God’s restoring power allows His redeemed to flourish and form a lasting community under His loving care.
And there He makes the hungry to dwell, So that they may establish an inhabited city, (Psalm 107:36). This verse paints a vivid picture of God’s redemptive power at work in the physical world as well as in the hearts of His people. In Psalm 107, the psalmist extols the Lord by telling of His care for those in dire need and describing how He rescues and leads the weary toward a secure dwelling. Although Psalm 107 begins by calling the redeemed to give thanks, it also recounts scenarios in which the wanderers and the destitute had nowhere else to go but to cry out to God for rescue, only to discover the extraordinary lengths to which He would extend His provision.
Within this verse, the hungry—not merely hungry for food, but often symbolizing people in dire circumstances—find their satisfaction and a place of belonging only through God’s gracious hand. The phrase He makes the hungry to dwell demonstrates how the Lord meets spiritual and physical needs alike. Just as He satisfied the Israelites when they wandered in the desert or languished in captivity, God takes struggling hearts and places them in a setting where they can grow and prosper. In this way, they do not remain in desperation but instead build homes, families, and communities—an inhabited city.
This verse also carries an echo of God’s character displayed throughout Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament, where Christ affirms that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (Matthew 5:6). It highlights the divine purpose of restoring and establishing people who once had nothing, proving that the Lord’s steadfast love is active in the most practical facets of life as well as in His great work of redemption.
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Psalms 107:36 meaning
And there He makes the hungry to dwell, So that they may establish an inhabited city, (Psalm 107:36). This verse paints a vivid picture of God’s redemptive power at work in the physical world as well as in the hearts of His people. In Psalm 107, the psalmist extols the Lord by telling of His care for those in dire need and describing how He rescues and leads the weary toward a secure dwelling. Although Psalm 107 begins by calling the redeemed to give thanks, it also recounts scenarios in which the wanderers and the destitute had nowhere else to go but to cry out to God for rescue, only to discover the extraordinary lengths to which He would extend His provision.
Within this verse, the hungry—not merely hungry for food, but often symbolizing people in dire circumstances—find their satisfaction and a place of belonging only through God’s gracious hand. The phrase He makes the hungry to dwell demonstrates how the Lord meets spiritual and physical needs alike. Just as He satisfied the Israelites when they wandered in the desert or languished in captivity, God takes struggling hearts and places them in a setting where they can grow and prosper. In this way, they do not remain in desperation but instead build homes, families, and communities—an inhabited city.
This verse also carries an echo of God’s character displayed throughout Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament, where Christ affirms that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled (Matthew 5:6). It highlights the divine purpose of restoring and establishing people who once had nothing, proving that the Lord’s steadfast love is active in the most practical facets of life as well as in His great work of redemption.