Psalms 104

1 alleluia confitemini Domino et invocate nomen eius adnuntiate inter gentes opera eius

2 cantate ei et psallite ei narrate omnia mirabilia eius

3 laudamini in nomine sancto eius laetetur cor quaerentium Dominum

4 quaerite Dominum et confirmamini quaerite faciem eius semper

5 mementote mirabilium eius quae fecit prodigia eius et iudicia oris eius

6 semen Abraham servi eius filii Iacob electi eius

7 ipse Dominus Deus noster in universa terra iudicia eius

8 memor fuit in saeculum testamenti sui verbi quod mandavit in mille generationes

9 quod disposuit ad Abraham et iuramenti sui ad Isaac

10 et statuit illud Iacob in praeceptum et Israhel in testamentum aeternum

11 dicens tibi dabo terram Chanaan funiculum hereditatis vestrae

12 cum essent numero breves paucissimos et incolas eius

13 et pertransierunt de gente in gentem et de regno ad populum alterum

14 non reliquit hominem nocere eis et corripuit pro eis reges

15 nolite tangere christos meos et in prophetis meis nolite malignari

16 et vocavit famem super terram omne firmamentum panis contrivit

17 misit ante eos virum in servum venundatus est Ioseph

18 humiliaverunt in conpedibus pedes eius ferrum pertransiit anima eius

19 donec veniret verbum eius eloquium Domini inflammavit eum

20 misit rex et solvit eum princeps populorum et dimisit eum

21 constituit eum dominum domus suae et principem omnis possessionis suae

22 ut erudiret principes eius sicut semet ipsum et senes eius prudentiam doceret

23 et intravit Israhel in Aegyptum et Iacob accola fuit in terra Cham

24 et auxit populum eius vehementer et firmavit eum super inimicos eius

25 convertit cor eorum ut odirent populum eius ut dolum facerent in servos eius

26 misit Mosen servum suum Aaron quem elegit ipsum

27 posuit in eis verba signorum suorum et prodigiorum in terra Cham

28 misit tenebras et obscuravit et non exacerbavit sermones suos

29 convertit aquas eorum in sanguinem et occidit pisces eorum

30 dedit terra eorum ranas in penetrabilibus regum ipsorum

31 dixit et venit cynomia et scinifes in omnibus finibus eorum

32 posuit pluvias eorum grandinem ignem conburentem in terra ipsorum

33 et percussit vineas eorum et ficulneas eorum et contrivit lignum finium eorum

34 dixit et venit lucusta et bruchus cuius non erat numerus

35 et comedit omne faenum in terra eorum et comedit omnem fructum terrae eorum

36 et percussit omne primogenitum in terra eorum primitias omnis laboris eorum

37 et eduxit eos in argento et auro et non erat in tribubus eorum infirmus

38 laetata est Aegyptus in profectione eorum quia incubuit timor eorum super eos

39 expandit nubem in protectionem eorum et ignem ut luceret eis per noctem

40 petierunt et venit coturnix et panem caeli saturavit eos

41 disrupit petram et fluxerunt aquae abierunt in sicco flumina

42 quoniam memor fuit verbi sancti sui quod habuit ad Abraham puerum suum

43 et eduxit populum suum in exultatione %et; electos suos in laetitia

44 et dedit illis regiones gentium et labores populorum possederunt

45 ut custodiant iustificationes eius et legem eius requirant

Psalms 104 Commentary

Chapter 104

God's majesty in the heavens, The creation of the sea, and the dry land. (1-9) His provision for all creatures. (10-18) The regular course of day and night, and God's sovereign power over all the creatures. (19-30) A resolution to continue praising God. (31-35)

Verses 1-9 Every object we behold calls on us to bless and praise the Lord, who is great. His eternal power and Godhead are clearly shown by the things which he hath made. God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. The Lord Jesus, the Son of his love, is the Light of the world.

Verses 10-18 When we reflect upon the provision made for all creatures, we should also notice the natural worship they render to God. Yet man, forgetful ungrateful man, enjoys the largest measure of his Creator's kindness. the earth, varying in different lands. Nor let us forget spiritual blessings; the fruitfulness of the church through grace, the bread of everlasting life, the cup of salvation, and the oil of gladness. Does God provide for the inferior creatures, and will he not be a refuge to his people?

Verses 19-30 We are to praise and magnify God for the constant succession of day and night. And see how those are like to the wild beasts, who wait for the twilight, and have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. Does God listen to the language of mere nature, even in ravenous creatures, and shall he not much more interpret favourably the language of grace in his own people, though weak and broken groanings which cannot be uttered? There is the work of every day, which is to be done in its day, which man must apply to every morning, and which he must continue in till evening; it will be time enough to rest when the night comes, in which no man can work. The psalmist wonders at the works of God. The works of art, the more closely they are looked upon, the more rough they appear; the works of nature appear more fine and exact. They are all made in wisdom, for they all answer the end they were designed to serve. Every spring is an emblem of the resurrection, when a new world rises, as it were, out of the ruins of the old one. But man alone lives beyond death. When the Lord takes away his breath, his soul enters on another state, and his body will be raised, either to glory or to misery. May the Lord send forth his Spirit, and new-create our souls to holiness.

Verses 31-35 Man's glory is fading; God's glory is everlasting: creatures change, but with the Creator there is no variableness. And if mediation on the glories of creation be so sweet to the soul, what greater glory appears to the enlightened mind, when contemplating the great work of redemption! There alone can a sinner perceive ground of confidence and joy in God. While he with pleasure upholds all, governs all, and rejoices in all his works, let our souls, touched by his grace, meditate on and praise him.

Chapter Summary

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