Psalms 104
Summary for Ps 104:1-35: Ps 104 a This creation hymn (see also Pss 8 b, 33 c, 145 d) exalts God’s goodness and majesty. The psalmist reflects on the present world, the original creation, and a future new creation. He sees both creations as marvelously and wisely made (cp. 139:14 e), as the work of the Lord’s Spirit (104:30 f; Gen 1:2 g; 2 Cor 3:6 h). 104:1 i Let all that I am praise the Lord: Pss 103 j and 104 k each open and close with this commitment to praise (103:1-2 l, 22 m; 104:1 n, 35 o).• how great you are! This acclamation expresses praise for rescue (see also 35:27 p; 40:16 q; 70:4 r).
Summary for Ps 104:2-4: 104:2-4 s The psalmist interacts with two of the days of creation (see Gen 1:1-8 t), when God created the heavens and light.
104:3 u This poetic portrayal envisions the clouds as beams that support heaven.
104:4 v Wind and lightning are seen as divine messengers. The Lord uses weather phenomena as he desires (77:17-18 w; 78:26 x; 135:7 y; 148:5-6 z).
• The psalmist interacts with day three of creation (Gen 1:9-13 aa). The Lord is master of water and earth.
104:6 ab At first, water covered the earth.
104:7 ac The Lord created dry ground on day three of creation (Gen 1:9-13 ad).
104:8 ae The earth originates in God’s will.
Summary for Ps 104:9-10: 104:9-10 af The Lord reigns over all bodies of water, including those on land. He replaced chaotic waters with order and abundance, and the earth became a splendid place for animals and humans, with water refreshing the ground, the birds, and the animals. 104:9 ag The Lord set a firm boundary for the seas to protect the land. God’s sovereignty over sea and land was an argument against the existence of Baal, whom the Canaanites celebrated as victorious over the waters (see Ps 29 ah).
Summary for Ps 104:11-18: 104:11-18 ai The psalmist celebrates animal, plant, and human life, as well as the Lord’s abundant provision for all of it (Gen 1:9-30 aj).
104:14 ak people to use: People are the managers of the created order, and they receive nourishment from the work of their hands.
104:15 al While both can be misused (cp. Prov 21:17 am), the Lord provides wine and olive oil as gifts to enhance life. Life is sustained by basic food, represented by bread.
Summary for Ps 104:17-18: 104:17-18 an The storks migrated from northern Europe and resided in Palestine during the winter.
• hyraxes: These animals are about the size of a rabbit and live in rocky places.
Summary for Ps 104:19-23: 104:19-23 ao The psalmist rejoices in the order of night and day, marking day four of creation (Gen 1:14-19 ap). This cycle gives all creatures an opportunity to live. 104:19 aq the moon to mark the seasons: Ancient Israel based its calendar on the cycles of the moon.
• the sun knows when to set: This is a poetic description from the perspective of normal observation. The sun goes down at a regular time every evening.
Summary for Ps 104:20-23: 104:20-23 ar Cycles of darkness and dawn mark the days on earth.
Summary for Ps 104:24-26: 104:24-26 as The Lord’s works testify to his wisdom. All parts fit together—land and sea, night and day, land creatures and sea creatures. The Lord’s wisdom makes life orderly and wonderful.
104:25 at The ocean, ... teeming with life of every kind (see Gen 1:20-21 au), exemplifies the Lord’s creative activities.
104:26 av ships sailing: Commercial vessels engaged in sea trade were one of the wonders of the ancient Near East (see Isa 2:16 aw; 23:1 ax, 3 ay).
• Leviathan: The psalmist says that this feared creature is nothing but the Lord’s pet.
Summary for Ps 104:27-30: 104:27-30 az All life depends on the gracious sustenance of the Lord of life and death (cp. Matt 6:11 ba).
Summary for Ps 104:29-30: 104:29-30 bb When you give them your breath: Life on earth is only possible as the Lord’s gift, symbolized by his breath (Hebrew ruakh, “breath, wind, spirit”). The Lord’s Spirit is the agent of renewal (Isa 32:15-20 bc).
Summary for Ps 104:31-35: 104:31-35 bd The psalmist moves from describing the known creation to anticipating the new creation, when the Lord will renew the created order into a world without sinners. 104:31 be The Lord reveals his presence in the created order (see 8:1 bf; 19:1-4 bg; 24:7 bh) and takes pleasure in his new creation (see Isa 65:19 bi).
104:32 bj The trembling earth and the smoking mountains represent the Lord’s coming in judgment against sinners and salvation for his faithful people (see 18:7-15 bk).
104:35 bl The Lord will remove all forms of evil that defile his creation.
• The concluding phrase takes us back to 104:1 bm (see also 103:1-2 bn, 22 bo; 146:1 bp).
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