John Gill Commentary Psalms 107:27

"They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, And are at their wits` end." — Psalms 107:27 (ASV)

They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man

Through the agitation of the water, and motion of the ship, not being able to stand upon deck.

And are at their wit's end ;

or, "all their wisdom is swallowed up" ^F14 ; their wisdom in naval affairs, their art of navigation, their skill in managing ships, all nonplussed and baffled; they know not what method to take to save the vessel and themselves; their knowledge fails them, they are quite confounded and almost distracted. So Apollinarius paraphrases it, ``they forget navigation, and their wise art does not appear;'' so Ovid, describing a storm, uses the same phrase, "deficit ars", ``art fails.''

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FOOTNOTES:

• F14: (elbtt Mtmkx lk) "omnis sapientia eorum absorpta est", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.