Psalms 107:4

"They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way;

They found no city of habitation.

Hungry and thirsty,

Their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble,

And he delivered them out of their distresses,

And led them also by a straight way,

That they might go to a city of habitation.

Oh that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness,

And for his wonderful works to the children of men!

For he satisfieth the longing soul,

And the hungry soul he filleth with good."

"They wandered ... in a desert way ... found no city" (Psalms 107:4). The antecedent of the pronoun `they' is the "redeemed" and "gathered" of Psalms 107:2-3, namely, the Children of Israel whom God returned to Canaan from Babylon.

As Barnes noted, "These verses are a reference to the redeemed of the Lord, as having wandered, ... been hungry and thirsty, etc."[7]

"Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble" (Psalms 107:6). These words are a refrain which is repeated in Psalms 107:13,19,28. The continued worship of Jehovah on the part of the captives, and their constant prayers for God's relief of their distress are memorialized in this refrain as one of the factors in their deliverance.

"And he delivered them out of their distresses" (Psalms 107:6). This is part of the refrain, An amazing feature of this psalm is that there is a double refrain, separated in each usage of it by a single declaration.

"He led them also by a straight way, that they might go to a city of habitation" (Psalms 107:7). This is the declaration that stands between the two refrains, being essentially a statement that God answered their prayers.

"Oh that men would praise Jehovah, etc." (Psalms 107:8). This is the second refrain which occurs again in Psalms 107:15,21,31. It is a repeated call for men to honor the lovingkindness of God and his wonderful works on behalf of the children of men by praising him.

"For he satisfieth the longing soul, and the hungry soul he filleth with good" (Psalms 107:9). This might be paraphrased as, "God answers prayers." This reminds us of the words of the Savior who said, "Blessed are they that do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).