Psalm 107:25 says that God is the one who controls the weather, including the violent storms that churn the sea. When he commands, a stormy wind rises and lifts the waves high. The verse is part of a psalm of thanksgiving written in the Psalter, and it describes sailors who have seen this power firsthand. The psalm itself speaks of the LORD’s deeds, which the psalmist encourages his readers to remember and celebrate.
For he commands, and raises the stormy wind, which lifts up its waves.
Psalm 107:25 (WEB)
What Psalm 107:25 Means
The verse opens with “he commands,” a reminder that the storm does not act on its own. In the ancient Near East, the sea was often pictured as a chaotic and dangerous force, and sailors had little control over it. The psalmist says that the wind and waves answer to God, who speaks and the weather obeys.
The phrase “raises the stormy wind” tells us that God is active in the storm, not merely watching it from a distance. The wind lifts the waves, which in turn sends the ships rising and falling. The image is vivid because anyone who has been on the water knows how quickly a calm sea can turn violent.
The verse does not promise that believers will never face storms, nor does it explain why God allows them. It simply asserts that the storm is under God’s authority. The rest of the passage shows what happens next: the sailors are frightened, and they turn to God for help. The comfort lies in knowing that the one who raises the storm is also the one who can bring it to rest.
The Context of Psalm 107:25
Psalm 107 is a song of thanksgiving found in the fifth book of the Psalter. It is traditionally attributed to David, though the psalm itself does not name its author, and many scholars regard it as a later liturgical composition. Its audience appears to be the community of Israel gathered for worship, and the psalm invites them to recount God’s redemptive acts in various settings of hardship.
Verse 22 calls the people to offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and to declare God’s deeds with singing. Verses 23 and 24 then introduce those who travel the sea, and verse 25 describes the storm they encounter. The sequence matters: the storm is not the end of the story, because verses 26 through 28 show the sailors crying out in their trouble and God delivering them. Read this way, the storm in verse 25 becomes the setting for a rescue that prompts gratitude.
Key Phrases in Psalm 107:25
Mark 4:39
He awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
(WEB)
In this account, Jesus rebukes a windstorm on the Sea of Galilee and the wind dies down at his word. It shows the same truth as Psalm 107:25 from the other side: the power that raises the storm is the power that calms it, and the disciples see that the Lord who commands the wind is with them in the boat.
Psalm 107:28
Then they cry to the LORD in their trouble, and he brings them out of their distress.
(WEB)
This verse, which concludes the same passage, describes the moment when the sailors cry out to the LORD and he brings them out of their distress. It shows the pattern the psalm is teaching: the storm is real, but the turning point comes when God’s people call on him and he answers.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 107:25
Lord, you are the one who commands the wind and lifts the waves, and nothing in the storms I face is beyond your hand. When the water rises around me, help me remember that you are not absent from the danger. Steady my heart when fear tells me to panic, and teach me to call on you first instead of last. Thank you that you hear those who cry out in their trouble. Amen.
