Table of Contents
Psalm 104
Psalm 104
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.
Notes
Cross Reference
Concordance
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 2
<html><b>[You] enwrap Yourself with light</b> in the sky like a garment.</html>
Verse 4
<html><b>He makes winds His messengers</b> lit. He makes His messengers winds. He makes the wind His messengers.</html>
Verse 6
<html><b>You covered the deep as [with] a garment</b> This is similar to what is said elsewhere (Job 38: 9): “When I made the cloud its raiment, etc.” <b>the deep</b> That is the sea. <b>the waters stand on the mountains</b> The waters of the ocean are higher than the whole world. They stand on the mountains, and so Scripture states (Amos 5:8, 9:6): “He who calls the water of the sea and pours it upon the face of the earth.” Pouring denotes only [pouring] from above downward.</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>From Your rebuke they fled</b> When You said (Gen. 1:9): “Let the waters gather.” And from that voice they hastened away and gathered in the place that You founded for them.</html>
Verse 9
<html><b>You set a boundary</b> for them, viz. the sand that is around its shore.</html>
Verse 12
<html><b>Beside them the fowl of the heavens dwell</b> Beside the springs. <b>from between the branches</b> Heb. עפאים, the branches of the trees, and so (Dan. 4:11): “its branches were (עפיה) beautiful.”</html>
Verse 15
<html><b>And wine</b> which cheers man’s heart, that too He brings forth from the earth, and oil to cause the face to radiate. <b>and bread</b> which sustains man’s heart.</html>
Verse 16
<html><b>The Lord’s trees</b> in the Garden of Eden.</html>
Verse 17
<html><b>birds nest</b> Israel will dwell there. יְקַנֵנוּ is an expression of a bird’s nest (קן צפור).</html>
Verse 18
<html><b>The lofty mountains</b> He created for the ibexes. <b>shelter</b> Every expression of מַחְסֶה is an expression of a shadow and a hiding place, where a person covers himself from flood and rain.</html>
Verse 19
<html><b>He made the moon for the appointed seasons</b> To count with it the times and the festivals. <b>the sun knows its setting</b> But the moon does not know its setting, because sometimes it comes through a long way and sometimes it comes through a short way.</html>
Verse 20
<html><b>You make darkness and it is night</b> Every day You darken and block out the sun and it becomes night, when all the beasts of the forest move about.</html>
Verse 22
<html><b>When the sun rises they gather in</b> into the secret places and hide there from the sons of men; then every man goes forth to his work.</html>
Verse 24
<html><b>Your possessions</b> Heb. קנינך, the acquisition that you have acquired, like (Gen. 14:19): “Owner (קנה) of heaven and earth.” All is acquired by You.</html>
Verse 25
<html><b>and wide</b> Heb. ורחב ידים. Wide of place, large in French, broad.</html>
Verse 26
<html><b>with which to sport</b> three hours during the day. So did our Sages say in tractate Avodah Zarah (3b), and so it is written explicitly in the Book of Job (40:29): “Will you play with him like a bird?”</html>
Verse 29
<html><b>You gather in their spirit</b> Heb. תסף, an expression of destruction, as (above 73:19): “They were completely consumed (ספו).”</html>
Verse 30
<html><b>You will send forth Your spirit</b> with the resurrection of the dead.</html>
Verse 32
<html><b>He touches the mountains and they emit smoke</b> as is depicted of Sinai (Exod. 19:18): “And Mount Sinai was all in smoke.”</html>
Verse 33
<html><b>as long as I exist</b> Heb. בעדי, like (Deut. 31:27): “When I am still (בעודני) alive.”</html>
Verse 35
<html><b>Sinners will be destroyed</b> Heb. חטאים, sinners [rather than sins, but see Tal. Ber. 10a].</html>