Psalms 104: How Many Your Works
A psalm of creation that blesses the Lord clothed in light, who provides for every living thing and renews the face of the earth by his Spirit.
Psalms 104 (WEB)
1 Bless Yahweh, my soul. Yahweh, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.
2 He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
3 He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.
4 He makes his messengers winds; his servants flames of fire.
5 He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.
8 The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them.
9 You have set a boundary that they may not pass over; that they don’t turn again to cover the earth.
10 He sends springs into the valleys. They run among the mountains.
11 They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing among the branches.
13 He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.
14 He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:
15 wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.
16 Yahweh’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted;
17 where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set.
20 You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.
22 The sun rises, and they steal away, and lay down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to his work, to his labor until the evening.
24 Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches.
25 There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals.
26 There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.
27 These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.
28 You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.
29 You hide your face: they are troubled; you take away their breath: they die, and return to the dust.
30 You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.
31 Let Yahweh’s glory endure forever. Let Yahweh rejoice in his works.
32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
34 Let your meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in Yahweh.
35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless Yahweh, my soul. Praise Yah!
Psalms 104 (KJV)
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
4 Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
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.
16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24 O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25 So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27 These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28 That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
31 The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.
32 He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.
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 (ASV)
1 Bless Jehovah, O my soul. O Jehovah my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty:
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment; Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; Who maketh the clouds his chariot; Who walketh upon the wings of the wind;
4 Who maketh winds his messengers; Flames of fire his ministers;
5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, That it should not be moved for ever.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture; The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away
8 (The mountains rose, the valleys sank down) Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth forth springs into the valleys; They run among the mountains;
11 They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their habitation; They sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the mountains from his chambers: The earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man; That he may bring forth food out of the earth,
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, Andoil to make his face to shine, And bread that strengtheneth man’s heart.
16 The trees of Jehovah are filledwith moisture, The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests: As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; The rocks are a refuge for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons: The sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night, Wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they get them away, And lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labor until the evening.
24 O Jehovah, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, Both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships; There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to play therein.
27 These wait all for thee, That thou mayest give them their food in due season.
28 Thou givest unto them, they gather; Thou openest thy hand, they are satisfied with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath, they die, And return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; And thou renewest the face of the ground.
31 Let the glory of Jehovah endure for ever; Let Jehovah rejoice in his works:
32 Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto Jehovah as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
34 Let my meditation be sweet unto him: I will rejoice in Jehovah.
35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. And let the wicked be no more. Bless Jehovah, O my soul. Praise ye Jehovah.
Summary
This majestic creation psalm is a tour through the made world, written as praise. It opens like Psalm 103 with bless Yahweh, my soul, then portrays God clothed with honor and majesty, covering himself with light as a garment, stretching out the heavens like a curtain, and making the clouds his chariot. Following roughly the order of the creation week, the psalm celebrates God setting the earth's foundations and bounding the seas so they will not again cover the earth. It marvels at the springs in the valleys that water wild donkeys and birds, the grass for livestock and the plants that yield bread, wine, and oil to gladden and strengthen human hearts. God appointed the moon for seasons and the sun that knows when to set, ordering night for the prowling animals and day for human labor. The psalmist exclaims how manifold God's works are, all made in wisdom, and turns to the great and wide sea teeming with creatures, even the leviathan formed to play there. All these creatures wait on God to give them food in due season; when he opens his hand they are satisfied, and when he hides his face or takes their breath they die and return to dust. Yet God sends out his Spirit and they are created, renewing the face of the ground. The psalm prays that God's glory may endure forever and ends with the singer's resolve to sing to the Lord as long as he lives, even as he longs for sinners to be no more. Christians read this psalm knowing that the Son is the one through whom all things were made and in whom all things hold together.
Voices
- Yahweh the Creator — The God clothed in light who stretches out the heavens, sets the earth's foundations, feeds all creatures, and renews the earth by his Spirit.
- The praising psalmist — The voice that blesses the Lord, marvels at his manifold works, and resolves to sing to God as long as he lives.
- All living creatures — The animals, birds, sea creatures, and people who wait on God for food and life, dependent on his open hand and his breath.
Key Verse
Psalm 104:24 (WEB)
Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches.
Lessons Learned
- Creation is a vast display of God's wisdom, majesty, and care, meant to move us to worship.
- God not only made the world but actively sustains it, providing food and breath for every creature.
- Every living thing depends moment by moment on God's open hand and his Spirit.
- The order and beauty of nature—day and night, sea and land, food and drink—are gifts to be received with thanks.
- The same Spirit who renews the earth points us to the new creation accomplished and promised in Christ.
- Creation reveals God's wisdom. “In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches” (Psalm 104:24, WEB). The natural world is a gallery of God's wise craftsmanship.
- God gives good gifts to gladden us. “wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart” (Psalm 104:15, WEB). God delights to provide for human joy, not just survival.
- Every creature depends on God's hand. “You open your hand; they are satisfied with good” (Psalm 104:28, WEB). All life is sustained moment by moment by God's continued provision.
- Life and breath are God's to give and take. “You take away their breath: they die... You send out your Spirit and they are created” (Psalm 104:29-30, WEB). God is Lord over both death and renewal.
- Beholding creation leads to praise. “I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live” (Psalm 104:33, WEB). The right response to the Creator's works is a lifetime of song.
- How does this psalm portray God's relationship to the created world—both making it and sustaining it?
- What does it mean that creatures “wait” for God and are satisfied when he opens his hand?
- How do verses about wine, oil, and bread show God's care for human joy and not just survival?
- What does it teach us that all life depends on God's breath and his Spirit?
- How might paying closer attention to creation this week lead you into worship of the Creator?
- God both made the world—laying the earth's foundations, stretching out the heavens, bounding the seas—and continually sustains it, sending springs, growing grass, and feeding creatures (104:5-30). He is not a distant clockmaker but a present, providing Lord.
- It means all creatures look to God for their daily provision and life itself (104:27-28). Their dependence pictures our own: everything we have is received from God's open hand, and we live only because he gives us breath.
- God provides not merely the bare minimum but wine to gladden, oil to make faces shine, and bread to strengthen (104:15). This shows a generous Creator who cares about human flourishing and joy, lavishing good gifts on his creatures.
- It teaches utter dependence: when God takes breath away, creatures die; when he sends his Spirit, they are created and the earth renewed (104:29-30). Our very existence hangs on God's sustaining will, which points to the new creation in Christ.
- This is a gentle personal-application question. Invite members to slow down and notice something specific in creation—a sunrise, a meal, a living thing—and let it prompt thanks to the Maker. Encourage them that attention to God's works naturally awakens worship.