RRB notes: Psalm 104

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: [a] who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:

[a] See comments on Heb. 1:10-12.

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: [b]

[b] Heb. 1:7-14; Mark 1:13; Matt. 4:11, 28:2; Judg. 13:20.

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: [c] the waters stood above the mountains. [1]

[c] 2 Pet. 3:4-7.

[1] Henry Morris and the Institute for Creation Research have made this the Noahic Flood in an attempt to “protect” creationism and explain the dinosaurs. The verse has nothing to do with Noah’s Flood at all. The context of the passage is when God “laid the foundation of the earth” (vs. 5), which is clearly a reference to the original creation of Genesis 1:1 (Job 38:4-7). The word “foundations” occurs nowhere in connection with Noah’s Flood in Genesis 6-9.

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. [2]

[2] Verses 7-9 are what messed up the creationists (see note on vs. 6). Verses 4-6 dealt with the flood of Genesis 1:1-2, but verses 7-9 deal with the flood of Noah, because this verse is the Noahic promise of Genesis 9:11. The creationists ran verses 7-9 back into verses 4-6 where they didn’t belong.

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 [d] that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, [e] and bread [f] which strengtheneth man’s heart.

[d] John 2:3-10; Deut. 32:14.

[e] Exod. 34:29; Acts 6:15.

[f] Luke 4:4; Isa. 55:2; Eccl. 11:1-2.

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. [3]

[3] This is another place where the destructive critics of the Bible are simply dying to show off their education (see the Bible Believers’ Commentary on Psalms, Vol. 1, 1993, pp. 793-794). But Webster defines a “coney” as a rabbit, and the Holy Scriptures confirm it (Lev. 11:5; Deut. 14:7).

19. He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down. [4]

[4] “The sun” is a type of Christ (Psa. 19:4-5; Mal. 4:2). Its “going down” pictures His death and burial (Acts 2:27; Eph. 4:9). Its rising pictures His resurrection and return (Judg. 5:31).

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, [g] they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

[g] See note on vs. 19.

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. [5]

[5] Here is another beautiful opportunity for the Scriptures to scramble the minds of those who mess with the AV. Here, “leviathan” is not a reference to Satan as it was in Job 41; Psalm 74:14; and Isaiah 27:1. Instead, it is a reference to an animal chosen as a type of Satan (Lam. 4:3). Here, "leviathan” is a whale, a salt-water mammal so unique that it is given as a separate class of “fish” in Genesis 1:21 (Jon. 1:17 cf. Matt. 12:40). The stupid critics of the KIng James text used verse 26 to mislocate the “leviathan” of Job 41 as an earthly creature so they could ignore what the Scriptures said in Psalm 74:14 and Isaiah 27:1 and cover up for the Devil.

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. [6]

[6] The verse refers to two things: 1) the creation of Genesis 1 (John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17) and 2) the “regeneration” of the earth after the Tribulation (Mat. 19:28; Acts 3:21). The commentators confine verses 30-31 to Genesis 1 by ignoring the Tribulation references in verse 32.

31. The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works. [h]

[h] Takes place at the “regeneration” of the earth (see note on vs. 30). Psa. 100:1-2, 108:7; Isa. 65:18-19; Jer. 32:41; Zeph. 3:17.

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.

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