Psalm 104 – “Hymnic Praise”

Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
The psalmist praises God for creating and maintaining the world.

II. Photo
The psalmist praises God: “He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.” (v. 19)

III. Select Verses    
1b-4: O LORD, my God, You are very great; You are clothed in glory and majesty,  wrapped in a robe of light; You spread the heavens like a tent cloth.  He sets the rafters of His lofts in the waters, makes the clouds His chariot, moves on the wings of the wind. He makes the winds His messengers, fiery flames His servants.
19-23: He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.  You bring on darkness and it is night, when all the beasts of the forests stir.  The lions roar for prey, seeking their food from God.  When the sun rises, they come home and couch in their dens.  Man then goes out to his work, to his labor until the evening.
24-30:  How many are the things You have made, O LORD; You have made them all with wisdom; the earth is full of Your creations.  There is the sea, vast and wide, with its creatures beyond number, living things, small and great. There go the ships, and Leviathan that You formed to sport with. All of them look to You to give them their food when it is due.  Give it to them, they gather it up; open Your hand, they are well satisfied;  hide Your face, they are terrified; take away their breath, they perish and turn again into dust;  send back Your breath, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.
35a: May sinners disappear from the earth, and the wicked be no more.

IV. Outline
1a. Superscription, Invocation
1b-23. Hymnic praise
24. Hymnic address
25-30. Hymnic praise
31. Wish/blessing
32. Hymnic praise
33-34. Vow to praise; Wish
35a. Imprecation
35b. Postscript

V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.

VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Gerstenberger, Erhard. Psalms Part 2 and Lamentations (Forms of Old Testament Literature; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001).
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