Both agree it is authoritative. |
| Scope of rebellion | Rebellion against God's words includes disobedience to His revealed will. | Does this refer primarily to the law of Moses, or to the prophetic word, or to general revelation? The psalm does not specify, leaving room for broader application. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 107 is a composite thanksgiving psalm, likely composed after the Babylonian exile. It presents four archetypal scenes of distress and deliverance: wandering in the desert, imprisonment, sickness, and storm at sea. The prisoner strophe (vv.10, 16) echoes the experience of Israel in captivity. Verse 11 names the root cause: rebellion against God's words and contempt for His counsel. The Hebrew words carry layers of meaning. "Words of God" (אִמְרֵי־אֵל) are not mere speech but authoritative commands, like those given through Moses and the prophets. "Counsel of the Most High" (עֲצַת עֶלְי֣ון) refers to God's wise design for His people, His plan, which they rejected. Keil and Delitzsch note the wordplay in the verse: the verb "rebelled" (הִמְרוּ) and "spurned" (נָאָצוּ) echo terms from Deuteronomy and Isaiah, tying this psalm to Israel's covenant history. The surroundings in v.10, "darkness and the shadow of death, bound in affliction and iron", vividly depict the prison of exile. Historical context: The Babylonian captivity (586, 539 BC) was a direct consequence of persistent disobedience, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:16: "they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets." The psalmist does not describe a random misfortune but a just punishment that leads to repentance. The refrain "Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them" (v.13) shows that the same God who judges also redeems. This verse thus functions as a moral and theological explanation for national suffering, while also serving as a warning and an invitation to trust God's wise counsel.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 107:11. The Hebrew text is consistent across major manuscripts. The slight differences in English translations (e.g., "condemned" vs. "contemned" vs. "despised") reflect translation choices for the verb נָאַץ (na.ats), not textual uncertainty.
Reception History
Psalm 107 has been a staple of both Jewish and Christian worship. The psalm as a whole is recited in some Jewish traditions during the festival of Sukkot as a thanksgiving for deliverance. In Christian history, verse 11 has been used by preachers like Matthew Henry to warn against the contempt of divine counsel. He wrote that "those that despise prophesying... contemn the counsel of the Most High." The verse has also been paired with the imagery of breaking bronze gates (v.16) in hymns celebrating Christ's victory over bondage. Early church fathers saw in the psalm a picture of humanity's bondage to sin and God's redeeming grace. The verse continues to be a key text for discussions on sin, suffering, and repentance.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Sin: Rebellion Against God's Words (v.11a), The verb "rebelled" implies a deliberate breaking of relationship; sin is not just mistake but defiance.
- The Contempt: Despising God's Counsel (v.11b), God's commands are also counsel; to reject them is to reject wisdom itself.
- The Consequences: Bondage and Darkness (v.10,12), Sin leads to captivity of soul and body, but God hears the cry of the humble.
Five-point outline
- The Rebellion: Defiance against God's word
- The Contempt: Spurning God's wise counsel
- The Bondage: Darkness, chains, and helplessness
- The Cry: Desperate prayer in trouble
- The Deliverance: God breaks chains and brings light
Illustration hooks
- A child ignores a parent's warning and runs into the street, only to get hurt. The pain is consequence, but the parent still rushes to help.
- A prisoner in jail realizes his crime began with rejecting God's moral law and despising the counsel of those who tried to steer him right.
- Someone stubbornly refuses good financial advice, ends up in debt, and later admits that the counsel was wise all along.
Questions your congregation is asking
- "Is my current suffering a direct punishment for something I did?"
- "How can I know if I am despising God's counsel in my day-to-day life?"
- "If I cry out to God, will He always deliver me from my troubles?"
Leading a Discussion
This verse invites us to consider how our choices affect our relationship with God and others. While not every hardship is a direct result of personal sin, Scripture consistently shows that rebellion leads to bondage. Yet the same verse is part of a story that ends in deliverance.
Discussion questions
- What does it mean to rebel against the "words of God"? Give examples from your own life or from Scripture.
- Why does the psalmist call God's commands "counsel"? How does that change how you view obedience?
- How do you reconcile this verse with the reality that innocent people also suffer (e.g., Job)?
- The prisoners in the psalm cried out and were saved. What does that teach us about repentance and God's response?
- In what ways might you be "despising the counsel of the Most High" without realizing it?
- How can we encourage someone who feels their suffering is a punishment from God?
- What does this verse teach about God's character, both His justice and His mercy?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 2:5 | Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes. |
| I Samuel 2:8 | He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s. He has set the world on them. |
| II Chronicles 25:15 | Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet who said to him, “Why have you sought after the gods of the people, which have not delivered their own people out of your hand?” |
| II Chronicles 25:16 | As he talked with him, the king said to him, “Have we made you one of the king’s counselors? Stop! Why should you be struck down?” Then the prophet stopped, and said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel.” |
| II Chronicles 33:10 | Yahweh spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they didn’t listen. |
| II Chronicles 36:16 | but they mocked the messengers of God, despised his words, and scoffed at his prophets, until Yahweh’s wrath arose against his people, until there was no remedy. |
| Psalms 68:6 | God sets the lonely in families. He brings out the prisoners with singing, but the rebellious dwell in a sun-scorched land. |
| Psalms 68:18 | You have ascended on high. You have led away captives. You have received gifts among people, yes, among the rebellious also, that Yah God might dwell there. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke outlines three stages in how the people rejected God: they openly rebelled against His authority, scorned His counsel, and ignored His pleas for repentance. Only after gentle correction failed did God bring judgment. The fault lay in their contempt, not in God's patience.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points out that God's law is both a command and wise counsel. When people reject it, they are not only disobeying but also despising the best advice God can give. For him, God never commands anything He would not advise, so obedience is always the wise choice.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists that nothing in life happens by random chance or fortune. Every adversity is God's summons to account for sin, and every prosperity is a display of His grace. Those who fail to see God's hand in such events are guilty of ignoring clear evidence of His providence.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Cambridge Bible interprets the prisoners here as rebels languishing in exile, specifically connecting them to Zedekiah and the nobles of Judah in Babylon. Their captivity is presented as the direct punishment for sin, having resisted God's commands and doubted the wisdom of His purposes for them.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes emphasize two distinct sins here: the people rebelled against God's spoken words and also despised the counsel of the Most High. Their guilt lay not only in disobeying commands but in actively rejecting God's wise guidance.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill sees this verse as describing all sin, not just one act of rebellion. He traces it back to Adam, who rejected God's words and believed the devil instead. For Gill, any disobedience to God's revealed will—whether in law or gospel—is rebellion against his words and contempt for his counsel.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch argue that the description "bound in affliction and iron" is not a hendiadys for "torturing iron" but distinguishes general suffering from the specific case of iron fetters. They also note the language echoes Isaiah and Job, and the refrain's variations are deliberate literary choices.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the psalm is not about the Babylonian exile but presents four literal examples of human distress and deliverance—homeless wandering, imprisonment, sickness, and sea peril. He insists these are recurring, everyday experiences, not figurative descriptions of a single historical event, and the call to thanksgiving is universal.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry treats imprisonment as a direct consequence of willful rebellion against God's words and contempt for His counsel. He notes that such affliction serves both to punish and to reclaim sinners, breaking their stubborn hearts so they finally cry out and are rescued.