Cosmology according to Psalm 104

.T;v]b;l; rd:h;w“ d/h daoM] T;l]d"G: yh'Ola‘ hwhy hwhyAta, yvip]n" ykirÄB; .1

Bless YHWH, oh my soul; YHWH, oh my God, you are very great; you are clothed with majesty and glory.

The first verse contains three independent clauses.  The first two are clearly parallel to one another.  The third clause introduces the topic that constitutes the major focus from verse 2 through verse 32.

.yvip]n" ykirÄB; The finite verb of the first clause is an fs imperative.  The author is exhorting his inner life force – his vp,n< - to bless YHWH.  The basis for this exhortation is contained in the parallel clause.  However, this clause raises a theological issue annunciated in Hebrews 7:7 – Without a doubt, the greater blesses the lesser – So how can we bless the Lord?  The form is an fs piel imperative and so active in force.  Clearly a mere human has no capacity to affect the state of God’s eternal blessedness, but we can annunciate his blessed state and present ourselves in a state of subject adoration. 

.daoM] T;l]d"G: yh'Ola‘ hwhy This passage could be composed of a verbless clause followed by a second clause composed of a single finite verb and an adverb.  Alternatively, if the passage is understood as a single clause, then hwhy constitutes the noun of direct address to God, and yh'Ola‘ as an appositive.  Because the first clause constitutes a call to pronounce the blessedness of hwhy, the rest of the verse is best understood as the content of this proclamation.  Consequently, the second interpretive option is the better choice.

.daoM] T;l]d"G: The finite verb of this clause is a 2ms qal perfect.  The perfect form of a stative verb is characteristically used to express a condition that currently exists.  In this case, there never was a time when YHWH was not great from eternity past, and there never will be a time in eternity future when YHWH is not great.  Such an idea is expressed in English by the simple present. 

.T;v]b;l; rd:h;w“ d/h This clause consists of a 2ms qal perfect with a compound direct object preceding the verb for emphasis.  (Note that T;v]b;l; has the vowel of the middle radical lengthened from a patach to a qamats because it ends the verse.)  The root meaning can be used to express either an active (put on) or a stative idea (be clothed).  The former meaning would imply that YHWH put on honor and glory at the beginning of creation and would be rendered by a present perfect form in English; the latter would imply that this is his perpetual state and would be rendered by a simple present.  The clause introduces a specification for daoM] T;l]d"G:, and the detailed explanation will be expounded by the next 31 verses – You (YHWH) are clothed with majesty and glory.

.h[;yrIy“K' μyIm'v; hf,/n hm;l]C'K' r/aAhf,[o .2

Enveloping himself with light like a garment; stretching out heaven like a curtain

These two clauses are structurally parallel but semantically different.  Both begin with a qal active participle and end with a comparative predicate complement.  Semantically, the first clause describes how YHWH presents himself to his material creation; the second describes his supremacy over his material creation.  Each expresses a different aspect of his glory and majesty.

hf,/n 333 hf,[o The two verb roots selected provide alliteration as well as a semantic contrast.  The root h3f3[ means ‘wrap oneself’ whereas h3f3n means ‘spread out,’ or the opposite of wrap up.

These two clauses reflect God’s majesty as it is revealed on the first day of creation in Genesis 1.  Evidently, God created the heaven and the earth in a moment – at least from his perspective.  The unformed substance of the earth was present and distinct from what we now call 'space,' and God was hovering over the face of the deep when he spoke: rwa yhy.  Then there was light but nothing yet in the heaven to produce it.  This implies that God’s presence was itself the original source of light, and the light sources created on the fourth day merely derived their light from him.

.j"WrAypen“K'Al[' ËLeh'm]h' /bWkr“ μybi[;AμC;h' wyt;/Yli[' μyIM'b' hr<q;m]h' .3

Who set the beams in the water for its upper chambers?  He who makes the cloud mass to be his chariot.  Who walks about on the wings of the wind?

hr<q;m]h' The form is an ms piel participle form of the root h3r3q, which is a denominative verb meaning ‘provide with beams.’  Some translations render the initial Ah' as an interrogative particle and some as an ordinary definite article. If it was intended to be an article, a daghesh should be present in the mem.  The interrogative he is normally pointed Ah}, but the vowel characteristically is lengthened to a patach when it is following by a consonant with a sheva.  The vowel pointing is not strictly correct for either interpretation; however, interpreting this clause as a question is supported by the structure of the second clause.

wyt;/Yli[' μyIM'b' hr<q;m]h' This clause reflects the action during the second day of creation, when μyIhiOla‘ separated the water above ["yqir:h; the from the water below ["yqir:h;.  This is phenomenological language for the structural support (beams) necessary to hold the upper water separate from the lower water (the blue sky above over the blue sea below with a firm separation -- ["yqir:h; -- between the two).  Some interpreters have used this language to support the idea that a physical body of water (or water vapor canopy) existed in the upper atmosphere prior to the flood.  However, Psalm 148:4 (Praise him oh highest heaven, and the water that is above the heaven) uses the same expression at least 3000 years after the flood, when the vapor canopy is supposed to have fallen to the earth.

/bWkr“ μybi[;AμC;h' This is generally translated as a statement: ‘He who makes the cloud-mass to be his chariot.’  The verb is a definite ms qal active participle (from μ3y3c meaning ‘put, place, set, appoint, ordain’) followed by two nouns.  The first is an indefinite mp noun; the second is ms with a 3ms pronominal suffix.  The first noun is plural, and so it can only be the direct object of the verb, which is singular.  The second noun is singular with an ms pronominal suffix, but the verb is transitive and so demands a personal agent for a subject.  Because classical Hebrew did not use the participle as a finite verb, the common translation does not quite capture the real force of the expression.  Rather, a form like AμC;h' would describe a habitual occupation.  These considerations constitute the rationale for the rendering above, and this type of expression most naturally serves as the answer to a question.

ËLeh'm]h' The third clause in this verse begins with the same verbal form as that in the first clause.  Since the first clause was understood as a question, this clause would also be most naturally understood as a question.  However, does the question end at the silluq, or does it continue on to include the participial clause in verse 4?  Since verse 4 has neither a finite verb form nor the elements necessary for a verbless clause, it is most naturally taken as an adverbial predicate complement to ËLeh'm]h'.

.j"WrAypen“K'Al[' ËLeh'm]h' This imagery is fairly common throughout the Hebrew scriptures, and it is also present in the Genesis 3:8: ˆG:B' ËLeh't]mi μyhiOla‘ hwhy l/qAta, W[m]v]YIw"
.μ/Yh' j"Wrl]– ‘And they heard the sound of YHWH God walking about in the garden in the breeze of the day.’  That is, the activity of God among men is likened to the breeze passing over the face of the earth.  This similitude is also used by Yeshua during his discussion with Nicodemus in John 3.  The expression j"WrAypen“K'Al[' occurs in two other places – 2 Sam 22:11 and Psalm 18:11.  Both of these occurrences are songs written by David, and in both instances the expression is a metaphor for the speed or manner in which YHWH travels from one place to another.

.fheOl vae wyt;r“v;m] t/jWr wyk;a;l]m' hc,[o .4

Making his messengers from winds (spirits), his ministers a consuming fire.

This verse consists of one indefinite qal ms participle with a compound definite direct object.  It describes the habitual activity of YHWH as he walks about on the wings of the wind.  The author of Hebrews quotes the LXX rendering of this verse in Heb 1:7 and uses it to support the assertion that Yeshua’s essential being is superior to that of God's angels (wyk;a;l]m' – his messengers). Both pronominal suffixes in this verse clearly refer to YHWH.  Verses 5 through 32 of this Psalm describe the direct personal interaction of YHWH with the material creation first as the one who created it and then as the one who sustains and administers it at the present time.  The messengers referred to in this verse could be inanimate elements of the material universe (wind and fire) or personal spirit beings who really are not part of this material creation.  In either case, they are completely subject to his will.

t/jWr wyk;a;l]m' hc,[ From a grammatical standpoint, should this expression be rendered ‘making his messengers to be spirits (winds)’ or ‘making winds (spirits) to be his messengers’?  Theologically, both translations are true statements.  The Greek rendering in the LXX and in the book of Hebrews imply the former understanding, but many English translations of the Hebrew text prefer the latter.  Hebrew normally employs word order to distinguish between near and far verbal complements.  However, the verb h3c3[ can accept two objects: one to indicate the patient (thing being worked upon) and one to indicate material (the substance of which the patient consists).  The problem arises because English speakers characteristically interpret wyk;a;l]m (translated by ‘his angels’) as a reference to personal beings and t/jWr (spirit or wind) as the substance from which the ‘angels’ are composed.  People with an occidental mindset may find conceptual difficulty in connecting a personal being that subsists as a spirit without material body with a material thing like wind.  People in the ancient Near East would have no such difficulty, because they readily connected a spiritual essence with inanimate materials.  In addition, there are three or four examples in which the term wyk;a;l]m' may not refer to a personal being, and the context of this psalm does not demand such an understanding of the term.  The present context is evidently presenting wyk;a;l]m' and wyt;r“v;m] as things that are worked upon by YHWH.  The author of Hebrews uses this clause to indicate that though God’s messengers may be ministering spirits, they remain part of YHWH’s created order, and they are completely obedient to his will.  Whereas the son, who is also completely obedient to the will of YHWH, remains separate, independent, and supreme over this created order.

The next 25 verses describe the majesty and splendor of YHWH as revealed in creation.  These passages mention the original creation in verses 5 and 19; the remainder describes the Noaic flood, its aftermath, and the natural order as it presently exists.  The resulting picture is one of total sovereignty over this natural order and providential care for the creatures that live within it.

.d[,w: μl;/[ f/MTiAlB' h;yn</km]Al[' 6r<a,Ads'y: .5

He established land on its foundations that it should not be shaken for ever and ever.

h;yn</km]Al[' 6r<a,Ads'y: This passage reflects the activities on the second day of creation when the seas were gathered into one place, and the dry land appeared.  The finite verb is a 3ms perfect, indicating a completed action.  The term h;yn</km] implies that the dry land was intended to remain firm and stable in its place for as long as the material creation remained. 

f/MTiAlB' The verb form is actually a 3fs niphal imperfect – ‘That it (6r<a,) should not be shaken.’ This indicates that the dry land was intended to remain above the seas and not be subject to trimmers or other forms of instability.  The fact that verse 6 presents the land as first being submerged and then being subjected to structural instability (verse 8) implies a major disruption occurred in the original created order that had been established.

d[,w: μl;/[ The term μl;/[ has a wide range of uses, including world, created order, and eternity.  Usually, when it is used to express duration, it appears as μl;/[l], and a few manuscripts preserve this reading here.  Since this is a poetic text, strict compliance with grammatical usage is not necessary, and the small number of texts having this variant suggests that it is probably spurious.  Now, many passages of scripture affirm that this material creation had a beginning and will have an end.  Consequently, this use of d[,w: μl;/[ cannot imply that the created order is or was intended to be eternal but rather that its duration is beyond the capacity of the author to grasp.

.μyIm;AWdm]['y" μyrIh;Al[' /tySiKi vWbL]K' μ/hT] .6

He covered it with the deep like a garment.  Waters were standing over the mountains.

This verse either describes the state of the creation in Genesis 1:1 where the world was formless and void and covered by the great deep, or it describes its state during the Noaic flood when the waters surmounted the highest mountains by 15 cubits (Gen 7:18-20) – around 30 feet.  The term μ/hT] is present in Gen 1:1 but not at this point in the flood narrative.  However, the previous verse reflects God’s work of the third day, when the foundations of the dry land were set.  The land did not return under the waters of the sea until the time of the flood.  If this assessment is correct, then this verse implies divine judgement was imposed on the original creation without stating the reason for that judgement.

/tySiKi This finite verb form is a 3ms piel perfect of hsk with a 3ms pronominal suffix.  The verb root is passive in the qal stem but takes the transitive meaning of ‘cover, overwhelm’ in the piel.  The interpretive problem is that the only possible antecedent for the pronominal suffix is 6r<a,, which is a feminine noun.  The LXX renders the pronoun with the neuter/masculine form aujtou§, even though the Greek term gh§ is also feminine, but other translations (Aquilla, Theodotian, Jerome, and Aramaic/Syriac) do change the pronoun to a feminine form.  The reading here could be the result of an early scribal error, or this could be another example of the preference for masculine forms exhibited in the Hebrew scriptures.  (However, if one ignores the lack of gender concordance between /tySiKi and both μ/hT] and 6r<a,, one could render this verse as ‘The deep had covered it over like a garment.’ This rendering would describe the situation in Genesis 1:1.)

.ˆWzpej;yE Úm]['r" l/qAˆmi ˆWsWny“ Út]r:[}G"Aˆmi .7

They fled from your rebuke; they were in trepidation from the sound of your thunder.

Just as seen in the previous verse, God brought the dry land up from the deep on the third day of creation and also restored the land following the flood.  The language in this verse seems more appropriate for the aftermath following judgement rather than that of initial creation.  Just as the onset of the flood is attributed to the personal agency of YHWH, so is the restoration of the dry land.  But in this case, verses 7 through 10 describe a process that is more involved than the immediate response to the spoken word of God found in the creation narrative.  The description in verse 7 implies that a decisive act of God initiated the abating of the flood waters, but the fuller description in Genesis indicates that the process required a period of nearly 11 months after the deluge stopped.

.ˆWzpej;yE Úm]['r" l/qAˆmi The finite verb form in the second clause is a 3mp niphal imperfect form of z3p3j.  This root is attested only in the qal and the niphal stems, and both forms convey essentially the same meaning: ‘be in trepidation, alarm, hurry.’  This is applying an anthropomorphism to the land mass under the waters of the flood.  A human response to alarm or trepidation is haste, rushing, or even trembling.  This could be taken as description of seismic activity during the months after the deluge.  Such activity would be consistent with massive seismic upheavals caused by the breaking up of the earth’s mantle followed by a rapid rearrangement of the tectonic plates that now make up the outer crust of the earth. 

.μh,l; T;d“s'y: hz< μ/qmiAla, t/[q;b; Wdr“yE μyrIh; Wl[}y" .8

The mountains rose up; valleys sank down to a place; this you established for them.

The cosmology described by the Bible for the pre-diluvium world implies that the climate was mild, without temperature extremes, and without extreme geographic features that would produce strong winds or precipitation as rain.  The original geography was modified in two respects as the flood waters receded: high mountains rose up, and valleys sank down.  There is no hint of these processes going on in the Genesis narrative or in other ancient texts, but modern geology confirms that such a process took place at some time in the past.  There is clear evidence of world-wide volcanism and seismic activity many orders of magnitude beyond anything known during historic times to the present day.  In addition, ocean sediment exists on the tops of mountains throughout the world.  Modern geologists typically attribute such activity to an age many millions of years in the past, and they also assert that the present period of relative quiet has persisted for millions of years since that time.  This poetic passage suggests that there was an initial period of complete stability within the creation, a brief period characterized by a massive disruption, and then the establishment of the new order that now exists.  Both Matthew 24 and Revelation indicate that the tribulation period will be characterized by massive natural disruptions such as had not been previously witnessed among men.  If we accept the idea that a brief period of massive geologic disruption occurred during the time of the flood, then these passages in the NT as well as several from the Hebrew prophets imply a second period of major geologic activity is coming, and its scope will be at least as great as that during and immediately after the flood.

hz< μ/qmiAla, The first inclination is to translate this string as ‘to this place.’  This rendering is not grammatically valid, because μ/qm] is an indefinite noun.  For this reason, hz< should be taken as the direct object of the finite verb that follows it.  This rendering is supported by the Masoretic accentuation which has a disjunctive accent on μ/qm and a conjunctive accent on hz<.

.6r<a;h; t/Sk'l] ˆWbWvy“AlB' ˆWrbo[}y"AlB' T;m]c'AlWbG“ .9

You set a boundary that they should not cross, that they should not cover the land.

Apart from the context of the previous two verses, this could be describing the original creation of the dry land: ‘Let the waters under the sky assemble themselves into one place, and let the dry land appear.’  God is here re-establishing boundaries after the flood just as he did during the original six days of creation.  As in the initial creation, God makes provision for both man and beast to obtain what is necessary for their lives.  However, there are two major differences: First, there is no instance in the following passages in which God pronounces the arrangement he has made to be GOOD; Second, within the provision for life that God has made here, there remains conflict, fear, and risk of death, all of which reflect the consequences of a judicial sentence.

.ˆWkLeh'y“ μyrIh; ˆyBe μylij;N“B' μynIy:[]m' j"Lev'm]h' .10

Who sends springs into the torrents?  Between the mountains they flow.

μylij;N“B' μynIy:[]m' j"Lev'm]h' The next 22 verses describe the cosmology of the earth as it now exists.  Standard English translations of the above verse do not suggest any aspect of hazard, fear, or conflict, but it is nonetheless present in the choice of Hebrew words used.  The original creation had three rivers (rh;n:) flowing out of Eden to water all of the land.  The term rh;n: refers to a river that flows continuously throughout the year.  In contrast, the term lj'n: used in this verse refers to a wady, or seasonal water course.  During most of the year, such a stream is completely or mostly dry, but in the rainy season it can suddenly become a flash flood, a raging torrent.  It is a source of water and thus of life, but it is also a source of risk and potentially of death to anyone in the path of a flash flood.  (With some frequency people die in Israel today by being caught in such flash floods.)  Such is life after the flood: the very things necessary for life bring exposure to the risk of death for humans on whom judgment was laid but also for all animals as well. 

The interesting aspect to this verse is that it is presented using a question-response format, as previously noted.  The first clause poses this rhetorical question: Who is it that supplies water so necessary for life in a manner that is a threat to that very life?  The answer is implied by context but not answered directly: The same one who raised up the hills to their present height also constrains the torrent to pass between the hills.  Thus, even raging torrents are controlled and constrained by the providence of God, yet they remain a threat to his creatures who must have water daily to sustain their physical lives.

.μa;m;x] μyair:p] WrB]v]yI yd:c; /ty“j'AlK; Wqv]y" .11

They give drink to every beast of the field; wild donkeys quench their thirst.

yd:c; /ty“j'AlK; Wqv]y"" The finite verb form is a 3mp hiphil imperfect of the root h3q3v meaning ‘cause to drink, give to drink.’  The direct object ‘water’ is implied within the root; /ty“j'AlK; is a second object that is rendered as indirect object by the translation.  This predicate is the peculiar thing about the clause. /ty“j'AlK; is clearly an indirect object; but /tyj' is singular with a 3ms pronominal suffix.  yd:c; is a poetic variant for the more common hd<c;, but it has no syntactic connection with the remainder of the clause.  The presence of the pronominal suffix suggests that /tyj' cannot be the governing word in a construct chain; but verse 20 has this same construction, so this probably is not the result of a scribal error.  Evidently, the intended meaning is: They give drink to all his beasts (collective) of the field.  The LXX rendering for this phrase omits the pronominal suffix: all beasts of the field.

μa;m;x] μyair:p] WrB]v]yI This second clause does not at first seem to be directly related or parallel  to the first.  It clearly is not a restatement or amplification of the first clause, but rather it provides a particularization of the general statement.  This clause is then followed by six verses each of which provides additional particular instances of God’s providential care over the creation as it now exists after the flood.

.l/qAWnT]yI μyIap;[’ ˆyBemi ˆ/Kv]yI μyIm'V;h'A5/[ μh,yle[} .12

Over them the birds of the of the heavens dwell; from between foliage they give voice.

ˆ/Kv]yI μyIm'V;h'A5/[ μh,yle[} The adverbial prepositional phrase has a 3mp pronominal suffix, the antecedent for which could either be μyair:P] or μylij;N“.  Although μyair:P] is the nearer antecedent, the latter reference fits the overall context better.  The term 5/[ literally is a singular form, but the clause uses a 3mp imperfect verb form, indicating that a plural (collective) meaning is being assumed.  The verbal picture being presented consists of a raging torrent within a valley between high hills, wild donkeys on the on the hill sides by the wadys, and the birds of heaven (the sky according to Genesis 1) finding their place of abode above the ground over the wadys.

l/qAWnT]yI μyIap;[’ ˆyBemi The term μyIap;[’ evidently is an Aramaic loan word meaning ‘foliage, branches.’  The choice of words produces alliteration (oph hash-sha-ma-yim|| o-pha-yim) between the two clauses.  From a semantic perspective, the first clause presents the general statement: birds dwell above the wadys.  The second clause provides the specific explanation: they dwell or perch between branches of trees.

.6r<a;h; [B'c]Ti Úyc,[}m' yrIP]mi wyt;/Yli[}me μyrIh; hq,v]m' .13

Causing the hills to drink from its upper chambers, the land is satisfied from the fruit of your works.

wyt;/Yli[}me μyrIh; hq,v]m' Verse 10 describes the provision of drink for living creatures, which would include both man and beast.  The first clause of verse 10 identifies springs as the source for this water.  This verse refers to the ‘upper chambers,’ the place where the waters above the sky are kept (verse 3a) as a source for rain.  This source provides water for the hills (green plants, trees, creeping things).  This again represents a change in the original cosmology for planet earth.  Following the original creation, a mist rose up from the face of the land and watered all of the ground (Genesis 2:6), and this arrangement evidently persisted until the deluge.  In point of fact, this process still persists in a few areas around the globe (e.g., the Amazon basin and the jungle of the Congo) where moisture condenses directly from the air onto the foliage of plants.  However, most parts of the world receive fluid water primarily from the upper chamber of heaven (now clouds in the sky) in the form of rain.  Based on the Noaic covenant, this new cosmology will persist until the time of the end. 

6r<a;h; [B'c]Ti Úyc,[}m' yrIP]mi Several questions arise from this simple statement.  (1) The adverbial prepositional phrase mentions the fruit (singular) of specific works (plural) that are attributed to God.  What specific works are being referred to?  (2) The subject of the clause is 6r<a;h;.  Is this a reference to Israel as the site of God’s special personal revelation, the dry land of planet earth, or the created world order?  (3) The finite verb in a 3fs niphal form from [3b3c.  In what way is 6r<a;h; satisfied (filled up) from the fruit of God’s works?

The second question is the one most easily answered.  The entire context up to this point refers to God’s oversight of the natural creation, including a discontinuity, which is described more fully in the flood narrative of Genesis.  The reason for this discontinuity in Gods oversight is not addressed, but its scope extends to the entire world.  Thus, the term 6r<a;h; here extends to the entire world rather than just the dry land in contrast to its use in verse 9 above.

BDB lists the meaning of [3b3c in this passage as meaning be filled full (satisfied) with the rains implied by the first clause.  Parallelism favors this understanding, and when the earth is filled (satisfied) with rain, it brings forth its bounty for the benefit of both men and the beasts of the field.  Supplying rain to the earth amounts to a single work, so the plural form could be used to imply multiple occurrences over time.  Multiple occurrences of rain in measure over time produce a common fruit, which may have many manifestations, as described by the subsequent verses.

.6r<a;h;Aˆmi μj,l, ayxi/hl] μd:a;h; td"bo[}l' bc,[ew“ hm;heB]l' ryxij; j"ymix]m' .14

Causing the green grass to spring up for the beast and the herb by the labor of the man to bring forth bread from the land

.d[;s]yI v/na’Abb'l] μj,l,w“  ˆm,V;mi μynIP; lyhix]h'l] v/na’Abb'l] jM'c'y“ ˆyIy"w“ .15

And wine makes a man’s heart glad to make the face shine more than oil, and bread sustains the heart of a man

OR as represented in most Hebrew texts of paslms:

μd:a;h; td"bo[}l' bc,[ew“       hm;heB]l' ryxij; j"ymix]m'

v/na’Abb'l] jM'c'y“ ˆyIy"w“   .6r<a;h;Aˆmi μj,l, ayxi/hl]

.d[;s]yI v/na’Abb'l] μj,l,w“        ˆm,V;mi μynIP; lyhix]h'l

Causing grass to sprout up for the beast                  And green herb by the effort of the man

To bring forth bread from the land                          And wine makes a man’s heart glad

To make a face shine from (more than) oil              And bread (food) sustains a man’s heart

These two verses could be viewed as two sets of three phrases or as three couplets.  The Masoretic verse divisions favors the first approach, but a division based on poetic parallelism produces the latter.  The problem with the first approach is that the three phrases in each verse do not have any consistent syntactic structure, making a coherent translation difficult.  The problem with the second approach is that there is no clear semantic parallel between the elements as well as no conceptual development from beginning to end.  However, the last four phrases have grammatically parallel elements and also exhibit (semantic but not structural) chiasmus.  This suggests that the first two phrases constitute a parallel structure, and the next four clauses form a second structural element.  Both structural elements constitute a conceptual development from verse 13, God’s provision to water the hills from the upper chambers of heaven.

hm;heB]l' ryxij; j"ymix]m' The verb form is a ms hiphil participle from j3m3x  meaning ‘cause to spring up.’  ryxij; is the direct object of the verbal idea, and hm;heB]l' is the indirect object.  The implication of this clause is that God’s oversight waters the land, and this causes the land to sprout with grass for the benefit of the beasts of the field.  These beasts receive their sustenance without any understanding of the process and without any effort on their part apart from simply eating what is there.

μd:a;h; td"bo[}l' bc,[ew“ This could be understood either as an independent verbless clause or as a second complement to the participle in the first clause.  If we assume the parallel structure is intended, then bc,[ew“ is a second direct object, but it is more restrictive than ryxij;.  The beasts can and will eat almost any green herbage, but not all plant material is suitable for human consumption.  This passage refers to the cultivated crops that men grow by means of their own effort for food.  It could include edible herbs, cereal grains, fruit, nuts, and berries.  The interpretive problem is that μd:a;h; td"bo[}l' is formally a construct chain, but td"bo[}l' is improperly pointed with a definite article.  (There are a handful of instances in which the governing noun in a construct chain has the definite article, so this is not a fatal objection.)

6r<a;h;Aˆmi μj,l, ayxi/hl] This phrase lacks any clear grammatical connection with the participle, so the infinitive could be connected with the previous clause or understood as completely independent.  If it is understood as completely independent, then the context makes God the primary cause for bringing forth bread (food), and the reference to the secondary agency of man’s toil is not explicitly stated.  This is the form in which this phrase appears in the traditional Jewish liturgical blessing over bread.  However, if this phrase is understood as a second complement attached to the previous phrase, then human agency in bringing bread forth is emphasized as a subset of man’s effort in working of the ground.  This is the emphasis found in the statement of the curse in Gen 3:18, 19: Thorns and thistles it (the ground) will bring forth for you; and you will eat the herbs of the field.  With the sweat of your face will you eat bread (food) until you return to the dirt, for you were taken from it.  For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.

The three phrases of verse 15 address the condition of man exclusively.  It mentions three major processed food items – wine, oil, bread (food) -- that men obtain from cultivated crops.  Is the verse completely neutral (just stating facts) or a combination of negative and positive elements with respect to these food items?

v/na’Abb'l] jM'c'y“ ˆyIy"w“ The first food item is obtained by keeping the juice obtained from fruit or berries.  This food item affects the innermost being of the physical man – it makes him glad (happy) inside.  The attitude toward wine in many cultures today is that its use is generally bad, and particularly bad when it is used just for enjoyment.  Now, the Hebrew scriptures certainly recognize the potential for its abuse:

·      Noah became drunk and was humiliated by his son Ham.

·      Lot’s two daughters committed incest with him while he was drunk.

·      The priests were commanded not to drink wine before performing their service to God.

·      Nazarites were forbidden any consumption of wine or other grape products.

·      Ecclesiastes denounces nobles and rulers who give themselves to wine.

·      Proverbs states that a king should not drink wine because it clouds judgement.

Nevertheless, the Hebrew scriptures, the New Testament, and Jewish tradition as a whole never denounces the use of wine as a general principle.  So the question is: What does this clause imply within the present context?  The seeming implication of the context is this: Life under the present circumstances can be hard, but wine can make the heart glad despite circumstances.  In short, this appears to describe a form of escape from the harsh realities of life under the curse.  This statement does not appear to be specifically negative, yet the use of wine still tends to foster -- or at least permoit -- a form of escapism among men.

ˆm,V;mi μynIP; lyhix]h'l The ancient Israelites were commanded not consume oil obtained from animal fat, and they evidently did not have the technology for obtaining the oil from cereal grains.  However, olive oil was used widely for food, for fuel, and for anointing.  The verb form is a hiphil infinitive construct from l3h3x (make bright or shining) is attested only here in the Hebrew scriptures.  μynIP; constitutes the direct object of the infinitive phrase, and ˆm,V;mi serves as an adverbial prepositional phrase expressing either a comparative relationship (more than oil) or the source or agency (from oil) for making a man's face shine.  Olive oil is another commodity that man obtains as a fruit from the ground.  The specific use in this passage refers to the affect oil has on the external appearance when it is used for anointing.  If this clause is connected with the previous clause about wine, then the combination asserts that the gladness from wine brightens a man's face more than anointing it with oil.

d[;s]yI v/na’Abb'l] μj,l,w“ The first phrase in this sequence attributes the source of bread to the provision of God in watering the hills.  But bread does not come forth from the ground by itself.  Man must work the ground to obtain cereal grain, mill the grain to obtain flour, make bread dough, and then bake the dough.  Similarly, wine and olive oil both require human effort to produce, but the green herb (and other kinds of fruit) can be used just as it is obtained from the field.  Thus the first two phrases of verse 14 deal with the produce that comes forth directly as the result of God’s provision – grass for the beast, and the green herb for man.  The next four phrases address what man produces from God’s provision for him – bread, wine, and oil.  Wine gives cheer, and oil affects the exterior appearance, but only bread (food) gives sustenance.

.[f;n: rv,a} ˆ/nb;l] yzEr“a' hwhy yxe[} W[B]c]yI .16

The trees of YHWH will be satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon that he planted

hwhy yxe[} W[B]c]yI This verse echoes back to verse 13 where God's provision of water satisfies the land generally and enables the growth of the green herb.  Here that is expanded to the tall trees, and specifically the cedars of Lebanon.  The next two verses concentrate on God's specific provisions for animal life within the now existing cosmology.

.Ht;yBe μyvi/rB] hd:ysij} WnNEq'y“ μyrIP’xi μv;Arv,a} .17

Where the birds make their nest; a stork – its house is cypress

WnNEq'y“ μyrIP’xi μv;Arv,a}            This clause continues the thought of the previous verse – birds nest in the cedars of Lebanon, which YHWH has planted.

Ht;yBe μyvi/rB] hd:ysij}            This clause particularizes the statement in the first clause: hd:ysij} – storkes – these particular birds build their nests in the cypress/fir trees for which Lebanon was well known in ancient times. 

.μyNIp'v]l' hs,j]m' μy[il;s] μyli[eY“l' μyhiboG“h' μyrIh; .18

The high mountains are for the mountain goat; crags are a refuge for the rock-badger

./a/bm] [d"y: vm,v, μydI[}/ml] j"rEy: hc;[; .19

He made the moon for appointed times, the sun knows its entrance

According to Genesis 1, the lights of heaven were made on the fourth day.  They were created to provide sources of light by day and by night and to serve as signs for times, seasons, and epochs.  These aspects of the original creation were not affected either by God's judgmental curse on the earth or by the Noaic flood, so they continue to perform their original function.

.r['y:A/ty“j'AlK; cmor“tiA/B hl;y“l; yhiywI Ëv,joAtv,T; .20

You appoint darkness, and it becomes night; in it every beast of the forest prowls

hl;y“l; yhiywI Ëv,joAtv,T; tv,T; is a qal 2ms imperfect form from tyv – literally 'you set'.  This is the only occurrence of a 2ms verb with God as the subject since verse 9, so it is replaced by a 3ms form in the Vulgate and Syriac translations.  This clause attributes continued personal agency of God to the fixed order of day and night originally established in the first day of creation.

cmor“tiA/B The verb form is a qal 3fs imperfect from the root cmor meaning 'creep'.  This verb usually refers to the actions of insects, lizards, and other such creatures, but here it refers to beasts of the field.  As such it describes movement with stealth, which characterizes beasts of prey hunting by night.

r['y:A/ty“j'AlK; This duplicates the usage in verse 11, except that here the verb form is singular rather than plural.  Consequently, the usage both here and in verse 11 is probably original with the meaning 'his beasts of the forest'.

.μl;ik]a; laeme vQeb'l]W 5r<F;l' μygIa}vo μyrIypiK]h' .21

The young lions are roaring for prey, even to seek their food from God

5r<F;l' μygIa}vo μyrIypiK]h' This clause gives an explicit example for the previous clause.   Lions do hunt during the day, but they are most active during the night time, because in the dark they have a significant advantage over their prey.  According to recent studies of lion behavior, the male lions roar during the night to announce and protect the pride's hunting ground against intruders, and the female lions do most of the actual hunting.  While hunting, they make no sound to alert their prey, but they roar to announce a successful kill.

μl;ik]a; laeme vQeb'l]W The conjunction could be coordinative (and) or explicative (even).  The infinitive form could express either purpose (in order to seek) or result (and thus seeking).  Lions do not roar to obtain food but to ward away competitors for the same prey, and one can hardly believe that they consciously seek their food from God; yet this is the result of their activity.

.ˆWxB;r“yI μt;nO/[m]Ala,w“ ˆWpsea;yE vm,V,h' jr"z“Ti .22

The sun rises, and they are gathered together, and to their refuge they lie down

Modern studies of the African lion have shown this to be a fairly accurate summary of lion activity in the wild.   

.br<[;AydE[; /td:bo[}l'w“ /l[’p;l] μd:a; axeyE .23

Man goes out for his daily toil, and for his service until evening

Many beasts of prey are primarily nocturnal, but man is seldom so by choice.  As reflected in John 9:4, the labor of men is normally conducted during the light of day.  Prior to the advent of artificial lighting, most human activities related to work ended at sundown.

.Ún<y:n“qi 6r<a;h; ha;l]m; t;yvi[; hm;k]j;B] μL;Ku hwhy Úyc,[}m' WBr"Ahm; .24

How many are your deeds oh YHWH.  All of them have been done with wisdom; the land has been filled with your creatures.

Ún<y:n“qi 6r<a;h; ha;l]m; Ún<y:n“qi literally means 'your acquisition.'  In as much as the entire creation – planet earth, everything on it, and the lights of heaven – are God's by creation, what could this mean?  The verse restricts consideration to planet earth, and the next five verses specify the works and deeds of YHWH that fill the earth.

.t/ldoG“Aμ[i t/Nf'q] t/Yj' rP;s]mi ˆyaew“ cm,r<Aμv; μyId:y: bj'r“W l/dG: μY:h' hz< .25

This is the great sea -- broad are your two hands.  There are sliding things without number, beasts small ones with great ones.

μyId:y: bj'r“W l/dG: μY:h' hz< The significance of μyId:y: poses the major interpretive problem.  The LXX and translations that follow its interpretation simply omit the word, resulting in the translation 'this is the sea, great and broad'.  In contrast, the Vulgate retains the word as a standalone ejaculation: 'this is the sea, great and broad – your hands'.  In contrast, the MT shows no textual deviation here.  The Masoretic accents join l/dG: μY:h' together and separate this phrase from μyId:y: bj'r“W, resulting in the translation above.  That is, the great sea becomes a metaphor for the broadness of God's hands.

cm,r<Aμv;            The term cm,r< is commonly used to describe bugs, worms, and other such creatures that move without making sound.  Here it is descriptive of all water creatures whose movements are largely imperceptible to humans, who are bound to the land.

According to the Masoretic accents, the first major verse division (ole v'yored) occurs at μyId:y:, and the second major division (atnach) occurs at rP;s]mi.   Consequently, rP;s]mi ˆyaew“ cm,r<Aμv forms the intended poetic phrase, and t/ldoG“Aμ[i t/Nf'q] t/Yj' forms the final phrase.  This is the basis for the translation above, but this is not the way it is usually translated.

./BAqj,c'l] T;r“x'y:Ahz< ˆt;y:w“li ˆWkLeh'y“ t/YnIa’ μv; .26

There boats travel.  Leviathan – this one you formed to play in it (the sea)

This verse has an implied contrast between the activities of humans, who are not native to the sea, and the creatures that are.  Humans travel over the sea in vessels that they make, but the sea itself remains mysterious, an object of dread, especially to the ancient Israelites.  In contrast, for leviathan, the great sea monster, it was a place for play.

./T[iB] μl;k]a; ttel; ˆWrBec'y“ Úyl,ae μL;Ku .27

All of them wait for you to give their food in its proper time

.b/f ˆW[B]c]yI Úd“y: jT'p]Ti ˆWfqol]yI μh,l; ˆTeTi .28

You give to them; they gather up.  Your hand opens; they are satisfied with good

.ˆWbWvy“ μr:p;[}Ala,w“ ˆW[w:g“yI μj;Wr 5seTo ˆWlheB;yI Úyn<P; ryTis]T' .29

You hide your face; they are terrified.  You remove their spirit; they die, and they return to their dust.

.hm;d:a} ynEP] vDEj't]W ˆWarB;yI Új}Wr jL'v'T] .30

You send your spirit out; they are created, and the face of the ground is renewed.

These verses address God's governance over animal life on the earth.  Apart from human intervention, the animals live and die in accordance with God's providence.  They receive their life from him; they are sustained by him; and they die when he removes his protection from them.  Following death, the animal's body returns to dust either by being eaten by other animals or through natural decay.

.wyc;[}m'B] hwhy jm'cyI μl;/[l] hwhy d/bk] yhiy“ .31

The gory of YHWH is eternal; YHWH rejoices in his deeds

.Wnv;[‘y<w“ μyrIh;B, [G"yI d[;r“Tiw" 6r<a;l; fyBiM'h' .32

He regards the land, and it trembles; he touches mountains, and they smoke.

This verse addresses God's governance over the dry land in particular, and potentially the entire earth.  Specific references could represent seismic and volcanic activity, and the author asserts that these are directly controlled by God.

.ydI/[B] yh'Olale hr:M]z"a} yY:j'B] hwhyl' hr:yVia; .33

I will sing to YHWH during my life; I will make music to my God for as long as I live

.hwhyB' jm'c]a, ykinOa; yjiyci wyl;[; br"[‘y< .34

May my meditation be pleasing to him; I will rejoice in YHWH

.Hy:AWll]h' hwhyAta, yvip]n" ykirÄB; μn:yae d/[ μy[iv;r“W 6r<a;h;Aˆmi μyaiF;j' WMT'yI .35

Sinners will cease from the land, and there will no longer be wicked ones.  Oh my soul, bless YHWH.  Praised be Yah.

μn:yae d/[ μy[iv;r“W 6r<a;h;Aˆmi μyaiF;j' WMT'yI These two clauses are synonymously parallel, and both assert that humans that refuse to be subject to God's standard will cease to exist on God's earth.  This perhaps is intended to provide the cause for the implied judgment in verse 8.  It gives no hint as to how or when the elimination of those who rebel against God will occur, but it is the author's fixed expectation that it will occur.

hwhyAta, yvip]n" ykirÄB            This repeats the first clause of the psalm, forming a bracket to indicate completeness of the thought being expressed.