Verse
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy – Psalm 107:2
Meaning of Psalm 107:2
The meaning of the verse “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” is that the writer is asking the people of God to feel free and protected as they are redeemed and saved by God from their enemies and hard times. The Psalmist believes that it would be wrong and ungrateful to stay quiet when they are not being thankful for being saved, whether in big or small situations. The author acknowledges being delivered from the snares of the enemy. He is possibly talking about the exile of Israelites from Egypt through the phrase, “he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy”.
Interpretations of Psalm 107:2
The verse of Psalm 107:8 is not a commonly quoted verse and is often misinterpreted in various ways. Following are some examples.
Interpretation #1 The verse is meant for only Israelites
In the first interpretation, the reader believes that the verse, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” is meant for Israelites alone. The story of God rescuing Israelites, who were slaves under the Egyptians, is the most popular story in the Old Testament. According to the Book of Exodus, when Moses releases the Israelites from the Pharoah, God divides the Red Sea for the Israelites to pass through and escape from the Egyptian officers who were chasing them. Hence, the reader believes that The Psalmist wrote this verse in reference to only Israelites. Additionally, Israelites are mentioned throughout the chapter and referred to in the entire Bible, which proves to the reader that the verse is meant for them alone.
Interpretation #2 Christians should declare continuous gratefulness
The meaning of the verse, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” is that God wants Christians to keep proclaiming their gratefulness all the time. The reader understands that when the Psalmist says, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so,” he is stressing the act of declaration in a more frequent and regular manner. In order to be thankful, every time God helps a person, the author encourages the reader to keep being grateful as it makes God happy. Hence, the reader believes forgetting God’s miracles displeases God and stops Him from helping a believer later in life.
Interpretation #3 Christians make enemies
The interpretation of the verse, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” is that Christians easily make enemies. The reader interprets that the Psalmist is indirectly quoting that a Christian is more likely to make enemies than the rest of the people across the world. Additionally, the Bible contains various examples of people who were rescued from situations that were life-threatening or dangerous by God. For instance, Daniel, Jonah, Job, and most Biblical characters had enemies who were chased, imprisoned, and almost drowned. The Bible also says that a believer will have to live a difficult life and make enemies in the course of life.
Interpretation #4 Christians must have powerful testimonies
The meaning of the verse, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” is that being a Christian is expected to be an example. The reader perceives that the Psalmist expects Christians to live a life with powerful testimonies. Most Christians believe that their faith brings many challenges and troubles. Hence, most of them would be living a life with strong testimonies. Additionally, the Bible also says that God likes to put his believers through difficult times to prove their faith. Thus, they become strong and faithful Christians worthy of heaven.
Interpretation #5 Gratitude is healthy and pleasing to God
The final interpretation of the verse, “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy” is that God appreciates and likes his followers showing and declaring gratitude towards him. The psalmist wants the readers to not only acknowledge God for his miracles and deliverances and he wants them to show gratitude too. The reader believes that doing so will make him or her humble and develop an attitude of gratitude. So, when a good thing happens in life or when one gets rescued from difficult and hard situations, then a person should thank God for it and remain humble and grateful.
Historical background of Psalm 107:2
The book of Psalms is a collection of hymns and songs largely composed by King David. The Psalms date between the 15th – 13th centuries BC and 400 BC. Most of the psalms have been turned into songs of worship churches sing. Psalm 107 is the 107th psalm in the Book of Psalms. Psalm 107 is a song of giving thanks to God, who has been kind to his people and gathered all who were lost. It is beloved by mariners due to its reference to ships and the sea. The second verse is about acknowledging God’s greatness and praising him for delivering and redeeming his people.
Literary Devices of Psalm 107:2
The verse Psalm 107:2 is a directive from the Psalmist for Christians. It contains some significant literary devices. Here are some examples.
Assonance – The verse uses good use vowel sounds in repetition. However, it is not written immediately. For example, the sound of /o/ in ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord‘, the sound of /ee/ in ‘whom he hath redeemed‘, and the sound of /a/ in ‘the hand of the enemy‘.
Alliteration – The verse has good use of consonant sounds in repetition at the beginning of the word. For example, the sound of /h/ and the sound of /th/ in ‘whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy‘ and the sound of /s/ in ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so‘.
Consonance – The verse has repeated consonant sounds with some gaps as well, making good use of consonance. For example, the sound of /d/ and the sound of /m/ in ‘Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy‘.
Hyperbole – The verse is a good example of hyperbole as the author exaggerates the requirement of being grateful to God publicly for being rescued instead of allowing the person to be private.
Anaphora – Here, the repetition of ‘redeemed’ in verse emphasizes the person who is rescued by God and must declare the same to everyone. Thus making it a good example of anaphora.