Psalms 107:38 · Bible study
Psalms 107:38 Commentary: God’s Blessing of Increase and Providence
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegesis of Psalm 107:38: Does God promise material increase? The verse within the psalm's pattern of sovereignty over abundance and scarcity.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God blesses a faithful community with growth in people and livestock, a sign of His providential care in a specific historical restoration.
- Key words: Barakh (bless, H1288), active divine favor; ma‘aṭ (diminish, H4591, Hiphil), God actively prevents reduction.
- Main debate: Is this a universal promise of material prosperity for all believers, or a description of God’s sovereign action in a particular moment for His people?
- Theological theme: God’s sovereignty over abundance and scarcity; blessing as an expression of covenant faithfulness, not a formula.
- Best use: Comfort and assurance that God cares for our physical needs, while avoiding over-promising that faithful believers will always be materially rich.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.
WEB World English Bible 2000
He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly. He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease.
KJV King James Version 1769
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; and suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He blesseth them also, so that they are multiplied greatly; And he suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And He blesseth them, and they multiply exceedingly, And their cattle He doth not diminish.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And he blesseth them, so that they are multiplied greatly; and he suffereth not their cattle to decrease.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Y los bendice, y se multiplican en gran manera; y no disminuye sus bestias.
E ele os abençoa, e se multiplicam muito, e o gado dele não diminui.
Il les bénit, et ils deviennent très nombreux,
Und er segnete sie, daß sie sich sehr mehrten, und gab ihnen viel Vieh.
En Hij zegent hen, zodat zij zeer vermenigvuldigen, en hun vee vermindert Hij niet.
Egli li benedice talché moltiplicano grandemente, ed egli non lascia scemare il loro bestiame.
Takci im on błogosławi, że się bardzo rozmnażają, a dobytku ich nie umniejsza.
他又賜福給他們，叫他們生養 眾多，也不 叫他們的牲畜 減少。
He gives them his blessing so that they are increased greatly, and their cattle do not become less.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 107:38
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse reports a direct act of God: He blesses His people so that their population and livestock multiply. Barnes notes that such multiplication was considered one of the highest blessings, often promised to the patriarchs (Gen 13:16; 22:17). Keil and Delitzsch read the verse as describing the experience of returned exiles who saw their settlements prosper under God's hand, not through chance or their own effort alone. Matthew Henry frames it as part of a larger pattern of providence: God who turns fruitful land into barren can also reverse the curse. The grammar supports this: the Hebrew wayyiqtol verbs for ‘blessed’ and ‘multiplied’ indicate sequential action initiated by God. The final verb, yam‘iṭ (Hiphil imperfect, ‘he makes few’), is negated, God actively prevents the livestock from shrinking. There is no hint of automatic prosperity; this is a portrait of God’s sovereign care for a specific community in a specific moment of restoration. The blessing is real and material, but it is not a blanket promise for every believer at all times. Rather, it is a demonstration of God’s faithfulness to those He has gathered and settled.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Literal historical interpretation: Reads the verse as describing the actual experience of returned exiles; the blessing is real but specific, not a universal promise.
- Spiritual interpretation: Sees the multiplication as referring to church growth and the cattle as ministers or believers, drawing on allegorical connections (Gill, early church).
- Prosperity gospel interpretation: Treats the verse as a direct promise of material increase for all believers who obey, often cited alongside Deut 28 and Mal 3.
- Conditional covenant interpretation: Frames the blessing within the covenant structure of Deuteronomy—obedience brings increase, but disobedience brings curse; thus the promise is conditional and corporate, not individual.
What is clear: All readings agree that God is the source of the increase and that He protects the people’s livestock, demonstrating His care for His people’s material well-being in a particular historical moment.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Source of blessing | All traditions affirm that the multiplication comes directly from God as an act of grace, not from human effort alone. | Some traditions (e.g., prosperity-oriented) emphasize that God desires material wealth for all believers; others (e.g., Reformed) stress that God gives or withholds according to His sovereign purposes and may use poverty for spiritual growth. |
| Recipients of the blessing | The verse originally describes the people God settled in the land after turning wilderness into water, likely returned exiles. | Some read the verse as a promise for all obedient believers in every age; others restrict it to the historical Israelite community and see it as a model of God’s character rather than a guarantee. |
| Scope of blessing (physical vs. spiritual) | The literal sense refers to physical multiplication of families and livestock. | Some commentators (e.g., Gill) also spiritualize the verse to refer to church growth and ministers; others insist on the literal, earthly meaning as primary and caution against allegorizing. |
| Duration of blessing | God provides for His people in the land, and increase is a sign of His favor. | The immediate context (vv. 39, 42) shows that the same people later experience diminishment and oppression. This leads some to see the blessing as temporary and conditional, while others argue it represents God’s ideal intention that is marred by human sin. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 107 belongs to the post-exilic period, likely composed after the return from Babylon (see Lange and Keil & Delitzsch). The psalm’s structure shifts at verse 33: after four strophes describing deliverance from wandering, prison, illness, and storm, the final section (vv. 33, 43) reflects broadly on God’s power over nature and nations. Here, a fruitful land becomes salt waste because of wickedness (v. 34), but then God turns desert into pools of water and settles the hungry there (vv. 35, 36). Verse 38 sits within this reversal: the same God who humbles the proud and brings drought now blesses the humble with increase.
In ancient Israel, livestock and family size were core measures of wealth and divine favor, tied to covenant promises (Deut 28:4; 28:11). The Hebrew word behemah covers both domestic cattle and wild animals, but here it clearly means livestock, the economic backbone of a farming community. The phrase “He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease” specifically guards against disease, theft, or drought, common threats in the ancient Near East. Jeremiah had told the exiles to build houses, plant gardens, and settle down (Jer 29:5). The psalm echoes that: God makes the hungry dwell, sow fields, and plant vineyards (v. 36, 37). Verse 38 records the outcome: multiplication. This is not magic; it is God’s blessing on ordinary, faithful labor.
The broader context also warns: the very next verses (39, 42) describe how the same people can later be “diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow.” Blessing is not static. God’s providence includes both seasons of increase and seasons of decrease, always with purpose. The psalm closes by urging the wise to observe God’s ways and understand His lovingkindness (v. 43). The historical setting of restored exiles gives verse 38 a specific reference: a generation that experienced God’s faithfulness in resettlement. But the theological principle, that God blesses the works of our hands and protects what is ours when we walk with Him, remains relevant, always tempered by the psalm’s full witness to God’s sovereign freedom.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 107:38. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The only variation is translational: some English versions render ‘cattle’ (KJV, ASV) while others use ‘livestock’ (WEB, BSB) or ‘herds’ (BSB). The underlying behemah covers both domestic and wild animals, but the context clearly points to domesticated livestock.
Reception History
Early Christian writers read Psalm 107 as a picture of God’s deliverance through Christ, often interpreting the physical blessings as types of spiritual blessings in the Church. Augustine, in his Expositions on the Psalms, saw the multiplication and protection of livestock as an image of the care God provides to His flock through pastors. Medieval interpreters used allegory: the ‘cattle’ represented the faithful fed by the word, and their increase signified growth in virtue. The Reformers, especially Calvin and Matthew Henry, emphasized the literal history and the providential lesson: God rules over all fortunes, and we should praise Him in both plenty and want. In modern times, the verse has been central to prosperity theology, where it is applied as a promise of material wealth for those who obey. Mainstream evangelical and Reformed commentators urge caution, pointing to the psalm’s full context, including the subsequent diminishment, to argue that the verse displays God’s sovereign freedom rather than a contractual guarantee.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God is the source of every increase. The Hebrew verb barakh (bless) is active and personal. Multiplication does not happen by accident or human effort alone. God gives the growth. This frees us from anxiety and from pride: we receive, we do not produce.
- God’s blessing includes both people and provision. The verse covers families and livestock, personal and economic life. God cares for the whole person and the whole community. We can bring our material needs to Him without embarrassment.
- Blessing is part of a larger story of redemption. This verse is sandwiched between scenes of God turning deserts into water and later allowing diminishment. Blessing is not the end, it is a chapter. God’s ultimate purpose is that we know His lovingkindness (v. 43).
Five-point outline
- God’s blessing is deliberate. He ‘blesses them also’, the word ‘also’ ties back to the fruit of fields and vineyards (v. 37). Every blessing is intentional.
- Multiplication is a sign of God’s favor. From Genesis on, fruitfulness is tied to divine presence (Gen 1:28; 17:20).
- Livestock represents stability. In an ancient economy, cattle were a hedge against famine. God’s protection of livestock means He provides for long-term security, not just immediate needs.
- The negative construction is positive. ‘He does not allow… to decrease’, God actively prevents loss. This is not passive permission but direct protection.
- Blessing requires wisdom. Verse 43 stands as a header over the whole section: only the wise observe and understand. Blessing is not a formula but an invitation to know God.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer’s harvest. After a drought, the rains come and the crops flourish. The farmer worked hard, but everyone knows it was the rain that made the difference. That is blessing, God giving the increase.
- A small business turning a corner. Years of faithful work, and suddenly the orders pick up, the staff expands, and the books balance. Not luck, God’s hand on honest labor.
- A growing church in a difficult area. A congregation that prays, serves, and welcomes. Numbers increase, resources multiply. The pastor knows it is not strategy alone; God is blessing.
Questions your congregation is asking
- If God promises to multiply, why do some faithful believers struggle financially?
- Is it wrong to pray for material increase? Does that make us “prosperity gospel”?
- How do we reconcile God’s blessing in this verse with the suffering and loss we see in the next verses (39, 42)?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 107:38 sits in a section where God reverses barrenness into fruitfulness. The people who were hungry now settle, sow, and see their families and livestock increase. But the psalm never pretends that this is the whole story. Read verses 39, 42: the same people later diminish through oppression and sorrow. This passage is not a prosperity promise; it is a call to recognize God’s hand in every season, abundance and scarcity alike.
Discussion questions
- What does verse 38 reveal about God’s character? What does it reveal about the people receiving the blessing?
- How does the structure of Psalm 107, with its alternating refrains and shift at verse 33, help us understand the meaning of verse 38?
- The Hebrew verb for “bless” (barakh) appears frequently in Genesis. What echoes do you hear between this verse and the promises to Abraham (Gen 12:2) or the creation command (Gen 1:28)?
- Why does the psalm include both multiplication of people and protection of livestock? What does that say about what matters to God?
- Verse 43 says the wise will understand God’s lovingkindness. How does that statement shape how we should read the blessings in verse 38?
- Have you experienced a season of material increase that you recognized as God’s blessing? How did it shape your faith?
- How can we pray for God’s blessing on our families and work without falling into the mistaken belief that He owes us prosperity?
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)
| Genesis 1:28 | God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” |
| Genesis 9:1 | God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth. |
| Genesis 12:2 | I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing. |
| Genesis 17:16 | I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her. Yes, I will bless her, and she will be a mother of nations. Kings of peoples will come from her.” |
| Genesis 17:20 | As for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He will become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. |
| Genesis 30:43 | The man increased exceedingly, and had large flocks, female servants and male servants, and camels and donkeys. |
| Genesis 31:9 | Thus God has taken away your father’s livestock, and given them to me. |
| Exodus 1:7 | The children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights that multiplication of descendants and increase of livestock were considered among the highest blessings God could give, often promised to the patriarchs as proof of divine favor. He also notes that keeping cattle from disease was a crucial aspect of this blessing.
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
The commentary draws attention to a shift in the psalm's style, where specific examples of deliverance give way to broader proofs of God's providential rule over nations and peoples. The wise person, it argues, will recognize in these patterns how the Lord deals with humanity.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes emphasize that God personally blesses the livestock, causing them to multiply greatly, and that He actively preserves them from any decrease. The point is not merely natural increase but the Lord's direct hand in both growth and protection.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads this verse as a spiritual prophecy beneath the literal farming blessing. The multiplication of husbandmen points to a great harvest of converts in the last days, and the preservation of cattle represents God supplying faithful gospel ministers to serve the churches.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch observe that the returned exiles worked hard and used their skill to settle the land, but the text insists this prosperity was not ultimately their own doing. What seemed like human achievement was actually God's work: He turned barren wilderness into fruitful fields. Their industry played a part, but the blessing came from Him.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues the psalm's four distress scenes are not allegories of the Babylonian exile but general examples from everyday life—wandering, imprisonment, illness,
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry draws attention to the surprising reversals God brings about through his providence. Fertile land becomes barren because of human sin, yet God also turns deserts into springs where the hungry settle. These changes are not random; they show that every shift in fortune comes from the Lord's hand.