The Bible — World English Bible

Psalm 104

In brief

Psalm 104 is a hymn to God the Creator that follows, in its own way, the story of Genesis. The psalmist contemplates the light, the heavens, the earth founded on its foundations, then the waters, the springs, the plants and the animals that God feeds. He also looks at people going out to work and at the vast sea. Everything depends on God's open hand and his breath. The psalm ends with a personal commitment to sing to the LORD all his life.

The chapter in 6 parts

  1. v. 1-4God clothed in light and master of the heavens
  2. v. 5-9The earth established and the waters held within their limits
  3. v. 10-18Water, plants and animals: God provides
  4. v. 19-23The moon, the sun and the rhythm of work
  5. v. 24-30A creation full of wisdom that depends on him
  6. v. 31-35Singing to the LORD as long as I live

1Bless Yahweh, my soul. Yahweh, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.

2He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.

3He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.

4He makes his messengers winds, and his servants flames of fire.

5He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.

6You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains.

7At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.

8The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them.

9You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they don’t turn again to cover the earth.

10He sends springs into the valleys. They run among the mountains.

11They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing among the branches.

13He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.

14He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:

15wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.

16Yahweh’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted;

17where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the cypress trees.

18The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.

19He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set.

20You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.

21The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.

22The sun rises, and they steal away, and lie down in their dens.

23Man goes out to his work, to his labor until the evening.

24Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches.

25There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals.

26There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.

27These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.

28You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.

29You hide your face; they are troubled. You take away their breath; they die and return to the dust.

30You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.

31Let Yahweh’s glory endure forever. Let Yahweh rejoice in his works.

32He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.

34Let my meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in Yahweh.

35Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless Yahweh, my soul. Praise Yah!

Key verses

Verse 1-2
Bless Yahweh, my soul. Yahweh, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty. He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.

The psalm opens with praise addressed to God himself. The image of light as a garment speaks of his glory and greatness.

Verse 14-15
He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth: wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.

God makes the grass grow and gives what we need to live, even the wine that makes the heart glad. The psalmist receives these gifts as presents, not as dangers.

Verse 24
Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches.

Facing the variety of the created world, the psalmist concludes that everything is made with wisdom. It is a cry of wonder more than a theory.

Verse 27-30
These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season. You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good. You hide your face; they are troubled. You take away their breath; they die and return to the dust. You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.

All living creatures depend on God for food and for breath. When he sends his Spirit, life is created and the earth is renewed.

Verse 33
I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.

The psalmist decides to sing to the LORD all his life. Contemplating creation leads to a personal commitment to praise.

What the sermons say

Frequently asked questions about Psalm 104

What does Psalm 104 mean?

Psalm 104 celebrates God as Creator and as the one who sustains his creation every day. It describes light, earth, waters, animals and people at work, and shows that everything depends on him. The expected response is praise: the psalmist chooses to bless the LORD and rejoice in him as long as he lives.

How can I pray or meditate on Psalm 104?

Read it outdoors if you can, one passage at a time. After each part, look at what it describes: the sky, a spring, birds, your own work. Thank God for one specific thing you see there. Finish with verse 33, choosing to sing or bless God aloud.

What is the link between Psalm 104 and Genesis?

The psalm follows the general order of the creation account: light, the expanse of the heavens, land and waters, plants, the heavenly bodies, animals, then people. It does not try to explain how God created, but to worship the one who creates and sustains all life. The text does not name its author.

Articles quoting Psalm 104

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World English Bible translation — public domain.