Bible Commentaries
Psalms 104

Verses 1-35

Psalms 104:0

Psalms 104:1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

Psalms 104:1 Comments - Psalms 104:0 opens with praise and blessings to Almighty God (Psalms 104:1; Psalms 104:35). The body of this psalm reflects upon His creation as the clearest testimony given to mankind of God’s greatness, honour and majesty. The psalmist will acknowledge God’s greatness again in Psalms 104:24, “O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them,” and he will bless Him in Psalms 104:33, “ I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.” All of creation testifies to God’s greatness, bearing witness to His eternal power and godhead (Romans 1:19-20), and declaring His glory (Psalms 19:1-4). Psalms 104:0 will testify of God’s greatness by revealing God’s divine providence and care over His creation.

Romans 1:19-20, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

Psalms 19:1, “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.”

Psalms 104:2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

Psalms 104:2 “who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain” Scripture Reference - Note a similar a statement in Isaiah 40:22, “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain , and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:”

Psalms 104:4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

Psalms 104:4 Old Testament Quotes in the New Testament - Psalms 104:4 is quoted in Hebrews 1:7.

Hebrews 1:7, “And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

Comments - We find examples of angels described as flaming fire in the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3:2, “And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.”

We have the Holy Spirit described as burning lamps in Revelation 4:5, “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne , which are the seven Spirits of God.”

Psalms 104:6-9 God’s Glory Revealed by the Flood - Psalms 104:6-9 appears to describe the events of the Flood recorded in Genesis 6-8.

Psalms 104:15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

Psalms 104:15 Comments - Wine, oil, and bread were the stables of food for the children of Israel. Psalms 104:15 reveals that each of these foods had a purpose.

Psalms 104:30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.

Psalms 104:30 “and thou renewest the face of earth” - Comments - The NET reads, “and you replenish the surface of the ground.” The context of Psalms 104:30 implies that man begins to exist when he is created in the womb, and is born to replenish the earth, which reflects God first commandment to man to take dominion of the earth and fill it (Genesis 1:26-28).

Psalms 104:30 Comments - The Mormons believe in the pre-existence of man as a spirit with God before he is born on earth. [103] Psalms 104:30 makes it clear that God creates man so that man has a beginning, a point of creation, so that there was a time before a man’s existence.

[103] James Talmage wrote the articles of faith for the Mormon church. In it he deals with the pre-existence of man, saying, “While existence is eternal and therefore to being there never was a beginning, never will be an end…” and, “The pre-existent condition is not characteristic of human souls alone; all things of earth have a spiritual being, of which the temporal structure forms but the counterpart.” See James E. Talmage, The Articles of Faith: A Series of Lectures on the Principle Doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City, Utah: The Deseret News, 1899), 33, 199.

Psalms 104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.

Psalms 104:35 “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more” Comments - God’s plan of redemption for mankind is designed to sustain righteousness upon earth while judging the wicked. However, redemption is not limited to mankind, but the rest of His creation as well; for the earth was made subject to vanity at the time of man’s fall. Paul the apostle tells us that all of creation groans and travails, awaiting the redemption of mankind so that it can be restored to perfect order (Romans 8:19-23). Thus, every aspect of God’s creation is designed to judge wickedness and man’s pride.