Psalms 104:1

¶ Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

Bless {H1288} the LORD {H3068}, O my soul {H5315}. O LORD {H3068} my God {H430}, thou art very {H3966} great {H1431}; thou art clothed {H3847} with honour {H1935} and majesty {H1926}.

Bless ADONAI, my soul! ADONAI, my God, you are very great; you are clothed with glory and majesty,

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.

Bless Jehovah, O my soul. O Jehovah my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty:

Commentary

Context of Psalms 104:1

Psalm 104 stands as a magnificent hymn of praise, celebrating God as the glorious Creator and sustainer of the universe. It is often seen as a poetic reflection on the creation account in Genesis chapter 1, detailing how the Lord ordered the cosmos, established its natural laws, and provides for all living things. This opening verse sets the tone for the entire psalm, beginning with a personal call to worship directed at the soul itself, immediately followed by an exclamation of God's incomparable greatness and splendor.

Key Themes in Psalms 104:1

  • Personal Adoration: The opening phrase, "Bless the LORD, O my soul," is an emphatic self-exhortation to praise God. It signifies a deep, heartfelt, and intentional act of worship, similar to the psalmist's call in Psalm 103:1. This isn't merely intellectual acknowledgment but an engagement of the entire being in worship.
  • God's Supreme Greatness: The declaration "thou art very great" underscores the Lord's immense power, infinite wisdom, and unparalleled majesty. It positions God as utterly unique and superior to all creation, beyond human comprehension.
  • Divine Glory and Sovereignty: Being "clothed with honour and majesty" vividly portrays God's inherent glory and royal splendor. This anthropomorphic language suggests that honor and majesty are not merely attributes God possesses but are an intrinsic part of His very being, like magnificent garments that perfectly adorn a king. It speaks to His sovereign rule over all things.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Bless" (Hebrew: barakh): While often meaning to invoke favor upon someone, when directed towards God, it means to praise, adore, or give thanks. It implies bowing down or kneeling in reverence, acknowledging His supreme worthiness.
  • "LORD" (Hebrew: YHWH, the Tetragrammaton): This is God's covenant name, emphasizing His personal relationship with His people and His eternal, self-existent nature. It's the name of the God who acts in history and makes promises.
  • "Great" (Hebrew: gadol): Signifies immensity, power, significance, and importance. When applied to God, it highlights His incomparable nature and boundless might.
  • "Clothed" (Hebrew: lavash): To wear, to put on. This imagery suggests that honor and majesty are not separate from God but are His very essence, always present and visible, like royal robes.

Practical Application

Psalms 104:1 serves as a powerful reminder and invitation for believers today:

  • Call to Personal Worship: It urges us to actively engage our souls in praising God, moving beyond mere routine or intellectual assent to a deep, personal adoration. Our praise should be a response to who God is, not just what He does.
  • Awe and Reverence: The verse compels us to contemplate God's immense greatness and inherent glory. In a world that often diminishes the divine, this verse re-establishes a sense of awe and reverence for the Creator of all things, who is truly "very great" and clothed in splendor, as seen in passages like Isaiah 40:28.
  • Foundation for Trust: Recognizing God's honor and majesty provides a strong foundation for trust. If He is so great and glorious, He is undoubtedly capable and worthy of our complete reliance and devotion.
Note: If the commentary doesn’t appear instantly, please allow 2–5 seconds for it to load. It is generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash using a prompt focused on Biblical fidelity over bias. While the insights have been consistently reliable, we encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please note that only the commentary section is AI-generated — the main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are from trusted and verified sources.

Cross-References

  • Psalms 103:22 (12 votes)

    Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

  • Psalms 145:3 (10 votes)

    Great [is] the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness [is] unsearchable.

  • Psalms 96:6 (9 votes)

    Honour and majesty [are] before him: strength and beauty [are] in his sanctuary.

  • Isaiah 59:17 (8 votes)

    For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance [for] clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

  • Psalms 93:1 (8 votes)

    ¶ The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, [wherewith] he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.

  • Psalms 104:35 (7 votes)

    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.

  • Psalms 103:1 (7 votes)

    ¶ [A Psalm] of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name.