They Go Down to the Sea in Ships
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters, 24 these see Yahweh’s deeds, and his wonders in the deep. 25 For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves. 26 They mount up to the sky; they go down again to the depths. Their soul melts away because of trouble. 27 They reel back and forth, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 28 Then they cry to Yahweh in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distress. 29 He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still. 30 Then they are glad because it is calm, so he brings them to their desired haven. 31 Let them praise Yahweh for his loving kindness, for his wonderful deeds for the children of men! 32 Let them exalt him also in the assembly of the people, and praise him in the seat of the elders. 33 He turns rivers into a desert, water springs into a thirsty ground, 34 and a fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35 He turns a desert into a pool of water, and a dry land into water springs. 36 There he makes the hungry live, that they may prepare a city to live in, 37 sow fields, plant vineyards, and reap the fruits of increase. 38 He blesses them also, so that they are multiplied greatly. He doesn’t allow their livestock to decrease. 39 Again, they are diminished and bowed down through oppression, trouble, and sorrow. 40 He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless waste. 41 Yet he lifts the needy out of their affliction, and increases their families like a flock. 42 The upright will see it, and be glad. All the wicked will shut their mouths. 43 Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things. They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh.
Sailors at their wits' end, and then a survey of God reversing landscapes and social positions.
23 Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business in great waters, 24 these see Yahweh’s deeds, and his wonders in the deep.
The fourth case, and the one the psalm gives most room. Sailors are described as a class of people who see things nobody on land does — and the wonders in question turn out to be a storm.
25 For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves. 26 They mount up to the sky; they go down again to the depths. Their soul melts away because of trouble.
The storm is commanded. And the description of a ship in a heavy sea — up to the sky, down to the depths — is written by someone who has either done it or listened carefully to someone who has.
They reel back and forth, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
The last phrase is literally that all their wisdom was swallowed up. Professional seamen, competent at their trade, with nothing left to try.
28 Then they cry to Yahweh in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distress. 29 He makes the storm a calm, so that its waves are still.
The refrain for the fourth time, and then a sentence the disciples on the Sea of Galilee would have known by heart, watching a man do it Mark 4:39.
Then they are glad because it is calm, so he brings them to their desired haven.
33 He turns rivers into a desert, water springs into a thirsty ground, 34 and a fruitful land into a salt waste, for the wickedness of those who dwell in it. 35 He turns a desert into a pool of water, and a dry land into water springs.
The last section leaves the four cases and describes reversals — geography changed in both directions, and the reason given for the ruin is the conduct of the inhabitants.
40 He pours contempt on princes, and causes them to wander in a trackless waste. 41 Yet he lifts the needy out of their affliction, and increases their families like a flock.
The same reversal applied to people. Princes end up in the wilderness the first group was rescued from, and the needy end up with families. It is the argument of Hannah's song and of Mary's 1 Samuel 2:8 Luke 1:52.
Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things. They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh.
The psalm ends by defining wisdom as a kind of noticing. Four groups of desperate people and a series of reversals have been laid out; what remains is for somebody to look at them and draw the conclusion.
settled What this mark means