Psalms 104:27 — Word Study
WLCכֻּ֭לָּם אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְשַׂבֵּר֑וּן לָתֵ֖ת אָכְלָ֣ם בְּעִתּֽוֹ׃
BSAAll [creatures]kôl [every single one, everything, living beings, all of them] looksâbar▸ [wait with expectation, hope] to Youʼêl [toward Your presence] to give [them]nâthan [provide, supply] their foodʼôkel [sustenance, nourishment] in due seasonʻêth [appointed, proper, time, occasion]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| כֻּ֭לָּם | all of them | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| אֵלֶ֣יךָ | to you | Preposition, suffix |
| יְשַׂבֵּר֑וּן | they wait ! | Verb piel imperfect third person masculine plural, suffix |
| לָתֵ֖ת | to give | Preposition, verb qal infinitive construct common |
| אָכְלָ֣ם | food their | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| בְּעִתּֽוֹ׃ | at appropriate time its | Preposition, noun common both singular construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season. |
| KJV | These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. |
| ASV | These wait all for thee, That thou mayest give them their food in due season. |
| YLT | All of them unto Thee do look, To give their food in its season. |
| WEB | These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season. |
| BBE | All of them are waiting for you, to give them their food in its time. |
Translations agree on the essential meaning of the verse, emphasizing God's provision for all creatures.
The sentence is structured around a main clause with additional phrases providing direction, action, and timing.







8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 104:27
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Provision for Creationgenerated
Psalm 104:27 expresses the dependence of all living beings on God for their sustenance. The psalmist poetically illustrates how every creature looks to God for food at the appropriate time, emphasizing His role as the provider. This theme of divine provision is echoed throughout the psalm, which celebrates God's care for creation, including the majestic Leviathan and the natural order.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 36:6 | Your righteousness is like the highest mountains; Your judgments are like the deepest sea. O LORD, You preserve man and beast. |
| 2 | Psalm 136:25 | He gives food to every creature. His loving devotion endures forever. |
| 3 | Psalm 145:15–16 | The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food in season. |
| 4 | Psalm 147:9 | He provides food for the animals, and for the young ravens when they call. |
| 5 | Job 38:41 | Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God as they wander about for lack of food? |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כֻּ֭לָּם, Ku.lomgenerated
The term כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'everything,' encompassing totality. It indicates every creature, emphasizing that no being is excluded from God's provision. The parsing as a noun with a suffix shows it is used here in a collective sense, referring to all living beings.
This word appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often highlighting God's comprehensive care and authority over creation. Its use in this verse underscores the idea that every creature relies on God for sustenance.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations of this verse generally agree on the meaning, all rendering the essence of the phrase similarly.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb יְשַׂבֵּר֑וּן, ye.sab.erun ('they wait') governs the structure of the sentence, with the subject כֻּ֭לָּם ('all creatures') preceding it. The sentence is constructed to show the relationship between the creatures and their expectation of God's provision.
The prepositional phrases clarify the direction of their looking and the object of their waiting, creating a clear picture of dependence on God.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כֻּ֭לָּם as πάντα (panta), which also means 'all.' This choice aligns closely with the Hebrew meaning, maintaining the emphasis on totality in God's provision.
The Greek word προσδοκῶσιν (prosdokōsin) for 'they wait' suggests a similar sense of expectation, showing that the translators understood the creatures' reliance on God.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 104:27 tells us that all creatures depend on God for their food at the right time. This verse highlights God's care for every living being, showing that they look to Him for sustenance, which He provides when it is needed.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It signifies that every living being relies on God for their needs, indicating His role as the ultimate provider.
The verse illustrates that God is attentive to the needs of all creatures, ensuring they receive sustenance at the appropriate time.
This phrase emphasizes that God provides food at the right time, highlighting His perfect timing and wisdom in caring for creation.
It echoes themes found in other psalms and biblical texts that speak of God's faithfulness in providing for His creation.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I seen God's provision in my own life?
- How can I cultivate a sense of expectation and trust in God's timing for my needs?
- What does it mean to me that all creatures depend on God for sustenance?
- How can I better appreciate the natural world as a reflection of God's care?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this verse to discuss God's providence and the relationship between creation and the Creator. Their quotations illustrate the theological implications of God's care for all living beings.
But if our opponents say, How then is it, if the universe will not be destroyed, that the Lord says that “heaven and earth shall pass away”;Early Church Fathers on Psalms 104 →
This Spirit shares with the Son in working both the creation and the resurrection, as you may be shown by this Scripture: “By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the power of them by the breath of his mouth”;Early Church Fathers on Psalms 104 →
But, if we must go on with our discussion and make a deeper study, let us, from this point, contemplate especially the divine power of the Holy Spirit.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 104 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 104:27 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThese wait all upon thee,.... Or "hope in thee" (s); not only the fishes of the sea, but the beasts of the field; for to them the psalmist returns, as Aben Ezra observes; to whom hope and expectation
Read John Gill on Psalms 104 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThese wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season. -All God's creatures obtain from Him their food in due season.
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 104 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleThese all, both beasts and fishes, wait upon thee, expect supplies only from thy providence; which is said of them figuratively, and with an allusion to the manner of tame beasts and fowls, which commonly look after and wait upon those persons who bring their food to them. In due season; when it is necessary or convenient for them; by which expression he intimates the moderation of the beasts in their desires of food, and tacitly reproves the intemperance of men who feed themselves in season and out of season.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 104 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 104:27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give [them] their meat in due season.Ver. 27. These wait all upon thee] The great housekeeper of the world, who carvest them out their meet measures of meat, and at fit seasons. Of thee they have it, per causarum concatenationem.
Read John Trapp on Psalms 104 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 27. These wait all upon thee] The innumerable fry of the smaller aquatic animals, as well as whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sharks, all have their meat from God. He has in his gracious providence furnished that sort of food which is suitable to all. And this provision is various; not only for every kind of fish does God provide food, but a different kind of aliment for each in its different periods of growth. Here are displayed the goodness and infinitely varied providence of God: "He giveth them their meat in due season."
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 104 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges27. These wait all &c.] All of them wait upon thee. Not marine animals only, but all living creatures are meant, as in Genesis 1:29-30. God is the great householder, dispensing to all His family their portions. Cp. Psalms 145:15-16; Psalms 147:9.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 104 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleThese wait all upon thee - That is, These are all dependent on thee. It does not, of course, mean that they “wait” in the sense that they are conscious of their dependence on God, but that they are “actually” dependent.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 104 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible27. These wait all upon thee—Here is the moral of all these beautiful allusions to living creatures. God feeds them. They wait on God as if their eyes were fixed on him in expectation of being fed, as the Hebrew denotes.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 104 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.
These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.
All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.
All of your creatures wait for you to provide them with food on a regular basis.
Tyndale line
These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
These wait all for thee, That thou mayest give them their food in due season.
These wait all upon thee, that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their food in due season.
All these waite vpon thee, that thou maiest giue them foode in due season.
Strictly literal
These all look unto thee, that thou mayest give their food in its season:
All of them unto Thee do look, To give their food in its season.
All of them look to You, || To give their food in its season.
All of these wait upon thee, to give them their food in its due season.
All these look to you to give them their food on time.
From the Latin
He gave them power to shew his signs, and his wonders in the land of Cham.
Simplified
All creatures look to you to give them food at the right time.
All of them are waiting for you, to give them their food in its time.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Septuagint matches four out of six words in the Hebrew, while the Dead Sea Scrolls contain a similar phrase, confirming the core message of the verse across these ancient witnesses.
כֻּ֭לָּם אֵלֶ֣יךָ יְשַׂבֵּר֑וּן לָתֵ֖ת אָכְלָ֣ם בְּעִתּֽוֹ׃
4 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
כול׳ם אלי׳כה ישברו לתת ל׳הם אוכל׳ם בעת׳ו
7 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 104:27
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word אֶל (el) is primarily a preposition indicating motion towards or direction to a person or place. It can also imply entering a limit, presence at a location, or a hostile direction (against). Additionally, it may express concepts such as concerning, in addition to, or according to. The entries highlight its versatility in both physical and metaphorical contexts.
אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph),
prep. denoting motion to or direction towards (whether physical or mental).of motion to or unto a person or place
Where the limit is actually entered, into
Of direction towards anything
Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
Of rule or standard according to (rare)
Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
base
H413 אֶל (nearly always followed by Makkeph), . of motion to or unto a person or place
. Where the limit is actually entered, into
. Of direction towards anything
. Where the motion or direction implied appears from the context to be of a hostile character, אֶל = against
. Unto sometimes acquires from the context the sense of in addition to
. Metaph. in regard to, concerning, on account of
. Of rule or standard according to (rare)
. Expressing presence at a spot, against, at, by, not merely after verbs implying motion
. Prefixed to other preps. it combines with them the idea of motion or direction to
413 'el ale
(but only used in the shortened constructive form sel {el});
a primitive particle; properly, denoting motion towards, but
occasionally used of a quiescent position, i.e. near, with or
among; often in general, to:--about, according to ,after,
against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and,
by, concerning, for, from, X hath, in(- to), near, (out) of,
over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether,
with(-in).
אֶל (el) — to(wards).
1) to, toward, unto (of motion)
2) into (limit is actually entered)
2a) in among
3) toward (of direction, not necessarily physical motion)
4) against (motion or direction of a hostile character)
5) in addition to, to
6) concerning, in regard to, in reference to, on account of
7) according to (rule or standard)
8) at, by, against (of one's presence)
9) in between, in within, to within, unto (idea of motion to)
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2ms
שָׂבַר (sabar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to inspect or examine, as well as to wait or hope. It is built from a primitive root and covers both the act of scrutinizing and the implications of expectation and patience. The word appears in contexts related to waiting and hoping, with Nehemiah 2:13, 15 noted for its usage.
[שָׂבַר] vb. inspect, examine
base
[שָׂבַר] vb. Pi. wait, hope
base
H7663a שָׂבַר inspect, examine H7663b שָׂבַר Pi. wait, hope
7663 sabar saw-bar'
erroneously shabar (Nehemiah 2:13, 15) {shaw-bar'}; a
primitive root; to scrutinize; by implication (of watching) to
expect (with hope and patience):--hope, tarry, view, wait.
see HEBREW for 015
שָׂבַר (sa.var) — to inspect.
(Qal) to inspect, examine
שָׂבַר (sa.var) — to await.
1) (Piel)
1a) to wait (for), wait upon
1b) to hope (for)
Aramaic equivalent: se.var (סְבַר "to intend" H5452)
V-Piel-Imperf-3mp | Suff — Verb piel imperfect third person masculine plural · suffixHVpi3mp/Sn
wat:
1. The Substantive:
The word is used in the Old Testament both as a substantive add as a verb. In the New Testament it appears as a verb only. 'erebh, ma'arabh, mean a concealed hiding-place for purposes of sudden attack, an ambuscade.
(1) "Lie in wait": "Abimelech rose up .... from lying in wait" (Jud 9:35 the King James Version); "When they .... abide in the covert to lie in wait" (Job 38:40).
The Hebrew word נָתַן (natan) means 'to give' and encompasses a wide range of applications such as putting, setting, and making. It can also indicate actions like bestowing, delivering, and assigning. The entries describe its use in various forms, including Qal, Niphal, and Hophal, but do not present any significant disagreements among lexicons.
נָתַן 2007 vb. give, put, set
Qal 1917
give
Put, set
Make, constitute
Niph.
82be given
Be put, set
Hoph.
be given, bestowed
= be given to one for wife
be put upon
base
H5414 נָתַן give, put, set .. give
. Put, set
. Make, constitute
. . be given
. Be put, set
. . . be given, bestowed
. = be given to one for wife
. be put upon
5414 nathan naw-than'
a primitive root; to give, used with greatest latitude of
application (put, make, etc.):--add, apply, appoint, ascribe,
assign, X avenge, X be ((healed)), bestow, bring (forth,
hither), cast, cause, charge, come, commit, consider, count, +
cry, deliver (up), direct, distribute, do, X doubtless, X
without fail, fasten, frame, X get, give (forth, over, up),
grant, hang (up), X have, X indeed, lay (unto charge, up),
(give) leave, lend, let (out), + lie, lift up, make, + O that,
occupy, offer, ordain, pay, perform, place, pour, print, X
pull , put (forth), recompense, render, requite, restore, send
(out), set (forth), shew, shoot forth (up), + sing, + slander,
strike, (sub-)mit, suffer, X surely, X take, thrust, trade,
turn, utter, + weep, + willingly, + withdraw, + would (to)
God, yield.
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: give.
: give/deliver/send/produce
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to give, bestow, grant, permit, ascribe, employ, devote, consecrate, dedicate, pay wages, sell, exchange, lend, commit, entrust, give over, deliver up, yield produce, occasion, produce, requite to, report, mention, utter, stretch out, extend
1a2) to put, set, put on, put upon, set, appoint, assign, designate
1a3) to make, constitute
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be given, be bestowed, be provided, be entrusted to, be granted to, be permitted, be issued, be published, be uttered, be assigned
1b2) to be set, be put, be made, be inflicted
1c) (Hophal)
1c1) to be given, be bestowed, be given up, be delivered up
1c2) to be put upon
נָתַן (na.tan) — to give: put.
: put/set/apppoint
1) to give, put, set
1a) (Qal)
Prep | V-Qal-Inf-a — Preposition · verb qal infinitive construct commonHR/Vqcc
(nathan, yahabh, sum; didomi): "Give" is a very common word in the Old Testament. It is most frequently the translation of nathan, "to give" (Ge 1:29; 3:6; Ex 2:9; De 18,20, etc., over 800 instances); nathan is also translated "to give up" (De 23:14; Isa 43:6; Ho 11:8); of yahabh, "to give" (Ge 30:1; 1Ch 16:28 the King James Version). In Ps 55:22 we have the perfect with suffix, "Cast thy burden upon Yahweh," margin "what he hath given thee"; elsewhere it is…
אֹ֫כֶל (okel) means food and encompasses a range of meanings including meal, meat, and food supply. It is derived from the root word for eating. The entries highlight its use in various contexts, such as meals and victuals, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among the lexicons.
אֹ֫כֶל 40 n.m. food
base
H400 אֹ֫כֶל food
400 'okel o'-kel
from 398; food:--eating, food, meal(-time), meat, prey,
victuals.
see HEBREW for 0398
אֹ֫כֶל (o.khel) — food.
1) food
1a) cereal
1b) meat
2) food supply
3) meal, dinner
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp3mp
עֵת (eth) means 'time,' covering various aspects such as the time of an event, a usual time, or an appointed time. It can also refer to experiences or occurrences. The entries suggest it can denote both specific and uncertain times, but they do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
עֵת 297 n.f. time
time of an event
= usual time
proper, suitable time
appointed time
as uncertain
= experience, fortunes
occurrence, occasion
base
H6256 עֵת time . time of an event
. . = usual time
. proper, suitable time
. appointed time
. as uncertain
. = experience, fortunes
. occurrence, occasion
6256 `eth ayth
from 5703; time, especially (adverb with preposition) now,
when, etc.:--+ after, (al-)ways, X certain, + continually, +
evening, long, (due) season, so (long) as, (even-, evening-,
noon-)tide, ((meal-)), what) time, when.
see HEBREW for 05703
עֵת (et) — time.
1) time
1a) time (of an event)
1b) time (usual)
1c) experiences, fortunes
1d) occurrence, occasion
Prep | N-cs | Suff — Preposition · noun common both singular construct · suffixHR/Ncbsc/Sp3ms
