Psalms 107:38 Meaning: The Blessing Behind the Increase
He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly. He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease.
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; And he suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
And He blesseth them, and they multiply exceedingly, And their cattle He doth not diminish.
And he blesseth them, so that they are multiplied greatly; and he suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
Meaning in one sentence
Psalm 107:38 shows God blessing His people with multiplication and protection of livestock, but within the psalm's pattern of God's sovereign giving and taking.
Context
Psalm 107 is a song of thanksgiving for God's deliverance. It opens with a call for the redeemed to tell their stories, then moves through four pictures of rescue: lost wanderers, prisoners, the sick, and sailors in a storm. Each section repeats a refrain: they cried to the Lord, and He saved them. Around verse 33 the style shifts. The refrains stop, and the psalmist reflects on God's power over whole lands and peoples. God can turn a fruitful field into salt waste because of wickedness, and He can turn a desert into springs of water. In that new, watered land, He settles the hungry. They build cities, plant vineyards, and raise livestock, and He blesses their work. That is where this verse sits. But the passage does not end there. Verse 39 tells how those same people can be brought low again through oppression and sorrow. The point is not a permanent promise of increase, but a recognition that every good gift comes from God's hand, and He alone holds the seasons of abundance and need.
Key Words
The word blesses here is the Hebrew barak, the same word God spoke over Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply.” It is not a distant wish. It is God leaning close, kneeling down to pour out life and goodness. When He blesses, things grow.
The word for multiplied greatly comes from rabah, meaning to become many or numerous. It echoes the promise to Abraham that his descendants would be as the stars. In this psalm it is not about a nation yet, it is about a small group of displaced people finding land and watching their families and flocks increase. The word exceedingly (me'od) adds force: not just a little, but abundantly.
And the word decrease (ma'at) is the opposite, to make small or few. The psalmist says God does not let their livestock dwindle. This is protection over the daily means of survival. Together these words paint a picture of a God who cares about the real, physical needs of ordinary people: enough food, enough animals, enough children to fill a home. It is a down-to-earth blessing.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have understood this verse in different ways. Many early Protestant commentators, like Matthew Henry, saw it as a demonstration of God's providential care for His people, He gives them not only land but also the increase that makes life sustainable. Calvin placed it within the larger pattern of the psalm: every change in fortune, whether good or bad, points to God's hand, not to luck. He warned against reading prosperity as proof of righteousness or scarcity as proof of failure.
Some evangelical teachers have used this verse to support the idea that God always wants His children to be materially prosperous. But even within the same psalm, verse 39 shows that the same people can be diminished. Historic Christian teaching has therefore held that God's blessing includes material provision, but it is never a guarantee for every situation. It is a gift given freely, not a formula to follow. Across traditions, the common thread is gratitude: when we see increase, we thank the Giver, and when we face loss, we trust the same Giver.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to read this verse as a universal promise that God will always make your finances, farm, or business succeed. In fact, the psalm is describing what God did for a specific group of returning exiles. Even within the same chapter, verse 39 says those same people were later diminished through oppression and sorrow. The verse is a testimony to God's faithful provision in a particular moment, not a blanket guarantee that you will never experience loss. Trusting God means thanking Him for increase and leaning on Him in decrease.
Living This Out
This week, you might look at the work of your own hands, the job you go to, the garden you tend, the children you raise, and ask yourself: Do I see God's blessing here? Not in a magical way, but in the ordinary pattern of growth and provision. Maybe you have prayed for a long time and are finally seeing some fruit. Give thanks. And maybe you are in a season where things are shrinking, your savings, your health, your hope. This verse does not promise that will never happen. But it does promise that the same God who multiplies also keeps. He does not let your livestock decrease, whatever that means for your life today, without purpose. You can trust Him with both the plenty and the want.
Main takeaway: God blesses the work of our hands, not because we earn it, but because He is faithful to provide for His people.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God takes care of the animals and the people He loves. He makes sure they have enough food and that their flocks grow strong. He is a good Father who provides for His children.
For ages 9, 12
This verse is part of a bigger story in Psalm 107. God had brought hungry people to a new land where they could plant fields and raise animals. He blessed their work so they multiplied greatly. But the same psalm also says that sometimes people go through hard times again. So this verse is not a promise that you will always have everything you want. It is a reminder that every good gift, every healthy pet, every full pantry, every birthday with family, comes from God. And when things are hard, He is still with you.
Questions People Ask
Does Psalm 107:38 promise that God will make every Christian rich?
No. The verse describes a specific time when God blessed the returning exiles with increase. The same psalm shows that those same people later experienced loss (v.39). The Bible does not guarantee material wealth for every believer, but it does show God's care for our daily needs.
What does 'livestock' mean in this verse, and why does it matter?
Livestock (Hebrew behemah) means cattle, sheep, goats, and other domestic animals. In an agrarian society, livestock were wealth, food, milk, wool, and trade. The verse shows that God's blessing covers the practical, everyday things people depend on to survive.
Is this a conditional blessing, do we have to do something to earn it?
The verse itself does not state a condition. In the psalm's narrative, the people are hungry and displaced, and God brings them to a land and blesses them freely. The broader biblical pattern is that God gives out of grace, not because we deserve it. At the same time, other passages link blessing to obedience, so Christians have understood this as a gift that invites grateful response.
How does verse 38 fit with verse 39, which talks about being diminished?
Verse 39 shows that the same people who were blessed can later be brought low through oppression and sorrow. The psalmist is not contradicting himself. He is teaching that God is sovereign over both increase and decrease. Our circumstances change, but God's faithfulness does not.
Does this verse apply to my life today, or only to ancient Israel?
Christians have always read the Psalms as Scripture for the whole people of God. While the specific situation of the exiles is not identical to yours, the principle remains: God cares for His people's physical needs and blesses the work of their hands. You can trust Him to provide, but you should not demand that He always give increase. His ways are wise and good in every season.
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