← Back to the beginning of Psalms 104
Ver. 11. They give drink to every beast] A great mercy, as we have lately found in these late dry years, 1653, 1654, wherein God hath given us to know the worth of water by the want of it, Bona sunt a tergo formosissima. The wild asses] Those hottest creatures, Job 39:8-11.
Ver. 12. By them shall the fowls of the heaven] Assuetae ripis volucres, et fluminis alveo (Virg.). Which sing among the branches] Most melodiously, many of them; therefore it is reckoned as a judgment to lose them, Jeremiah 4:25 9:10.
Ver. 13. He watereth the hills from his chambers] That is from his clouds, he giveth water to hills and high places, where wells and rivers are not. The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works] i.e. With the rain of thy clouds, dropping fatness.
Ver. 14. He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle] He caused it to grow at first, before cattle were created, Genesis 1:11,12. And so he doth still, as the first cause; by rain and dew from heaven, as the second cause. And herb for the service of man] Ad esum et ad usum, for food, medicine, &c., Genesis 1:29. Green herbs, it seemeth, was a great dish with the ancients, which, therefore, they called Holus, ab ολον. Aristippus told his fellow philosopher, who fed upon them, If you can please Dionysius you need not eat green herbs, he presently replied, If you can eat green herbs you need not please Dionysius, and be his parasite. That he may bring forth food out of the earth] Alma parens Tellus “Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for the meat,” &c., John 6:27.
Ver. 15. And wine that maketh glad] That he may the more cheerfully serve his Maker, his heart being lifted up, as Jehoshaphat’s was, in the ways of obedience, Judges 9:13 Pr 31:6,7. And oil to make his face to shine] The word signifieth ointments of all sorts, whereof see Pliny, lib. 12, 13. These man might want and subsist; but God is bountiful. And bread which strengtheneth, &c.] In nature, Animantis cuiusque vita est fuga; were it not for the repair of nutrition the natural life would be extinguished. The Latins call bread panis, of the Greek παν; because it is the chief nourishment.
Ver. 16. The trees of the Lord are fall of sap] Heb. are satisfied, viz. with moisture, sucked by their roots out of the earth plentifully watered, whereby they are nourished, grow mightily, and serve man for meat, drink, medicine, &c. The cedars of Lebanon] These are instanced, as tallest and most durable. God’s temple at Jerusalem was built of them; and so was the devil’s temple at Ephesus, for he will needs be God’s ape.
Ver. 17. Where the birds make their nests] Each, according to their natural instinct, with wonderful art. As for the stork] That Pie taticultrix, as Petronius calleth her (and her name in Hebrew soundeth as much), because she nourisheth and cherisheth the old ones whereof she came; whence αντιπελαργειν, Genetricum senectam invicem educant (Plin.). Ciconiis pietas eximia inest (Solin.).
Ver. 18. The high hills are a refuge] These wild, but weak, creatures are so wise, as to secure themselves from violence; when pursued they run to their refuges; and should not we to God, for the securing of our comforts, and safeguarding of our persons?
Ver. 19. He appointed the moon for seasons] Most nations reckoned the year by the moon, rather than by the sun. The sun knoweth his going down] As if he were a living and intelligent creature; so justly doth he observe the law laid upon him by God, and runs through his work. See Job 38:12.
Ver. 20. Thou makest darkness] Which, though it be dreadful, yet is it useful, and in the vicissitude of light and darkness much of God’s wisdom and goodness is to be seen. We must see that we turn not the day into night, nor night into day, without some special and urgent occasion.
Ver. 21. The young lions roar] Rousing themselves out of their dens by night, and then usually seizing upon what prey God sendeth them in; for they are at his, and not at their own, finding. And seek] Like as the young ravens cry to him, Psalms 147:9. by implication only. See Joel 1:18,20.
Ver. 22. They yather themselves toyether] viz. Into their dens and lurking holes, smitten with fear of light and of men. A sweet providence, but little considered.
Ver. 23. Man goeth forth unto his work] His honest employment in his particular place and calling, whether manual or mental; eating his bread in the sweat either of his brow or of his brain. Until the evening] That time of rest and refreshment. The Lord Burleigh (William Cecil), when he put off his gown at night, used to say, Lie there, Lord Treasurer; and, bidding adieu to all state affairs, disposed himself to his quiet rest.
Ver. 24. O Lord, how manifold, &c.] q.d. They are so many and so great that I cannot recount or reckon them up, but am even swallowed up of wonderment; all that I can say is, that they are magna et mirifica. In man’s body only there are miracles enough, between head and foot, to fill a volume. The earth is full] It is God’s great purse, Psalms 24:1.
Ver. 25. So is this great and wide sea] Latum manibus, id est sinubus; yet not so great and wide as man’s heart, wherein is not only that leviathan, some special foul lusts, but creeping things innumerable, crawling bugs and baggage vermin. Wherein are creeping things innumerable] Far more, and of more kinds, than there are on earth.
Ver. 26. There go the ships] The use whereof was first showed by God in Noah’s ark, whence afterwards Audax Iapeti genus, Japhet’s offspring sailed, and replenished the islands. There is that leviathan] Whereof see Job 41, with notes.
Ver. 27. These wait all upon thee] The great housekeeper of the world, who carvest them out their meet measures of meat, and at fit seasons. Of thee they have it, per causarum concatenationem.
Ver. 28. That thou givest them they gather] Neither have they the least morsel of meat but what thou castest them by thy providence. Turcicure imperium quantum quantum est nihil est nisi panis mica quam dives paterfamilias proiecit caniubs, saith Luther. Thou openest thine hand] By opening the bosom of the earth thou richly providest for them, ο δοτηρ εαων.
Ver. 29. Thou hidest thy face] i.e. Thou withdrawest thy favour, thy concurrence, thine influence, they are troubled, or terrified, a cold sweat sitteth upon their limbs, animam agunt, they shortly expire; for in God we live, move, and have our being, Acts 17:28 A frown of Augustus Caesar proved to be the death of Cornelius Gallus. Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor of England, died Sept. 20, 1591, of a flux of his urine and grief of mind conceived upon some angry words given him by Queen Elizabeth (Camden). Thou takest away their breath] Heb. Thou gatherest it, callest for it again, viz. their vital vigour.
Ver. 30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit] Virtutem vivificam. They are created] Others of the same kind are; and so the face of the earth is renewed, while another generation springeth up. This is matter of praise to their Maker.
Ver. 31. The glory of the Lord shall endure for ever] Or, Let glory be to the Lord for ever, sc. for his great works of creation and conservation. The Lord shall rejoice in his works] As he did at the creation, when he saw all to be good, and very good; so still, it doth God good, as it were, to see the poor creatures feed, and men to give him the honour of all.
Ver. 32. He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth] This must be considered, that God may be as well feared as loved and praised. He toucheth the hills, and they smoke] It is, therefore, ill falling into his hands, who can do such terrible things with his looks and touches.
Ver. 33. I will siny unto the Lord] Though others be slack to do God this right, to help him to his own, to give him the glory due to his name, yet I will do it, and do it constantly, so long as I have a breath to draw.
Ver. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet] Or, Let it be sweet unto him, let him kindly accept it, though it be mean and worthless, through Christ’s odour poured thereinto. I will be glad in the Lord] Withdrawing my heart from other vile and vain delights, or, at least, vexed at mine own dullness, for being no more affected with such inexplicable ravishments.
Ver. 35. Let the sinners be consumed, &c.] Such sinners against their own souls, as when they know God, or might know him by his wonderful works, glorify him not as God, neither are thankful, Romans 1:21; but pollute and abuse his good creatures, to his dishonour, fighting against him with those lives that he hath given them. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul] The worse others are the better be thou, kindling thyself from their coldness, &c.