Psalm 104:20-25 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 104:19-30

We are here taught to praise and magnify God, I. For the constant revolutions and succession of day and night, and the dominion of sun and moon over them. The heathen were so affected with the light and influence of the sun and moon, and their serviceableness to the earth, that they worshipped them as deities; and therefore the scripture takes all occasions to show that the gods they worshipped are the creatures and servants of the true God (Ps. 104:19): He appointed the moon for seasons, for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:20

Thou makest darkness, and it is night ,.... The darkness was before the light, and the night before the day, Genesis 1:2 and now the darkness and night are made by the setting of the sun before mentioned; see Isaiah 45:7 . Wherein all the beasts of the field do creep forth ; out of their dens, and range about for their prey, as the evening wolves and others: and these are not the only creatures that choose the night and darkness; all wicked men do the same; whose deeds are evil, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:21

The young lions roar after their prey ,.... Or, "at the prey" F6 לטרף "ad praedam", Pagninus, Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, &c.; ; for, according to the Scriptures, it seems as if their time of roaring was when they have got their prey, and are tearing it and feeding on it, and not till then, Amos 3:4 though naturalists tell us, that, when they are pinched with hunger, they make such a hideous roaring, as quite stupefies, as well as terrifies,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:22

The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together ,.... Having gone some one way, some another, seeking their prey; but upon the sun's rising gather together in order to return from whence they came, abhorring the light of the sun, as some creatures do, and fearing being hunted and taken by men, the fear of whom is still in some measure upon the beasts of the field, Genesis 9:2 . So wicked men do not care for the light of the day, nor do false teachers choose to come to the light of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:23

Man goeth forth to his work ,.... Having taken sleep in the night, being comfortably refreshed, and his strength recruited; he rises with the rising sun, and goes forth cheerfully and with intrepidity to his work in the field, or elsewhere, the beasts being fled and gone. And to his labour until the evening ; to till the ground, and do other services and labour, either of the head or hand; for man is born and designed for labour, and not for sloth and idleness: in his innocent state he... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:24

O Lord, how manifold are thy works ,.... The psalmist having taken notice of many of the works of creation, stops and wonders at the number of them; though he had not gone through them all, and there were even things innumerable behind; see Psalm 104:25 , he admires the sum of them, how great it was; and not only the quantity but the quality of them; for so the words may be rendered, "how great are thy works" F7 מה רבו "quam multa ac magna", Gejerus. , as for number, so for... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:25

So is this great and wide sea ,.... One of the great and manifold works of God, made in his wisdom, and full of his riches and possessions, as the earth is; this is that collection of waters which God called seas, Genesis 1:10 and is, as Kimchi observes, great in length, and wide and spacious in breadth; or "broad of hands" F9 רחב ידים "latum manibus", Montanus; "spatiosum manibus", V. L. "amplum manibus", Vatablus. , as in the original; or spacious in borders, as the Targum; it... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 104:20

Thou makest darkness - It is not the design of God that there should be either constant darkness or constant light. That man may labor, he gives him, by means of the sun, the light of the day; and that he may rest from his labor, and get his strength recruited, he gives him night, and comparative darkness. And as it would not be convenient for man and the wild beasts of the forest to collect their food at the same time, he has given the night to them as the proper time to procure their prey,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 104:21

The young lions roar after their prey - It is said of the lion, that his roaring is so terrible as to astonish and quite unnerve the beast which he pursues; so that, though fleeter than himself, it falls down and becomes an easy prey. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 104:22

The sun ariseth - The dawn of day is the warning for man to arise and betake himself to his work; and is the warning to them to retire to their dens. read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 104:19-30

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:21

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:22

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:23

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:24

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 104:25

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 104:20

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 104:21

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 104:22

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