Psalms 107:18

Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.

Psalms 107:18 (KJV)

Context

Psalm 107 is a thanksgiving psalm that celebrates God’s deliverance of His people from many kinds of trouble. It gives four vivid pictures of human need: wanderers in the desert, prisoners in darkness, the sick near death, and sailors in storms. In each scene, the pattern is the same: the afflicted cry to the Lord, He saves them, and they are called to praise Him for His goodness. Verse 18 belongs to the third scene, describing people who are physically wasting away because they have lost all appetite for food.

The Hebrew phrase translated “their soul abhorreth” indicates a deep, visceral revulsion, not just a lack of hunger. “All manner of meat” in the King James Version means all kinds of food, not only flesh. The result is that they “draw near unto the gates of death,” a poetic image of being at the very threshold of the grave, utterly helpless and without human remedy. This suffering is a consequence of the people’s own folly and sin, as verse 17 makes clear, yet the psalm’s overarching message is that God responds to the desperate cry of the humble.

Meaning

The verse teaches that human extremity is the platform for divine mercy. When people are brought low by their own failures, the way back is not self-effort but crying out to the Lord, who is gracious and ready to save. The imagery of being on the brink of death highlights the seriousness of their condition and sets the stage for the cry of the afflicted in verse 19 and the Lord’s healing deliverance in verse 20.

Biblical connections

This physical picture also illustrates a spiritual truth. Sin, like a wasting disease, can make the soul loathe even what is necessary for life. Just as these individuals lost their appetite for food, we can sometimes lose our appetite for spiritual nourishment. This can happen when we neglect time with God, reading His Word, or participating in spiritual disciplines, leading to spiritual lethargy and decline.

Application

The verse reminds us of the importance of regularly seeking God, engaging in prayer, and studying His Word. A lack of physical sustenance leads to physical weakness and death; neglecting our spiritual nourishment leaves us spiritually weak and distant from God. When we find ourselves in such a state, the remedy is not to try harder on our own but to cry out to the Lord in humility.

Reflection

The overall theme of Psalm 107 is God’s faithfulness in delivering and restoring His people. This verse, although depicting a grim situation, sets the stage for God’s intervention. It reminds us that even in our darkest moments, when we are on the brink of despair, God is able to restore us and bring us back to life. The verse also foreshadows the ultimate deliverance from death that God provides, pointing to the gospel hope that God does not abandon His people to the grave.