Psalms 104

Psalms 104:1-35

CIV. The Glory of the Creator. Psalms 104:1-4. Yahweh’s power in the heavens. He is clothed in the light which God made first (Genesis 1:3) before the heavenly bodies. He lays the foundation of His dwelling in the waters above the firmament (Genesis 1:7). Thence He issues from time to time in person riding on the clouds (Isaiah 19:1), or else sends His message by wind or flame.Psalms 104:5-9. Separation of land and sea.Psalms 104:10-18. God’s care for man and beast. Psalms 104:13 b. The emendation, “The earth is satisfied from thy clouds,” i.e. with the rain which falls from them, implies the use of a word for clouds which means “vapours” rather than actual rain.Psalms 104:14. service of man: rather, “for man’s work,” i.e. in tilling the ground and so raising grain.Psalms 104:16. The cedars of Lebanon are so great that only God could have planted them.Psalms 104:18. conies: Proverbs 30:26. Psalms 104:19-23. The night.Psalms 104:19. for seasons: especially holy seasons such as Passover, etc. Psalms 104:24-30. The poet begins with the sea and passes to the thought of God as giving and renewing all life. Psalms 104:26. Read perhaps, “There go the dragons.” This preserves the parallelism.—leviathan: a mythical sea monster (see Job 40:24 to Job 41:34) with features borrowed from the crocodile and the whale.Psalms 104:31-35. Ascription of glory to God who Himself rejoices in His works.