Psalms 104:15

And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,.... That is, by means of rain watering the earth, vines are caused to grow out of it; which produce wine, that has such a virtue in it, as to cheer the

He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

Wine; he also bringeth out of the earth the vines which yield wine. Oil to make his face to shine: he alludes to the custom of those times and places, which was upon solemn and festival occasions to anoint their faces with oil. See . But these words with the former are by divers learned interpreters rendered otherwise, which seems more agreeable to the order and contexture of the Hebrew text, And (he giveth) wine that maketh glad the heart of man, to make (or, that he may make, i.e. that thereby he may also make) his face to shine more than oil, i.e. more than it shineth when it is anointed with oil; or, as with oil. So he speaks only of the wine, which he commends from two qualities, that it makes the heart cheerful, and the countenance pleasant. Bread, i.e. bread corn, by a metonymy. Which strengtheneth man’ s heart; which hath a singular faculty to preserve or renew our strength and rigour; whence it is called the staff of life.

Psalms 104:15 And wine [that] maketh glad the heart of man, [and] oil to make [his] face to shine, and bread [which] strengtheneth man’ s heart.Ver. 15. And wine that maketh glad] That he may the more cheerfully serve his Maker, his heart being lifted up, as Jehoshaphat’ s was, in the ways of obedience, Judges 9:13 Proverbs 31:6-7. And oil to make his face to shine] The word signifieth ointments of all sorts, whereof see Pliny, lib. 12, 13. These man might want and subsist; but God is bountiful. And bread which strengtheneth, &c.] In nature, Animantis cuiusque vita est fuga; were it not for the repair of nutrition the natural life would be extinguished. The Latins call bread panis , of the Greek ðáí; because it is the chief nourishment.

(15) And wine that . . .—Better, and wine gladdens man’s heart, making his face shine more than oil (see-margin. The alternative follows the LXX. and Vulg., and suggests the anointing with oil at a banquet), and bread man’s heart sustains.Oil.—For oil and its uses see Psalms 133:2; Psalms 141:5. Strengtheneth.—Properly, props or supports. (Comp. “the staff of bread,” Psalms 105:16), and our “staff of life,” and for the same phrase Genesis 18:5; Judges 19:5).

Verse 15. And wine] Wine, in moderate quantity, has a wondrous tendency to revive and invigorate the human being. Ardent spirits exhilarate, but they exhaust the strength; and every dose leaves man the worse. Unadulterated wine, on the contrary, exhilarates and invigorates: it makes him cheerful, and provides for the continuance of that cheerfulness by strengthening the muscles, and bracing the nerves. This is its use. Those who continue drinking till wine inflames them, abuse this mercy of God. Oil to make his face to shine] That is, to anoint the body; and particularly those parts most exposed to the sun and weather. This is of high importance in all arid lands and sultry climates. By it the pores are kept open, and perspiration maintained. Bread which strengtheneth man's heart.] In hunger not only the strength is prostrated, but the natural courage is also abated. Hunger has no enterprise, emulation, nor courage. But when, in such circumstances, a little bread is received into the stomach, even before concoction can have time to prepare it for nutriment, the strength is restored, and the spirits revived. This is a surprising effect; and it has not yet been satisfactorily accounted for. Three of the choicest and most important articles of life are here mentioned: WINE, for the support of the vital and intellectual spirits; BREAD, for the support of the nervous and muscular system; and OIL, as a seasoner of food, and for those unctions so necessary for the maintenance of health. Where wine, oil, and bread can be had in sufficient quantities, there animal food, ardent spirits, and all high-seasoned aliments, may be well dispensed with. Heavy taxes on these necessaries of life are taxes on life, itself; and infallibly lead to adulteration of the articles themselves; especially wine and oil, which, in countries where they are highly taxed, are no longer to be found pure.

10–18. While He confines the great mass of waters to its appointed place, He fertilises the land by springs and rain, and makes bountiful provision for the wants of men and animals.

And wine that maketh glad the heart of man ... - literally, “And wine (it) gladdens the heart of man to make his face to shine more than oil.” Margin, “to make his face shine with oil, or more than

15. And wine that maketh glad the heart of man—The “wine,” here, ééï, (yayin,) is the same as was offered to God in the daily sacrifice, (Exodus 29:40-41,) the offering of first fruits, (Leviticus 23:13,) and on other occasions.