Psalms 104:25-35

25 Here is the ocean, vast and wide, teeming with life of every kind, both large and small.

26 See the ships sailing along, and Leviathan, which you made to play in the sea.

27 They all depend on you to give them food as they need it.

28 When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied.

29 But if you turn away from them, they panic. When you take away their breath, they die and turn again to dust.

30 When you give them your breath, life is created, and you renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the LORD continue forever! The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made!

32 The earth trembles at his glance; the mountains smoke at his touch.

33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!

34 May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD .

35 Let all sinners vanish from the face of the earth; let the wicked disappear forever. Let all that I am praise the LORD . Praise the LORD !

Psalms 104:25-35 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 104

This psalm, though without a title, was probably written by David, since it begins and ends as the former does, as Aben Ezra observes; and to him the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions, ascribe it. The inscription of the Syriac version is,

``a psalm of David, when he went to worship before the ark of the Lord with the priests; and as to us, it teaches us confession and prayer; and intimates to us the constitution of the beginning of the creatures; and declares some things concerning the angels.''

Some copies of the Septuagint version have it,

``a psalm of David concerning the constitution of the world;''

which indeed is the subject matter of it; for it treats of the creation of all things, of the heavens and the earth, and of all creatures in them; and of the providence of God in taking care of them. Christ is the divine Person addressed and described throughout the whole, as appears from the quotation of Ps 104:5 and the application of it to him in Heb 1:7.

\\Bless the Lord, O my soul\\ As for the blessings of grace and mercy expressed in the preceding psalm, so on account of the works of creation and providence, enumerated in this; in which Christ has an equal concern, as in the former.

\\O Lord my God, thou art very great\\; the Messiah, who is Jehovah our righteousness, Lord of all, truly God, and the God of his people; see Joh 20:28 and who is great, and very great, in his divine Person, being the great God, and our Saviour; great in all his works of creation, providence, and redemption; great in all his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King; a Saviour, and a great one; the great Shepherd of the Sheep; the Man, Jehovah's Fellow.

\\Thou art clothed with honour and majesty\\; being the brightness of his Father's glory, and having on him the glory of the only begotten of the Father, and a natural majesty in him as the Son of God and King of the whole universe; and, as Mediator, he has honour and majesty laid upon him by his Father, Ps 21:5, he has all the regalia and ensigns of royal majesty; he is on a throne, high and lifted up, even the same with his divine Father; he has a crown of glory on his head, he is crowned with glory and honour; he has a sceptre of righteousness in his hand, and is arrayed in robes of majesty; and, as thus situated, is to look upon like a jasper and sardine stone; or as if he was covered with sparkling gems and precious stones, Re 4:2,3 and, having all power in heaven and earth, over angels and men, honour and glory given him by both. 23531-950516-0908-Ps104.2

Footnotes

• [a]. The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature.
• [b]. Or When you send your Spirit.