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.
Psalm 104 is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and poetic of the Psalms, a hymn of praise to the Creator who has fashioned the world in all its complexity and wonder. The psalmist uses vivid imagery to describe God's creative power, and the result is a sweeping panorama of the natural world, from the heavens above to the earth below.
The psalm opens with a call to bless the Lord, the soul's joyous response to the magnificence of God's creation. The psalmist paints a picture of God clothed in splendor and majesty, wrapped in light as with a garment. The heavens are his tent, and the clouds are his chariot. The wind and the waters are his servants. The earth, with its mountains and valleys, its plants and animals, is the work of his hands.
The main theme of Psalm 104 is the majesty of God as revealed in creation. The psalmist sees God's hand in every aspect of the natural world, from the grandeur of the mountains to the intricacies of the smallest creature. God's power and wisdom are manifest in the orderly progression of the seasons, the interdependence of all living things, and the intricate balance of the ecosystem. The psalmist marvels at the variety and abundance of life that God has created and sustains.
Throughout the psalm, the psalmist uses concrete, sensory language to convey the beauty and wonder of creation. We can almost see the trees of the Lord drinking their fill, the high mountains serving as a refuge for the wild goats, and the storks making their nests in the fir trees. We can hear the roar of the sea and its creatures, and feel the earth trembling before the Lord. The psalmist's love for creation is palpable, and his words invite us to share in his sense of awe and wonder.
Another key theme of Psalm 104 is God's sustaining power. The psalmist portrays God not only as the creator of the world but also as its sustainer. God waters the earth, causing it to bring forth vegetation. He feeds the animals, giving them their food in due season. When he opens his hand, they are filled with good things. When he hides his face, they are dismayed. When he takes away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When he sends forth his spirit, they are created, and he renews the face of the ground.
This theme of divine sustenance underscores the dependence of all living things on God. From the smallest insect to the largest beast, from the grass of the field to the birds of the sky, all creatures rely on God for their existence and sustenance. This realization leads to a profound sense of humility and gratitude. As the psalmist declares, "O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all".
The final theme of Psalm 104 is the call to worship. After contemplating the wonders of creation and the goodness of God, the psalmist bursts into a song of praise: "I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being."
The psalmist's words serve as an invitation to join in this act of worship. They remind us that the proper response to the beauty and wonder of creation is not just admiration, but adoration. They challenge us to see the world not just as a collection of objects, but as a revelation of the divine. They call us to live not just in the world, but in awe of the One who made it.
In conclusion, Psalm 104 is a hymn of praise to the Creator, a celebration of the beauty and wonder of the natural world, and a meditation on the sustaining power of God. It invites us to see the world with fresh eyes, to marvel at the intricacy and diversity of life, and to live in humble dependence on the One who holds all things in his hands. It is a psalm that speaks to the heart of the human condition, expressing our deepest longings for connection, meaning, and transcendence. As such, it continues to resonate with readers today, offering a vision of the world that is both awe-inspiring and deeply comforting.
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