The Book of Psalms
Psalm 104
Psalm CIV · Vol. II, pp. 1054–1055
1 A meditation upon the mighty power, 7 and wonderful providence of God. 31 God's glory is eternal. 33 The prophet voweth perpetually to praise God.
1 Bless the aLORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, bthou art very great; cthou art clothed with honour and majesty:
2 Who coverest thyself dwith light as with a garment; ewho stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;
3 Whog layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; hwho maketh the clouds his chariot; iwho walketh upon the wings of the wind;
4 Whoj maketh his angels spirits, his ministers a flaming fire;1
* Literally, 'Who maketh the winds his messengers, and flaming fire his servants.' He ruleth supreme in the elements, doing his pleasure by their instrumentality. By his winds he tempers and purifies the atmosphere; by his lightnings he accomplishes his purposes of judgment and grace.—P.
j He.1.7,14. 2 Th.1.7,8. 1 Ki.22.19. 2 Ki.2.11; 6.17.
1 See note * in first column.
6 Thouk coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
k Ge.1.2,9; 7.19. Job 38.8,25.
8 They go up3 by the mountains; they go down by the valleys4 unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
3 The waters go up, partly in vapours, which are condensed into water by cold; and partly in clouds, which are changed into water, not by cold, but by the electric agency. These waters are then absorbed into the bowels of the mountains, and chiefly by gravitation reconducted to the valleys.—C.
4 Or, The mountains ascend, the valleys descend.
10 oHe5 sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run6 among the hills.7
o De.8.7.
5 Heb. Who.
6 Heb. walk.
7 'Though the waters are gathered together into seas, yet God has taken care that the earth shall not be dry, parched, and barren. He has made provision for watering it, and by a most wise, wonderful, and benevolent arrangement he has formed springs among the valleys and hills' (Barnes.—P.
11 Theyp give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench8 their thirst.
p Ps.145.16. Job 39.5,6. Mat.6.26.
8 Heb. break.
13 Heq watereth the hills from his chambers;1 the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.2
q Ps.65.9-13. Job 38.26,27. Je.10.13; 14.22. Eze.34.26. De.11.11. He.6.7.
1 Heavens or clouds.
2 Everything needful to make it fruitful and beautiful is provided. Nothing is wanting. It is therefore satisfied.—P.
14 Her causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man; that he may bring forth food out of the earth,
r Ge.1.29,30; 3.18; 9.3. Ps.145.9,15; 65.9-13; 147.8,9. Pr.15.17.
15 And swine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine,3 and tbread which strengtheneth man's heart.
21 Theg young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
g Am.3.4. Is.31.4. Job 38.39. Ps.34.9,10; 145.15,16.
23 Mani goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
i Ge.3.19. Ro.12.11. Ep.4.28. 2 Th.3.10-13.
24 O LORD, jhow manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of kthy riches:
25 So is lthis great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
l Ps.95.4,5. Ge.1.20,21. Hab.1.14.
26 Theren go the ships:6 there is that oleviathan, whom thou hast made7 to play therein.
6 See note * below.
7 Heb. formed.
* Among the many blessings derived from the sea, navigation is one of the most obvious: and that not merely because it is the medium of the valuable interchanges of commerce, and consequently the great peace-preserver of the nations, but because of the blessed facilities which it affords for diffusing the knowledge of Jesus to regions that Christianity could never have approached had the highway of the sea been occupied as land by heathen or Mahometan nations.—C.
28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29 Thouq hidest thy face, they are troubled: thour takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30 Thous sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou trenewest the face of the earth.8
s Job 26.5,13; 33.4. Ps.33.6. Is.32.14,15. Eze.37.9. Re.4.11.
t Ec.1.4. Ps.65.9-13. Is.35.1,2; 65.17,18.
8 The meaning is, when one race of animals passes away, or becomes extinct, God creates another. May there not be incidental allusion here to those wonders which geology has brought to light in the crust of the earth within the past few years?—P.
33 Iy will sing unto the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.1
Notes
Ver. 1. Thou art very great. The greatness of God in power can be estimated only by his works. Accordingly, the Spirit, by Christ, as the prophet of the church, here catalogues, as it were, and expounds some of the most remarkable and intelligible departments, whereby man may learn his own comparative weakness, nay, nothingness, and humble himself beneath the mighty power of God. C.
Ver. 5. Not removed for ever. This is not contradicted by what is declared, He. 1. 10-12; for, in point of fact, it is completely demonstrable by mathematical evidence, that the 'foundations of the earth, and of the whole planetary system, are calculated to abide for ever, unless he that laid them be pleased again to overturn them, and make all things new. Both these views are in strict accordance with the assertion in this verse. C.
Ver. 7. Voice of thy thunder. Modern discovery is daily bringing to light more of the power of electricity in the works of creation; and though we do not affirm with some that the Scriptures contain a system of natural philosophy, yet it is satisfactory to the believer who may live within the polluted atmosphere of infidelity, to learn that no progress of philosophical discovery has ever detected a single philosophical error in the Bible. C.
Reflections.—Great is the glory, the awful majesty, the infinite goodness, and mercy of our God! In what bright abodes of light is he enthroned! While clouds and winds convey the influences of his power, angelic hosts, made by himself, surround his seat, and bear his messages. Established earth and bounded seas confess his power. Springs below, rains from above, fruitful fields, and towering trees, nestling birds, shining luminaries, changing seasons, ravenous animals, swarming fishes and their spacious sea, and labouring man, his Maker's image, all preserved, all maintained, all governed by his power, his kindness, and his care, owe their whole selves and service to this mighty Lord! Can he then, who hangs a whole creation on his arm, and feeds them at his board, overlook a ransomed child, or let him starve! While he with pleasure upholds all, governs all, and rejoices in all his works, let my soul, touched by his grace, meditate and praise: and while obstinate sinners turn away from him and find themselves ruined, let my hosannas and hallelujahs ascend to him that loved me and gave himself for me.