Psalms 104:13

13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.

Psalms 104:13 in Other Translations

KJV
13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
ESV
13 From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
NLT
13 You send rain on the mountains from your heavenly home, and you fill the earth with the fruit of your labor.
MSG
13 You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns; earth is supplied with plenty of water.
CSB
13 He waters the mountains from His palace; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of Your labor.

Psalms 104:13 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 104:13

He watereth the hills from his chambers
The house of his superior treasures, as the Targum. The airy regions, ( Psalms 104:3 ) with the clouds of heaven, by the rain which they drop down upon them; the usefulness of which blessings of nature is largely described in this and some following verses. "The hills", which are naturally dry and barren, and receive but little advantage from the springs, fountains, and rivers below, are supplied with water from above; and become fruitful, bear herbage, and are clothed with flocks. This seems to refer to the first rain that was upon the earth, ( Genesis 2:5 Genesis 2:6 ) and which favour is continued to all lands, excepting some part of the land of Egypt, and in all ages since; see ( Psalms 65:9-13 ) . So ministers of the word, who are set in the first place, and are eminent in the church of God, and who water others, are watered themselves with the gifts and graces of the Spirit descending from above, as the apostles were, in an extraordinary manner, at the day of Pentecost; and as others in a more ordinary manner daily are. So likewise the churches of Christ, comparable to hills and mountains for firmness and visibility, and the several members thereof, are watered with the dews of divine favour, with the rain of the divine word; which comes down from heaven as the rain does, and drops and distils like that; and with the grace of the divine Spirit, whereby their souls become as a watered garden, whose springs fail not.

The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works;
with the fruits which grow out of it by means of rain, as are after mentioned; herbs, grass, and trees, so Aben Ezra: or with the influences of the heavens, which are the work of God's hands, and by which the earth is made fruitful; or more particularly with the virtue and efficacy of the rain, so Kimchi; which is the Lord's peculiar work, ( Jeremiah 14:22 ) . This the earth drinking in, is as satisfied with as a thirsty man is with drinking a draught of water; see ( Deuteronomy 11:11 ) ( Hebrews 6:7 ) . So the people of God, comparable to the good earth that drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, are satisfied with the love of God, with the blessings of his grace, with the doctrines of his Gospel, and with the ordinances of his house.

Psalms 104:13 In-Context

11 They give water to all the beasts of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by the waters; they sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his upper chambers; the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
14 He makes grass grow for the cattle, and plants for people to cultivate— bringing forth food from the earth:
15 wine that gladdens human hearts, oil to make their faces shine, and bread that sustains their hearts.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Psalms 135:7; Psalms 147:8; Jeremiah 10:13; Zechariah 10:1
  • 2. S Leviticus 26:4
  • 3. Amos 9:6
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