Passage

Psalms 104

Book: Psalms · NASB95

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"1. Bless Jehovah, O my soul. O Jehovah my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor 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 winds his messengers; Flames of fire his ministers; 5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, That it should not be moved for ever. 6. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture; The waters stood above the mountains. 7. At thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away 8. (The mountains rose, the valleys sank down) Unto the place which thou hadst 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 forth springs into the valleys; They run among the mountains; 11. They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild asses quench their thirst. 12. By them the birds of the heavens have their habitation; They sing among the branches. 13. He watereth the mountains from his chambers: The earth is filled 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 that strengtheneth man's heart. 16. The trees of Jehovah are filled with moisture, 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 mountains are for the wild goats; The rocks are a refuge 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 creep forth. 21. The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God. 22. The sun ariseth, they get them away, And lay them down in their dens. 23. Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labor until the evening. 24. O Jehovah, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches. 25. Yonder is the sea, great and wide, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, Both small and great beasts. 26. There go the ships; There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to play therein. 27. These wait all for thee, That thou mayest give them their food in due season. 28. Thou givest unto them, they gather; Thou openest thy hand, they are satisfied 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 ground. 31. Let the glory of Jehovah endure for ever; Let Jehovah rejoice in his works: 32. Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke. 33. I will sing unto Jehovah as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have any being. 34. Let thy meditation be sweet unto him: I will rejoice in Jehovah. 35. Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. And let the wicked be no more. Bless Jehovah, O my soul. Praise ye Jehovah." (Psalms 104:1-35, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. Bless Yahweh, my soul. Yahweh, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty. 2. He covers himself with light as with a garment. He stretches out the heavens like a curtain. 3. He lays the beams of his rooms in the waters. He makes the clouds his chariot. He walks on the wings of the wind. 4. He makes his messengers winds; his servants flames of fire. 5. He laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be moved forever. 6. You covered it with the deep as with a cloak. The waters stood above the mountains. 7. At your rebuke they fled. At the voice of your thunder they hurried away. 8. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down, to the place which you had assigned to them. 9. You have set a boundary that they may not pass over; that they don’t turn again to cover the earth. 10. He sends springs into the valleys. They run among the mountains. 11. They give drink to every animal of the field. The wild donkeys quench their thirst. 12. The birds of the sky nest by them. They sing among the branches. 13. He waters the mountains from his rooms. The earth is filled with the fruit of your works. 14. He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth: 15. wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face to shine, and bread that strengthens man’s heart. 16. Yahweh’s trees are well watered, the cedars of Lebanon, which he has planted; 17. where the birds make their nests. The stork makes its home in the cypress trees. 18. The high mountains are for the wild goats. The rocks are a refuge for the rock badgers. 19. He appointed the moon for seasons. The sun knows when to set. 20. You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl. 21. The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God. 22. The sun rises, and they steal away, and lay down in their dens. 23. Man goes out to his work, to his labor until the evening. 24. Yahweh, how many are your works! In wisdom have you made them all. The earth is full of your riches. 25. There is the sea, great and wide, in which are innumerable living things, both small and large animals. 26. There the ships go, and leviathan, whom you formed to play there. 27. These all wait for you, that you may give them their food in due season. 28. You give to them; they gather. You open your hand; they are satisfied with good. 29. You hide your face: they are troubled; you take away their breath: they die, and return to the dust. 30. You send out your Spirit and they are created. You renew the face of the ground. 31. Let Yahweh’s glory endure forever. Let Yahweh rejoice in his works. 32. He looks at the earth, and it trembles. He touches the mountains, and they smoke. 33. I will sing to Yahweh as long as I live. I will sing praise to my God while I have any being. 34. Let my meditation be sweet to him. I will rejoice in Yahweh. 35. Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless Yahweh, my soul. Praise Yah!" (Psalms 104:1-35, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"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. ^{Who: Heb. He hath founded the earth upon her bases} 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. ^{They go up: or, The mountains ascend, the valleys descend} 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. ^{He: Heb. Who} ^{run: Heb. walk} 11. They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst. ^{quench: Heb. break} 12. By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches. ^{sing: Heb. give a voice} 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. ^{oil: Heb. to make his face shine with oil, or, more than oil} 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. ^{beasts: Heb. beasts thereof do trample on the forest} 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. ^{made: Heb. formed} 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. ^{endure: Heb. be} 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." (Psalms 104:1-35, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah! Jehovah, my God, Thou hast been very great, Honour and majesty Thou hast put on. 2. Covering himself [with] light as a garment, Stretching out the heavens as a curtain, 3. Who is laying the beam of His upper chambers in the waters, Who is making thick clouds His chariot, Who is walking on wings of wind, 4. Making His messengers, the winds, His ministers, the flaming fire. 5. He hath founded earth on its bases, It is not moved to the age and for ever. 6. The abyss! as with clothing Thou hast covered it, Above hills do waters stand. 7. From Thy rebuke they flee, From the voice of Thy thunder haste away. 8. They go up hills, they go down valleys, Unto a place Thou hast founded for them. 9. A border Thou hast set, they pass not over, They turn not back to cover the earth. 10. Who is sending forth fountains in valleys, Between hills they go on. 11. They water every beast of the field, Wild asses break their thirst. 12. By them the fowl of the heavens doth dwell, From between the branches They give forth the voice. 13. Watering hills from His upper chambers, From the fruit of Thy works is the earth satisfied. 14. Causing grass to spring up for cattle, And herb for the service of man, To bring forth bread from the earth, 15. And wine, it rejoiceth the heart of man, To cause the face to shine from oil, And bread, the heart of man it supporteth. 16. Satisfied [are] the trees of Jehovah, Cedars of Lebanon that He hath planted, 17. Where birds do make nests, The stork, the firs [are] her house. 18. The high hills [are] for wild goats, Rocks [are] a refuge for conies, 19. He made the moon for seasons, The sun hath known his place of entrance. 20. Thou settest darkness, and it is night, In it doth every beast of the forest creep. 21. The young lions are roaring for prey, And to seek from God their food. 22. The sun riseth, they are gathered, And in their dens they crouch. 23. Man goeth forth to his work, And to his service, till evening. 24. How many have been Thy works, O Jehovah, All of them in wisdom Thou hast made, Full is the earth of thy possessions. 25. This, the sea, great and broad of sides, There [are] moving things, innumerable, Living creatures, small with great. 26. There do ships go: leviathan, That Thou hast formed to play in it. 27. All of them unto Thee do look, To give their food in its season. 28. Thou dost give to them, they gather, Thou dost open Thy hand, they [are] satisfied [with] good. 29. Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled, Thou gatherest their spirit, they expire, And unto their dust they turn back. 30. Thou sendest out Thy Spirit, they are created, And Thou renewest the face of the ground. 31. The honour of Jehovah is to the age, Jehovah rejoiceth in His works, 32. Who is looking to earth, and it trembleth, He cometh against hills, and they smoke. 33. I sing to Jehovah during my life, I sing praise to my God while I exist. 34. Sweet is my meditation on Him, I, I do rejoice in Jehovah. 35. Consumed are sinners from the earth, And the wicked are no more. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah!" (Psalms 104:1-35, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: TBD
Audience: TBD
Location: TBD
Time period: TBD

Theological reading

Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added.

Key words

Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word; see Lexicon Roadmap.

TBD
TBD
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Quoted in

Expansion of the Universe

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.