King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
Complete Jewish Bible:
You determined a boundary they could not cross; they were never to cover the earth again.
Berean Standard Bible:
You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth.
American Standard Version:
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth.
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Thou hast set{H7760} a bound{H1366} that they may not pass over{H5674}; that they turn not again{H7725} to cover{H3680} the earth{H776}.
Cross-References (KJV):
Job 38:10
- And brake up for it my decreed [place], and set bars and doors,
Job 38:11
- And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed?
Genesis 9:11
- And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth.
Genesis 9:15
- And I will remember my covenant, which [is] between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
Jeremiah 5:22
- Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand [for] the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
Job 26:10
- He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.
Isaiah 54:9
- For this [is as] the waters of Noah unto me: for [as] I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
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Commentary for Psalms 104:9
Psalm 104:9 is part of a larger poem that celebrates God's majesty and creative power in the natural world. This particular verse is a continuation of the theme that begins in verse 5, where the psalmist reflects on God's establishment of the earth on its foundations so that it can never be moved.
In Psalm 104:9, the theme revolves around the divine order and the boundaries God has set in creation. The verse speaks metaphorically about the limits placed upon the waters, which in ancient Hebrew cosmology, were often seen as chaotic and in need of restraint. The phrase "Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over" refers to God's sovereign act of restricting the waters from covering the earth again, as they had during the Great Flood in the time of Noah (Genesis 7-8). This boundary is a sign of God's covenant with Noah and all living creatures, promising never to destroy the earth with a flood again (Genesis 9:8-17).
The historical context of this verse is rooted in the ancient Near Eastern understanding of the world, where the control of waters was a common theme in creation narratives. The psalmist is likely drawing on this widespread motif to emphasize the power and faithfulness of the Israelite God, who maintains the order of creation and ensures the stability and safety of the world.
In summary, Psalm 104:9 highlights the theme of divine sovereignty over nature, reflecting God's role as the creator and sustainer of the world who sets boundaries to maintain order. It echoes the covenantal promise to never again allow the waters to become a global destructive force, providing comfort and assurance to the Israelites and future generations that the natural order is upheld by God's providential care.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H7760
There are 550 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׂוּם
Transliteration: sûwm
Pronunciation: soom
Description: or שִׂים; a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically); [idiom] any wise, appoint, bring, call (a name), care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, [phrase] disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, [phrase] name, [idiom] on, ordain, order, [phrase] paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), [phrase] regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, [phrase] stedfastly, take, [idiom] tell, [phrase] tread down, (over-)turn, [idiom] wholly, work. - Strong's Number: H1366
There are 196 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: גְּבוּל
Transliteration: gᵉbûwl
Pronunciation: gheb-ool'
Description: or גְּבֻל; (shortened) from גָּבַל; properly, a cord (as twisted), i.e. (by implication) a boundary; by extension the territory inclosed; border, bound, coast, [idiom] great, landmark, limit, quarter, space. - Strong's Number: H5674
There are 493 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָבַר
Transliteration: ʻâbar
Pronunciation: aw-bar'
Description: a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath. - Strong's Number: H7725
There are 952 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שׁוּב
Transliteration: shûwb
Pronunciation: shoob
Description: a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again; ((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) [idiom] again, (cause to) answer ([phrase] again), [idiom] in any case (wise), [idiom] at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, [idiom] certainly, come again (back), [idiom] consider, [phrase] continually, convert, deliver (again), [phrase] deny, draw back, fetch home again, [idiom] fro, get (oneself) (back) again, [idiom] give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, [idiom] needs, be past, [idiom] pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, [phrase] say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, [idiom] surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw. - Strong's Number: H3680
There are 149 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: כָּסָה
Transliteration: kâçâh
Pronunciation: kaw-saw'
Description: a primitive root; properly, to plump, i.e. fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy); clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm. Compare כָּשָׂה. - Strong's Number: H776
There are 2739 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: אֶרֶץ
Transliteration: ʼerets
Pronunciation: eh'-rets
Description: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.