Psalm 104:4 - Printer Friendly

ESV: he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.

NIV: He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

NASB: He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers.

CSB: and making the winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.

NLT: The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants.

KJV: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

NKJV: Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.

Psalm 104:1–4 describes God's obvious power and glory. These attributes are so evident that the Lord is said to be "clothed" in them. All creation is under His control and part of His kingdom. Nothing can be changed or altered outside of His will. This passage refers to God's "messengers," in a phrase cited in Hebrews 1:7.

The psalmist praises the Lord for His creation. God is credited with establishing the earth, setting boundaries for bodies of water, and providing water and food for animals and human beings. What God has made includes proper living spaces for all sorts of life. He set the motions of the sun and moon. All creation owes its existence to God's Spirit. The psalmist resolves to continue praising the Lord while hoping that the wicked will be removed from earth.

Psalms 103 and 104 begin with the same phrase but have different themes. The prior text emphasized God's loyal love for His people. Psalm 104 focuses on the Lord as Creator. This psalm echoes ideas also seen in Genesis 1—2 but does not follow the creation account directly. Of the psalms, this is the most detailed and overt in discussing God's work in creation. Other psalms discuss the subject briefly (Psalm 8; 19; 24; 65; 95; 102; 121; 147).

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/24/2024 7:39:31 PM