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Commentary on Psalms 104 verses 1–9
When we are addressing ourselves to any religious service we must stir up ourselves to take hold on God in it (Isa 64:7); so David does here. "Come, my soul, where art thou? What art thou thinking of? Here is work to be done, good work, angels' work; set about it in good earnest; let all the powers and faculties be engaged and employed in it: Bless the Lord, O my soul!" In these verses,
I. The psalmist looks up to the divine glory shining in the upper world, of which, though it is one of the things not seen, faith is the evidence. With what reverence and holy awe does he begin his meditation with that acknowledgment: O Lord my God! thou art very great! It is the joy of the saints that he who is their God is a great God. The grandeur of the prince is the pride and pleasure of all his good subjects. The majesty of God is here set forth by various instances, alluding to the figure which great princes in their public appearances covet to make. Their equipage, compared with his (even of the eastern kings, who most affected pomp), is but as the light of a glow-worm compared with that of the sun, when he goes forth in his strength. Princes appear great, 1. In their robes; and what are God's robes? Thou art clothed with honour and majesty, Psa 104:1. God is seen in his works, and these proclaim him infinitely wise and good, and all that is great. Thou coverest thyself with light as with a garment, Psa 104:2. God is light (Jo1 1:5), the Father of lights (Jam 1:17); he dwells in light (Ti1 6:16); he clothes himself with it. The residence of his glory is in the highest heaven, that light which was created the first day, Gen 1:3. Of all visible beings light comes nearest to the nature of a spirit, and therefore with that God is pleased to cover himself, that is, to reveal himself under that similitude, as men are seen in the clothes with which they cover themselves; and so only, for his face cannot be seen. 2. In their palaces or pavilions, when they take the field; and what is God's palace and his pavilion? He stretches out the heavens like a curtain, Psa 104:2. So he did at first, when he made the firmament, which in the Hebrew has its name from its being expanded, or stretched out, Gen 1:7. He made it to divide the waters as a curtain divides between two apartments. So he does still: he now stretches out the heavens like a curtain, keeps them upon the stretch, and they continue to this day according to his ordinance. The regions of the air are stretched out about the earth, like a curtain about a bed, to keep it warm, and drawn between us and the upper world, to break its dazzling light; for, though God covers himself with light, yet, in compassion to us, he makes darkness his pavilion. Thick clouds are a covering to him. The vastness of this pavilion may lead us to consider how great, how very great, he is that fills heaven and earth. He has his chambers, his upper rooms (so the word signifies), the beams whereof he lays in the waters, the waters that are above the firmament (Psa 104:3), as he has founded the earth upon the seas and floods, the waters beneath the firmament. Though air and water are fluid bodies, yet, by the divine power, they are kept as tight and as firm in the place assigned them as a chamber is with beams and rafters. How great a God is he whose presence-chamber is thus reared, thus fixed! 3. In their coaches of state, with their stately horses, which add much to the magnificence of their entries; but God makes the clouds his chariots, in which he rides strongly, swiftly, and far above out of the reach of opposition, when at any time he will act by uncommon providences in the government of this world. He descended in a cloud, as in a chariot, to Mount Sinai, to give the law, and to Mount Tabor, to proclaim the gospel (Mat 17:5), and he walks (a gentle pace indeed, yet stately) upon the wings of the wind. See Psa 18:10, Psa 18:11. He commands the winds, directs them as he pleases, and serves his own purposes by them. 4. In their retinue or train of attendants; and here also God is very great, for (Psa 104:4) he makes his angels spirits. This is quoted by the apostle (Heb 1:7) to prove the pre-eminence of Christ above the angels. The angels are here said to be his angels and his ministers, for they are under his dominion and at his disposal; they are winds, and a flame of fire, that is, they appeared in wind and fire (so some), or they are as swift as winds, and pure as flames; or he makes them spirits, so the apostle quotes it. They are spiritual beings; and, whatever vehicles they may have proper to their nature, it is certain they have not bodies as we have. Being spirits, they are so much the further removed from the encumbrances of the human nature and so much the nearer allied to the glories of the divine nature. And they are bright, and quick, and ascending, as fire, as a flame of fire. In Ezekiel's vision they ran and returned like a flash of lightning, Eze 1:14. Thence they are called seraphim - burners. Whatever they are, they are what God made them, what he still makes them; they derive their being from him, having the being he gave them, are held in being by him, and he makes what use he pleases of them.
II. He looks down, and looks about, to the power of God shining in this lower world. He is not so taken up with the glories of his court as to neglect even the remotest of his territories; no, not the sea and dry land.
1.He has founded the earth, Psa 104:5. Though he has hung it upon nothing (Job 26:2), ponderibus librata suis - balanced by its own weight, yet it is as immovable as if it had been laid upon the surest foundations. He has built the earth upon her basis, so that though it has received a dangerous shock by the sin of man, and the malice of hell strikes at it, yet it shall not be removed for ever, that is, not till the end of time, when it must give way to the new earth. Dr. Hammond's paraphrase of this is worth noting: "God has fixed so strange a place for the earth, that, being a heavy body, one would think it should fall every minute; and yet, which way soever we would imagine it to stir, it must, contrary to the nature of such a body, fall upwards, and so can have no possible ruin but by tumbling into heaven."
2.He has set bounds to the sea; for that also is his. (1.) He brought it within bounds in the creation. At first the earth, which, being the more ponderous body, would subside of course, was covered with the deep (Psa 104:6): The waters were above the mountains; and so it was unfit to be, as it was designed, a habitation for man; and therefore, on the third day, God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered to one place, and let the dry land appear, Gen 1:9. This command of God is here called his rebuke, as if he gave it because he was displeased that the earth was thus covered with water and not fit for man to dwell on. Power went along with this word, and therefore it is also called here the voice of his thunder, which is a mighty voice and produces strange effects, Psa 104:7. At thy rebuke, as if they were made sensible that they were out of their place, they fled; they hasted away (they called, and not in vain, to the rocks and mountains to cover them), as it is said on another occasion (Psa 77:16), The waters saw thee, O God! the waters saw thee; they were afraid. Even those fluid bodies received the impression of God's terror. But was the Lord displeased against the rivers? No; it was for the salvation of his people, Hab 3:8, Hab 3:13. So here; God rebuked the waters for man's sake, to prepare room for him; for men must not be made as the fishes of the sea (Hab 1:14); they must have air to breathe in. Immediately therefore, with all speed, the waters retired, Psa 104:8. They go over hill and dale (as we say), go up by the mountains and down by the valleys; they will neither stop at the former nor lodge in the latter, but make the best of their way to the place which thou hast founded for them, and there they make their bed. Let the obsequiousness even of the unstable waters teach us obedience to the word and will of God; for shall man alone of all the creatures be obstinate? Let their retiring to and resting in the place assigned them teach us to acquiesce in the disposals of that wise providence which appoints us the bounds of our habitation. (2.) He keeps it within bounds, Psa 104:9. The waters are forbidden to pass over the limits set them; they may not, and therefore they do not, turn again to cover the earth. Once they did, in Noah's flood, because God bade them, but never since, because he forbids them, having promised not to drown the world again. God himself glorifies in this instance of his power (Job 38:8, etc.) and uses it as an argument with us to fear him, Jer 5:22. This, if duly considered, would keep the world in awe of the Lord and his goodness, That the waters of the sea would soon cover the earth if God did not restrain them.
This is the way, dear friends, in which we found out salvation, namely Jesus Christ, the high priest of our offerings, the guardian and helper of our weakness. Through him let us look steadily into the heights of heaven; through him we see as in a mirror his faultless and transcendent face; through him the eyes of our hearts have been opened; through him our foolish and darkened mind springs up into the light; through him the Master has willed that we should taste immortal knowledge, for “he, being the radiance of his majesty, is as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent.” For so it is written: “He makes his angels winds and his ministers flames of fire.” But of his Son the Master spoke thus: “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the Gentiles for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.” And again he says to him, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Who, then, are these enemies? Those who are wicked and resist his will.
What we proclaim is not one single coming of Christ but a second as well, much fairer than the first. For the first presented a demonstration of long-suffering, but the second wears the crown of the kingdom of God. Most things about our Lord Jesus Christ are twofold. His birth is twofold, once of God before the ages and once of the Virgin in the end of the ages. Twice he comes down, once all unseen like dew on a fleece and a second time still future and manifest. When first he came, he was swaddled in a manger. When next he comes he will “clothe himself with light as with a garment.” At his first coming “he endured the cross, despising the shame”; at his second, he comes surrounded with glory and escorted by hosts of angels. We do not therefore simply rest on Christ’s first coming, by itself, but let us look forward also to his second; and as we say of his former coming, “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord,” so also we will say the same words again at his second coming, that we may meet our Master in company with angels and say, “Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord” as we worship him. The Savior comes again, but not to be judged again, for he will pass judgment on those who passed judgment on him, and he who before kept silence as they judged him now reminds those lawless people who did their outrageous deeds to him on the cross and says, “These things you have done, and I kept silence.” He adapted himself when he came then and taught people by persuasion, but this time it is they who will be forced to bow to his rule, whether they want to or not.
There are some things, too, which have such a place in the body, that they obviously serve no useful purpose, but are solely for beauty, as e.g. the teats on a man's breast, or the beard on his face; for that this is for ornament, and not for protection, is proved by the bare faces of women, who ought rather, as the weaker sex, to enjoy such a defence. If, therefore, of all those members which are exposed to our view, there is certainly not one in which beauty is sacrificed to utility, while there are some which serve no purpose but only beauty, I think it can readily be concluded that in the creation of the human body comeliness was more regarded than necessity. In truth, necessity is a transitory thing; and the time is coming when we shall enjoy one another's beauty without any lust,—a condition which will specially redound to the praise of the Creator, who, as it is said in the psalm, has "put on praise and comeliness."
..."Bless the Lord, O my soul." Let the soul of us all, made one in Christ, say this. "O Lord my God, You are magnified exceedingly!" Where are You magnified? "Confession and beauty You have put on." Confess ye, that you may be beautified, that He may put you on.
The sky that you behold, O man [a listener who is a sensible person], made completely of air, carries many waters and is not itself supported by anything else, since a mere command hung it up and the sole force of a precept supports it. The divine revelation states, “Who stretches out the heaven like a pavilion, who covers the higher rooms thereof with water.” The great weight and burden of the mountains rests on the earth, which is made solid by its own mass; and that earth floats on a foundation of liquid, as the prophet testifies: “Who established the earth above the waters.” Consequently, the fact that it stands arises from a commandment, not from nature. “He spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.” Therefore, the fact that the world holds together is a matter of divine operation, not of human understanding. The sea rolls along with the high crest of its own waves and is raised aloft toward the clouds. Yet, light sands hem it in. Hence we see that its great might yields not to the sand but to a precept. All the beings in the sky and earth and sea move and live after they have been made by one sole command. The prophet affirms that they will be dissolved again by a mere command when he says, “In the beginning, O Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They shall perish, but you remain; and all of them shall all grow old like a garment, and as a garment shall you change them, and they shall be changed.” How? In such a way that their great age may fail through time but not that creation will perish before the eyes of its Creator.
That through visible things the world might learn who is its Lord
And what Moses omitted from his account, and what was not written,
David expressed in the book of his psalm.
“He made his angels and his ministers of fire and wind.”
Thus David caused to be written in his excellent book of Psalms
So that the world might learn that angels too were created works
And with the created things they come to birth from the Creator.
For what the great Moses did not write about concerning the angels
David wrote down, but single is the spirit of their revelations.
And the world learned through Moses as well as through David
That he is one who created all creatures with his gesture.
And David showed on what day the angels came into being
For their creation was made plain to the world, when and how
In that gesture with which heaven and earth were created.
In it all the hosts of heavenly beings arose.
Through the word of the Lord heaven was made, David showed.
And together with it [his word] were the hosts made through the Spirit from his mouth.
Moses demonstrated that the Lord created the heaven and the earth
And David demonstrated how the hosts came into being. Isaiah, too, through that revelation of his prophecy, brought to the world an account of that power of the seraphim.
[God] is the maker and creator of the angels. He brought into being and made them after his own image into a bodiless nature, some sort of spirit, as it were, and immaterial fire—as the divine David says: “Who makes his angels spirits and his ministers a burning fire.” And he determined their lightness, fieriness, heat, extreme acuity, their keenness in their desire for God and his service and their being raised up and removed from every material consideration.
Others [unspecified pagan philosophers], however, have imagined the heavens to have the form of a hemisphere, because the inspired David says, “Who stretches out the heaven like a pavilion” which means a tent; and the blessed Isaiah: “He that establishes the heavens like a vault”; and because the sun, the moon and the stars, when they set, go round the earth from west to north and return again to the east. However, whichever way it may be, all things have been made and established by the command of God and have their foundation in the divine will and desire. “For he spoke, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created. He has established them for ever, and for ages of ages; he has made a decree, and it shall not pass away.”
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SUMMARY
Psalms 104:1 serves as a magnificent and deeply personal overture to a grand hymn celebrating God's creative power and providential care. The psalmist initiates this profound act of worship by commanding his own soul to bless the LORD, immediately transitioning into an awe-filled declaration of God's incomparable greatness and His inherent glory, which is depicted as a majestic garment. This opening verse masterfully establishes the Creator as supremely sovereign and inherently worthy of all adoration, setting the foundational tone for the psalm's subsequent, detailed poetic exploration of divine wisdom and sustenance throughout all creation.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 104:1 employs several powerful Literary Devices to convey its profound message of divine praise. The most prominent is Apostrophe, as the psalmist directly addresses his own "soul" ("O my soul") and then directly addresses God ("O LORD my God"). This creates a sense of intimacy and immediacy, drawing the listener into the psalmist's personal experience of worship and making the call to praise deeply personal. Anthropomorphism is vividly evident in the phrase "thou art clothed with honour and majesty," attributing human characteristics (wearing clothes) to God to describe His inherent glory in a tangible, relatable way. This vivid Imagery helps the reader visualize God's splendor as something visible, all-encompassing, and inseparable from His being. The verse also functions as an Exclamation, particularly in "thou art very great," conveying profound awe, wonder, and an uncontainable sense of God's immense scale. The overall tone is one of Hymnic Praise, characteristic of many psalms, setting a celebratory and reverent atmosphere from the outset, inviting the worshiper to join in the adoration of the Creator King.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 104:1 serves as a foundational declaration of God's transcendent nature and His absolute worthiness of worship. It establishes that God's greatness, honor, and majesty are not merely attributes He possesses but are integral to His very being, radiating from Him as His inherent glory. This understanding of God's intrinsic splendor provides the bedrock for all true worship, moving beyond mere intellectual assent to a deep, visceral response of awe and reverence. The verse also subtly introduces the theme of God's sovereignty, as His "clothing" of honor and majesty signifies His supreme kingship over all creation, a theme that will be extensively developed throughout the rest of the psalm. It reminds us that our praise is a fitting and necessary response to the incomparable reality of who God is, acknowledging His unique position as Creator and Sustainer of all.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 104:1 is a profound invitation for every believer to engage in intentional and heartfelt worship. The psalmist's self-exhortation, "Bless the LORD, O my soul," reminds us that praise is not always a spontaneous emotion but often a deliberate act of the will, a command we give to our innermost being. In a world that often seeks to diminish God or confine Him to a small corner of our lives, this verse compels us to lift our gaze and truly contemplate His "very great" nature, His inherent "honour and majesty." Such contemplation cultivates a deep sense of awe and reverence, reorienting our priorities and reminding us of God's supreme authority over all things, including our own lives. When we grasp the immensity of the God who is "clothed with honour and majesty," our trust in His power and provision is strengthened, and our worship becomes a more authentic and transformative experience, flowing from a recognition of His incomparable worth and His active presence in our world.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does the psalmist address his own soul ("O my soul")?
Answer: The psalmist addresses his own soul to emphasize the deeply personal and volitional nature of true worship. It's an internal command, a self-exhortation, indicating that worship is not merely an external ritual or an intellectual exercise, but a deliberate act that engages one's entire being—mind, will, and emotions. It highlights the psalmist's intentionality in directing his innermost self to praise God, recognizing that genuine adoration must flow from the heart and be a conscious choice. This self-address is a common literary device in the Psalms, seen also in Psalms 103:1, demonstrating a conscious effort to stir oneself to worship.
What does it mean for God to be "clothed with honour and majesty"?
Answer: This is an anthropomorphic expression, using human imagery to describe divine attributes. It means that honor and majesty are not merely external adornments that God puts on or takes off, but are intrinsic to His very essence. Like a king's royal robes that signify his inherent authority and splendor, God's "clothing" of honor and majesty signifies that these qualities are inseparable from His being. They radiate from Him constantly, demonstrating His inherent glory, supreme dignity, and sovereign rule over all creation. It's a powerful visual metaphor for God's inherent, majestic glory, emphasizing that His splendor is not acquired but is eternally His, as also described in Psalms 93:1.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 104:1, with its profound declaration of God's greatness, honor, and majesty, finds its ultimate and most vivid fulfillment in the person of Jesus Christ. While the psalm extols the Creator God, the New Testament reveals that it is through Christ that all things were created and are sustained (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is the very "radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being" (Hebrews 1:3), perfectly embodying the "honour and majesty" that the psalmist attributes to God. In Him, the invisible God is made visible (John 1:18), and His glory is fully revealed, not just in creation, but supremely in His redemptive work on the cross and His triumphant resurrection. Therefore, when we "bless the LORD" with our souls, we do so in light of the One who perfectly reveals God's greatness and through whom we have access to the Father (Ephesians 2:18). Our worship of the great and majestic God is now inextricably linked to our adoration of the Lamb who was slain, for He shares in the Father's honor and majesty, receiving all glory and dominion (Revelation 5:12-13).