# Psalm 104 đź“–: Praise for God's Creation
[[đź“š Explore the Bible Books]]
[[-Psalm Overview]] | [[Psalm 103]] | [[Psalm 105]]
> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
[[#Verse 01.]] Praise the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are magnificent.
You are robed in splendor and majesty.
[[#Verse 02.]]Â He covers himself with light as if it were a garment.
He stretches out the skies like a tent curtain,
[[#Verse 03.]]Â and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds.
He makes the clouds his chariot,
and travels on the wings of the wind.
[[#Verse 04.]]Â He makes the winds his messengers,
and the flaming fire his attendant.
[[#Verse 05.]]Â He established the earth on its foundations;
it will never be moved.
[[#Verse 06.]] The watery deep covered it like a garment;
the waters reached above the mountains.
[[#Verse 07.]]Â Your shout made the waters retreat;
at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off—
[[#Verse 08.]]Â as the mountains rose up,
and the valleys went down—
to the place you appointed for them.
[[#Verse 09.]]Â You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross,
so that they would not cover the earth again.
[[#Verse 10.]]Â He turns springs into streams;
they flow between the mountains.
[[#Verse 11.]]Â They provide water for all the animals in the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
[[#Verse 12.]]Â The birds of the sky live beside them;
they chirp among the bushes.
[[#Verse 13.]]Â He waters the mountains from the upper rooms of his palace;
the earth is full of the fruit you cause to grow.
[[#Verse 14.]] He provides grass for the cattle,
and crops for people to cultivate,
so they can produce food from the ground,
[[#Verse 15.]]Â as well as wine that makes people glad,
and olive oil to make their faces shine,
as well as bread that sustains them.
[[#Verse 16.]] The trees of the Lord receive all the rain they need,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted,
[[#Verse 17.]] where the birds make nests,
near the evergreens in which the herons live.
[[#Verse 18.]]Â The wild goats live in the high mountains;
the rock badgers find safety in the cliffs.
[[#Verse 19.]]Â He made the moon to mark the months,
and the sun sets according to a regular schedule.
[[#Verse 20.]]Â You make it dark and night comes,
during which all the beasts of the forest prowl around.
[[#Verse 21.]]Â The lions roar for prey,
seeking their food from God.
[[#Verse 22.]]Â When the sun rises, they withdraw
and sleep in their dens.
[[#Verse 23.]]Â People then go out to do their work,
and they labor until evening.
[[#Verse 24.]]Â How many living things you have made, OÂ Lord!
You have exhibited great skill in making all of them;
the earth is full of the living things you have made.
[[#Verse 25.]]Â Over here is the deep, wide sea,
which teems with innumerable swimming creatures,
living things both small and large.
[[#Verse 26.]]Â The ships travel there,
and over here swims the whale you made to play in it.
[[#Verse 27.]] All your creatures wait for you
to provide them with food on a regular basis.
[[#Verse 28.]]Â You give food to them and they receive it;
you open your hand and they are filled with food.
[[#Verse 29.]]Â When you ignore them, they panic.
When you take away their life’s breath,
they die and return to dust.
[[#Verse 30.]]Â When you send your life-giving breath, they are created,
and you replenish the surface of the ground.
[[#Verse 31.]] May the splendor of the Lord endure.
May the Lord find pleasure in the living things he has made.
[[#Verse 32.]]Â He looks down on the earth and it shakes;
he touches the mountains and they start to smolder.
[[#Verse 33.]] I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I exist.
[[#Verse 34.]] May my thoughts be pleasing to him.
I will rejoice in the Lord.
[[#Verse 35.]] May sinners disappear from the earth,
and the wicked vanish.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
###### Verse 19.
###### Verse 20.
###### Verse 21.
###### Verse 22.
###### Verse 23.
###### Verse 24.
###### Verse 25.
###### Verse 26.
###### Verse 27.
###### Verse 28.
###### Verse 29.
###### Verse 30.
###### Verse 31.
###### Verse 32.
###### Verse 33.
###### Verse 33.
###### Verse 34.
###### Verse 35.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Psalm 104 opens and closes with the same call to bless the Lord found in Psalm 103, and the two are often read as companion psalms.
2. The psalm roughly follows the order of creation in Genesis 1: light, sky, waters, land, plants, lights, creatures.
3. Hebrews 1:7 quotes 104:4 about God making winds His messengers and fire His servants.
4. Storks nesting in the trees (104:17) and rock badgers (hyraxes) living among the rocks (104:18) are animals still found in Israel today.
5. Leviathan, a great sea creature, is described here as something God made to play in the sea (104:26).
6. Wine, oil, and bread (104:15) were the three staple products of the land of Israel.
7. The moon marks the seasons (104:19), reflecting Israel's lunar calendar for its feasts.
8. The closing "Praise the Lord" (104:35) is the Hebrew "Hallelujah," and it is often noted as the first appearance of that word in the Psalms.
9. Scholars have noted similarities between this psalm and the Egyptian "Hymn to the Aten," though Psalm 104 praises the Creator, not the sun.
10. The cedars of Lebanon (104:16) were the most prized timber of the ancient Near East.
## 🧠Chapter Summary
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the One through whom all things were created and in whom all things hold together (Colossians 1:16-17). Every creature in this psalm depends on Him for breath and food (104:27-30).
## 🔎 Key Principles / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. The psalmist sees God's care in water, grass, trees, birds, and animals (104:10-18). Where do you see God's care in creation around you?
2. All creatures wait for God to give them food at the right time (104:27-28). What does it look like to live in daily dependence on Him?
3. The psalm ends with a desire for the psalmist's thoughts to be pleasing to God (104:34). How can creation lead you to worship instead of only admiration?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verses 1-2: The Lord is clothed with majesty and wraps Himself in light like a garment.
- đź“– verse 24: How many are the Lord's works; He made them all with wisdom.
- đź“– verse 30: When God sends His Spirit, creatures are created and the face of the earth is renewed.
## đź”— Related Passages/Cross Reference
- đź”— [[Genesis 01#Verse 01.|Genesis 1:1-31]] - God creates the heavens and the earth.
- đź”— [[Colossians 01#Verse 16.|Colossians 1:16-17]] - All things were created through Christ and hold together in Him.
- đź”— [[Hebrews 01#Verse 07.|Hebrews 1:7]] - He makes His angels winds.
- đź”— [[Matthew 06#Verse 26.|Matthew 6:26]] - Your heavenly Father feeds the birds.
- đź”— [[Job 38#Verse 04.|Job 38:4-11]] - Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[Psalm 104- SOAP|God is the Author of Complex Creation]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes