Psalms 104

Bless the LORD, my soul. The LORD, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.

He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain.

He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind.

He makes his messengers winds, and his servants flames of fire.

He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever.

You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains.

At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away.

The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them.

You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they don’t turn again to cover the earth.

He sends springs into the valleys. They run among the mountains.

They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst.

The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing among the branches.

He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works.

He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:

wine that makes the heart of man glad, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart.

The LORD’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted,

where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the cypress trees.

The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers.

He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set.

You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.

The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God.

The sun rises, and they steal away, and lie down in their dens.

Man goes out to his work, to his labor until the evening.

LORD, how many are your works! In wisdom, you have made them all. The earth is full of your riches.

There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals.

There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there.

These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season.

You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good.

You hide your face; they are troubled. You take away their breath; they die and return to the dust.

You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground.

Let the LORD’s glory endure forever. Let the LORD rejoice in his works.

He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

I will sing to the LORD as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.

Let my meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in the LORD.

Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, my soul. Praise the LORD!

Chapter overviewAI-generated

Overview. This chapter is a hymn of creation and providence, celebrating God’s sovereign power, wisdom, and ongoing care in sustaining the natural order. It portrays the cosmos as an ordered, divinely governed system, from the formation of the earth and seas to the rhythms of day and night, the provision for every creature, and the continual dependence of all life on God’s sustaining hand. As part of the Psalter’s praise movement, it draws the soul into worship through reflection on the majesty and goodness revealed in creation.

Flow.

Begins with a call to bless the Lord, then unfolds into a poetic vision of God’s creation: light, heavens, earth, and waters.
Moves to God’s providential care—springs, mountains, animals, and human labor—showing how all life is dependent on His provision.
Celebrates the diversity and order of creation, including the sea and its creatures, culminating in the recognition that all things rely on God’s Spirit for life.
Ends with a doxology: a desire for God’s eternal glory, personal commitment to praise, and a plea for the removal of sin as the psalmist returns to worship.

Connections. Following Psalm 103, which focused on God’s mercies to individuals and covenant people, this psalm expands the view to God’s works in creation and nature, showing that His care extends to all living things. The theme of divine benevolence in both psalms unites personal redemption with cosmic order. This foundation of God’s faithful care in nature and history prepares the way for Psalm 105, which recounts His covenant faithfulness to Israel in history, grounding praise in both creation and redemption.

What it teaches. The psalm teaches that God is the sole creator and sustainer of all things, establishing order out of chaos and upholding creation by His wisdom and power (WCF 4.1, HC LD 9). It emphasizes that all creatures depend on Him for their life, food, and place in the world, highlighting His providential governance (WCF 5.1, CD 1.13). The renewal of life through His Spirit points to God’s continual creative activity (WCF 6.3), and the psalm’s doxological close underscores that creation exists for His glory (HC LD 10).

Apply. Worship God not only for what He does in redemption but for the daily, faithful ordering of the world and the quiet provision that sustains all life.

AI-generated. Not a substitute for Scripture, your pastor, or the confessions.