Psalm 104
Bless the LORD my soul!
BLESS THE LORD MY SOUL!
VERSE 1. Bless the LORD, my soul. The LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.
Bless the LORD, my soul. The author encourages himself to praise the LORD God.
VERSE 2. He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
covers himself with light as with a garment. The ICEL translation says:
wrapped in light as in a cloak.
stretches out the heavens. The LORD God is the creator of the heavens.
VERSE 3. He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.
VERSE 4. He makes his messengers winds, and his servants flames of fire.
Hebrews 1:7. Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his servants a flame of fire.”
VERSE 5. He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.
laid the foundations of the earth. The LORD is the creator of the earth.
not be moved forever. The biblical author envisions the earth as a stationary object.
However, the earth is NOT stationary:
- The earth spins on its own axis
- The earth revolves around the sun
- The sun revolves around the axis of the Milky Way galaxy
VERSE 6. You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains.
The waters stood above the mountains. This might seems as if it is referring to the Flood.
However, this whole Psalm is about the creation of the heavens and the earth. We can assume it is referring to the creation.
VERSE 7. At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.
VERSE 8. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them.
VERSE 9. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they don’t turn again to cover the earth.
VERSE 10. He sends springs into the valleys. They run among the mountains.
VERSE 11. They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The wild donkeys quench their thirst. The ICEL translation says:
The wild-asses quench their thirst.
VERSE 12. The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing among the branches.
Matthew 13:32. which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.
VERSE 13. He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.
VERSE 14. He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:
VERSE 15. wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.
oil to make his face to shine. Apparently they used oil as a facial treatment.
VERSE 16. The LORD’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted;
VERSE 17. where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the cypress trees.
VERSE 18. The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
VERSE 19. He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set.
VERSE 20. You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.
VERSE 21. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.
VERSE 22. The sun rises, and they steal away, and lie down in their dens.
VERSE 23. Man goes out to his work, to his labor until the evening.
VERSE 24. The LORD, how many are your works! In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches.
VERSE 25. There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals.
VERSE 26. There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.
Leviathan is a sea monster in the Bible. It is large. It breathes fire and sparks. It is a created being. We see it as exemplifying the Power of God. Read more »
VERSE 27. These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.
ICEL translation: The eyes of all look to you, to give them their food in due season.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Psalms and from the entire Bible.
VERSE 28. You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.
VERSE 29. You hide your face: they are troubled; you take away their breath: they die, and return to the dust.
Psalm 104:29. You hide your face: they are troubled; you take away their breath: they die, and return to the dust.
Psalm 146:4. His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish.
Ecclesiastes 3:20. All go to one place. All are from the dust, and all turn to dust again.
VERSE 30. You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.
The spirit-breath of the LORD God creates all beings.
VERSE 31. Let the LORD’s glory endure forever. Let the LORD rejoice in his works.
VERSE 32. He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
Mountains are among the most solid things we know. Yet before the awesome power of the LORD God, they will melt. And so will our troubles. Read more »
VERSE 33. I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
ICEL translation: I will sing to the Lord all my life, make music to my God while I live.
NAB translation: I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praises to my God while I live.
VERSE 34. Let my meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in the LORD.
This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Psalms and from the entire Bible.
I will rejoice in the LORD. The ICEL translation says “I find my joy in the LORD.”
We “find” our joy in the Lord. That is, we actively seek our joy in God, through the Scriptures, prayer, meditation, contemplation, charity, fasting (if you are medically capable) and so on.
Some people say, “I am joyful, by faith.” They mean that they are not yet joyful, but they are acting joyful, and they believe God will soon deliver joy to them.
VERSE 35. Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD!
PSALMS
CHAPTERS: 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 131, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150
Deuterocanonical chapter: 151
RESOURCES: Summary, Outline, Memorize, David’s Fasting
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