‏ 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).

‏ Psalms 105

Summary for Ps 105:1-45: Ps 105  ^bq This hymn praises the Lord’s faithfulness to Abraham and his descendants in all their journeys—from Ur to Canaan (105:12  ^br), to Egypt (105:17  ^bs, 23  ^bt), through the wilderness (105:37  ^bu, 41  ^bv), and back to Canaan (105:44  ^bw). All of this fulfilled the Lord’s promise to Abraham (105:9  ^bx, 42  ^by), which was the basis for Israel’s very existence. Joseph, whose suffering was changed into glory, is a paradigm of encouragement for Israel (105:16-25  ^bz).

• Psalm 105:1-15  ^ca (along with 96; 106:1  ^cb, 47-48  ^cc) is included in David’s song of praise recorded in 1 Chr 16  ^cd.
Summary for Ps 105:1-5: 105:1-5  ^ce The poet begins with the exhortation Give thanks (see also 106:1  ^cf; 107:1  ^cg; 118:1  ^ch; 136:1  ^ci). The other psalms continue with the refrain “for he is good!” The rest of Ps 105  ^cj tells of God’s goodness.
Summary for Ps 105:6-11: 105:6-11  ^ck The story of Israel is based on the Lord’s commitment to Abraham. Even when a question arises about the future of God’s covenant with David (Ps 89  ^cl), God’s covenant with Abraham stands, as does the spiritual bond between God and Israel, Abraham’s descendants.
105:8  ^cm The covenant is the Lord’s irrevocable oath to be the Father of Abraham and his descendants (see Gen 12:1-9  ^cn; 15:1-21  ^co).
105:11  ^cp God promised the land of Canaan to Abraham’s descendants as their special possession, where they could live as God’s people (105:44-45  ^cq; Gen 12:7  ^cr; 15:7-21  ^cs).
Summary for Ps 105:12-15: 105:12-15  ^ct The Lord protected Israel’s patriarchs.
105:15  ^cu Abraham was one of the nation’s prophets (Gen 20:7  ^cv).
Summary for Ps 105:16-22: 105:16-22  ^cw These verses tell the story of Joseph (see Gen 37–41  ^cx).
105:19  ^cy tested Joseph’s character: See Gen 39:6-12  ^cz.
Summary for Ps 105:23-25: 105:23-25  ^da These verses tell the story of Israel’s affliction in Egypt (see Exod 1:1-14  ^db). 105:23  ^dc Egypt (Hebrew mitsrayim) is called the land of Ham.
Summary for Ps 105:26-36: 105:26-36  ^dd The psalmist recounts the story of Moses and the plagues in Egypt (Exod 7:20–12:30  ^de).
Summary for Ps 105:37-45: 105:37-45  ^df The Exodus and the conquest of Canaan fulfilled God’s promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (105:9-10  ^dg). Unlike Ps 78  ^dh, the poet recites the Lord’s goodness without commenting on Israel’s history of rebellion (cp. Ps 106  ^di). 105:37  ^dj not one ... stumbled: The Lord protected all of his people (cp. 9:3  ^dk).
105:39  ^dl The Lord’s presence was as evident to all as a fire in the darkness (Exod 13:22  ^dm).
Summary for Ps 105:42-45: 105:42-45  ^dn The story of redemption is also the story of the Lord’s faithfulness.
105:44  ^do Canaan was a land of pagan nations (see 111:6  ^dp). The psalmist might also be reflecting on God’s promise to Abraham (Gen 24:60  ^dq) regarding the lands given to Isaac (Gen 26:3  ^dr).
105:45  ^ds The Lord planned for Israel to testify about him by obeying him; Israel was to be his model people.

‏ Psalms 106

Summary for Ps 106:1-48: Ps 106  ^dt The Israelite community in exile confessed the Lord’s goodness and justice and their own historic sinfulness. From the humble state of exile, they pleaded for redemption and restoration, asking to be gathered back from all the places the Lord had scattered them in his wrath. The psalm does not end in despair but with the memory of the Lord’s former mercy and the hope that his mercy will be renewed (106:44-48  ^du). Israel failed, but the Lord is constant.

• Verses 1, 47-48  ^dv (along with Pss 96  ^dw; 105:1-15  ^dx) are included in David’s song of praise recorded in 1 Chr 16:1-43  ^dy. 106:1  ^dz Praise the Lord! This refrain (Hebrew haleluyah) characterizes four small subgroups in the psalms: 104–106  ^ea, 111–113  ^eb, 115–117  ^ec, 146–150  ^ed.
Summary for Ps 106:2-3: 106:2-3  ^ee Wise people who practice justice and righteousness receive encouragement to proclaim the Lord’s great acts.
Summary for Ps 106:4-5: 106:4-5  ^ef The poet prays individually for the Lord’s favor before leading the community confession that follows.
Summary for Ps 106:6-13: 106:6-13  ^eg The community joins together to confess their sins and their ancestors’ many acts of unbelief. 106:6  ^eh The story of Israel’s redemption encompasses their sinful response from the days of the ancestors to the present (106:43  ^ei). The themes of sin and divine wrath both open and close Book Four (90:1-9  ^ej; 106:6  ^ek, 23  ^el, 43  ^em).
106:9  ^en Red Sea: See Exod 14:15-31  ^eo.
106:13  ^ep They wouldn’t wait: God’s impatient people did not trust him to work according to his will (e.g., see Exod 15:24  ^eq; 16:2-3  ^er; 17:1-3  ^es; Num 14:26-45  ^et; 21:4-9  ^eu).
106:15  ^ev he sent a plague: See Exod 32:35  ^ew; Num 11:33  ^ex.
Summary for Ps 106:16-18: 106:16-18  ^ey The people became jealous because they presumed to have the same privileges as God’s appointed priests (see Num 16:1-35  ^ez).

• the earth opened up: See Num 16:28-33  ^fa.
Summary for Ps 106:19-23: 106:19-23  ^fb they bowed before an image: The people forgot their Savior and committed the sin of idolatry (see Exod 32:1-6  ^fc).
106:22  ^fd The land of Ham here means Egypt (106:21  ^fe).
Summary for Ps 106:24-25: 106:24-25  ^ff The people disobeyed God’s command when they refused to enter the pleasant land (the Promised Land; see Jer 3:19  ^fg).

• they wouldn’t believe his promise: See Num 13:25–14:12  ^fh.
Summary for Ps 106:26-27: 106:26-27  ^fi God’s judgment when Israel refused to obey was death and exile (Num 14:26-30  ^fj). The occasion for these severe judgments seems to have been disobeying God’s word (Ps 106:24-25  ^fk) and provoking the Lord’s wrath (106:28-46  ^fl).
Summary for Ps 106:28-39: 106:28-39  ^fm Israel’s idolatry outside of the land came with them into the land. Their nature did not change; they continued to provoke the Lord to anger by their actions. 106:28  ^fn the worship of Baal at Peor: See Num 25:3  ^fo; Deut 4:3  ^fp.
Summary for Ps 106:30-33: 106:30-33  ^fq Phinehas, who executed a flagrantly apostate Israelite man (Num 25:3-8  ^fr), is an even better model of a righteous man than Moses, who failed at Meribah (Num 20:11-13  ^fs).
106:34  ^ft Israel continued to disobey the word of the Lord while living in the Promised Land. Rather than destroying the nations, Israel accepted them and their ways (see Judg 2:1-3  ^fu, 11-15  ^fv; 3:5-6  ^fw).
106:37  ^fx Pagan gods were demons (see Deut 32:17  ^fy).
106:39  ^fz Idolatry, like adultery, defiles God’s people (see Lev 18:24  ^ga; Hos 5:3  ^gb).
Summary for Ps 106:40-46: 106:40-46  ^gc The psalmist returns to the Babylonian exile (106:26-27  ^gd). The Lord judged Israel severely, but he also restrained his wrath, remembering the covenant he had made with Abraham. 106:40  ^ge God abhorred Israel’s sin, as he does all sin.
Summary for Ps 106:43-44: 106:43-44  ^gf When Israel was finally destroyed, the destruction was not complete. The Lord pitied them, so he left a remnant.
106:45  ^gg He remembered ... and relented: Unlike Israel, the Lord is faithful to his covenant (105:8  ^gh).
106:46  ^gi As harsh as the Exile was, the Lord still protected his people (see 2 Kgs 25:27-29  ^gj).
106:47  ^gk Gather us back: The community prays for restoration from exile (see 102:19-22  ^gl; 107:3  ^gm; see also Isa 11:12  ^gn; 40:11  ^go; 43:5  ^gp; 54:7  ^gq; 56:8  ^gr; 66:18  ^gs).
106:48  ^gt This doxology concludes Book Four (cp. 41:13  ^gu; 89:52  ^gv).

• from everlasting to everlasting! The reference to God’s eternal nature links to the opening of Book Four (90:1-2  ^gw).

• Let all the people say, “Amen!”: The Hebrew word ’amen means “It is true.” The godly accept the Lord’s will in exile and his promise to be their God.