The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 104
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 105 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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Alleluia. Give thanks to the Lord, and call upon his name; Declare his works among the heathen.
Ἀλληλούϊα. Ἐξομολογεῖσθε τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ· ἀπαγγείλατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ.
This Psalm is the first of those to which is prefixed the word Allelujah; the meaning of which word, or rather two words, is, Praise the Lord. For this reason he begins with praises: "O confess unto the Lord, and call upon His Name"; for this confession is to be understood as praise, just as these words of our Lord,…
Sing to him, yea, sing praises to him: Tell forth all his wonderful works.
Ασατε αὐτῷ καὶ ψάλατε αὐτῷ. διηγήσασθε πάντα τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ.
"O sing unto Him, and play on instruments unto Him". Praise Him both by word and deed; for we sing with the voice, while we play with an instrument, that is, with our hands. "Let your talking be of all His wondrous works. Be praise in His holy Name". These two verses may without any absurdity seem paraphrases of the…
Glory in his holy name: Let the heart of them that seek the Lord rejoice.
Ἐπαινεῖσθε ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τῷ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ· εὐφρανθήτω καρδία ζητούντων τὸν Κύριον.
Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened; Seek his face continually.
Ζητήσατε τὸν Κύριον καὶ κραταιώθητε· ζητήσατε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ διαπαντός.
"Seek the Lord, and be strengthened". This is very literally construed from the Greek, though it may seem not a Latin word: whence other copies have, "be ye confirmed;" others, "be ye corroborated."...While these words, then, "Come unto Him, and be enlightened," apply to seeing; those in the text relate to doing:…
Remember his wonderful works that he has done; His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
Μνήσθητε τῶν θαυμασίων αὐτον ὧν ἐποίησε, τὰ τέρατα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ κρίματα τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ.
"Remember," he says, "His marvellous works that He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth". This passage seems like that, "You shall say unto the children of Israel, I Am has sent me unto you:" an expression which, in ever so small part, scarce a mind takes in. Then mentioning His own Name, He…
Ye seed of Abraham, his servants, Ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
Σπέρμα Ἁβραὰμ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ, υἱοὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐκλεκτοὶ αὐτοῦ.
...that they who by the great powers of love knew how to seek His face for evermore, might according to their capacity comprehend, I Am that I Am. Unto whom is it said, "O ye seed of Abraham His servant, ye children of Jacob, His chosen"?...
He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth.
Αὐτὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ.
He next addeth, "He is the Lord our God: His judgments are in all the world". Is He the God of the Jews only? [Romans 3:29] God forbid! "He is the Lord our God:" because the Church, where His judgments are preached, is in all the world....
He has remembered his covenant forever, The word which he commanded for a thousand generations:
Ἐμνήσθη εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα διαθήκης αὐτοῦ, λόγου οὗ ἐνετείλατο εἰς χιλίας γενεὰς,
"He hath been alway mindful of His covenant" (ver. 8). Other copies read, "for evermore;" and this arises from the ambiguity of the Greek. But if we are to understand "alway" of this world and not of eternity, why, when he explaineth what covenant He was mindful of, doth he add, "The word that He made to a thousand…
Which he established as a covenant to Abraham, And he remembered his oath to Isaac.
ὃν διέθετο τῷ Ἁβραὰμ, καὶ τοῦ ὅρκου αὐτοῦ τῷ Ἰσαάκ·
And he established it to Jacob for an ordinance, And to Israel for an everlasting covenant;
Καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτὴν τῷ Ἰακὼβ εἰς πρόσταγμα, καὶ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς διαθήκην αἰώνιον,
Saying, To thee will I give the land of Canaan, The line of your inheritance:
λέγων, σοὶ δώσω τὴν γῆν Χαναὰν, σχοίνισμα κληρονομίας ὑμῶν.
When they were few in number, Very few, and sojourners in it.
Ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἀριθμῷ βραχεῖς, ὀλιγοστοὺς καὶ παροίκους ἐν αὐτῇ,
He next follows out the history well known in the truth of the holy Scriptures. "When they were in small numbers, very few, and they strangers in the land"; that is, in the land of Canaan....But some copies have the words "very few, and they strangers," in the accusative case, the translator having turned the Greek…
And they went from nation to nation, And from one kingdom to another people.
καὶ διῆλθον ἐξ ἔθνους εἰς ἔθνος, καὶ ἐκ βασιλείας εἰς λαὸν ἕτερον,
"What time as they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people". This is a repetition of what he had said, "from one nation to another." "He suffered no man to do them harm: but reproved even kings for their sakes". "Touch not," He said, "Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm". He declares…
He suffered no man to wrong them; And he rebuked kings for their sakes:
οὐκ ἀφῆκεν ἄνθρωπον ἀδικῆσαι αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἤλεγξεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν βασιλεῖς·
Saying, Touch not my anointed ones; And do my prophets no harm.
Μὴ ἅψησθε τῶν χριστῶν μου, καὶ ἐν τοῖς προφήταις μου μὴ πονηρεύεσθε.
Moreover he called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole support of bread.
Καὶ ἐκάλεσε λιμὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, πᾶν στήριγμα ἄρτου συνέτριψεν.
He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold for a slave.
Ἀπέστειλεν ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν ἄνθρωπον, εἰς δοῦλον ἐπράθη Ἰωσήφ.
"But He had sent a man before them". What man? "Even Joseph." How did He send him? "Joseph was sold to be a bond-servant." When this happened, it was the sin of his brethren, and, nevertheless, God sent Joseph into Egypt. We should therefore meditate on this important and necessary subject, how God uses well the evil…
They hurt his feet with fetters; His soul passed into iron,
Ἐταπείνωσαν ἐν πέδαις τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, σίδηρον διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ·
Until the time that his cause came on; The word of the Lord tried him as fire.
Μέχρι τοῦ ἐλθεῖν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ· τὸ λόγιον τοῦ Κυρίου ἐπύρωσεν αὐτόν.
The king sent and loosed him; Even the prince of the people, and let him go free.
Ἀπέστειλε βασιλεὺς καὶ ἔλυσεν αὐτὸν, ἄρχων λαῶν καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτόν.
"The king sent and loosed him, the prince of the peoples, and let him go free". The "king" is the same as "the prince of the peoples:" he "loosed" him from his bonds "and let him go free" from his prison.
He made him Lord over his house, And ruler of all his substance;
Κατέστησεν αὐτὸν κύριον τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἄρχοντα πάσης τῆς κτήσεως αὐτοῦ,
"He made him lord also of his house: and ruler of all his substance". "That he might inform his princes like himself, and teach his old men wisdom". The Greek has, "and teach his elders wisdom." Which might altogether be rendered to the letter thus; "Might inform his princes like himself, and make his elders wise."…
To chastise his rulers at his pleasure, And to teach his elders wisdom.
τοῦ παιδεῦσαι τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτοῦ ὡς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους αὐτοῦ σοφίσαι.
Israel also came into Egypt, And Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.
Καὶ εἰσῆλθεν Ἰσραὴλ εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ Ἰακὼβ παρῴκησεν ἐν γῇ Χάμ.
"Joseph also came into Egypt, and Jacob was a stranger in the land of Ham". Israel is the same with Jacob, as is Egypt with the land of Ham. Here it is very plainly shown, that the Egyptian race sprang from the seed of Chain, the son of Noah, whose first-born was Canaan. So that in those copies wherein in this passage…
And he increased his people greatly, And made them stronger than their enemies.
Καὶ ηὔξησε τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ σφόδρα, καὶ ἐκραταίωσεν αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ.
Next is related what happened in Egypt. "And He increased," he says, "His people exceedingly, and made them stronger than their enemies". Even the whole of this is briefly set forth, in order that the manner in which it took place may be afterwards related. For the people of God was not made stronger than their…
And he turned their heart to hate his people, To deal craftily with his servants.
Καὶ μετέστρεψε τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν τοῦ μισῆσαι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, τοῦ δολιοῦσθαι ἐν τοῖς δούλοις αὐτοῦ.
"And He turned their heart so, that they hated His people, and dealt untruly with His servants". Is it to be in any wise understood or believed, that God turns man's heart to do sin?...For they were not good before they hated His people; but being malignant and ungodly, they were such as would readily envy their…
He sent forth Moses his servant, And Aaron whom he had chosen.
Ἐξαπέστειλε Μωυσῆν τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ, Ἀαρὼν ὃν ἐξελέξατο αὐτόν.
The following verses, which are sung in praise of Him when Allelujah is chanted, show how He used this hatred of theirs, both for the trial of His own people, and for the glory of His Name, which is profitable for us. "He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen him". "Whom He had chosen," would be…
He established among them his signs, And his wonders in the land of Ham.
Ἔθετο ἐν αὐτοῖς τοὺς λόγους τῶν σημείων αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῶν τεράτων ἐν γῇ Χάμ.
He sent forth darkness, and made it dark; Yet they rebelled against his words.
Ἐξαπέστειλε σκότος καὶ ἐσκότασε, καὶ παρεπίκραναν τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ·
"He sent darkness, and made it dark". This is also written among the plagues with which the Egyptians were smitten. But what follows, is variously read in different copies. For some have, "and they provoked His words;" while others read, "and they provoked not His words;" but the reading first mentioned we have found…
He turned their waters into blood, And slew their fish.
Μετέστρεψε τὰ ὕδατα αὐτῶν εἰς αἷμα, καὶ ἀπέκτεινε τοὺς ἰχθύας αὐτῶν.
Their land produced frogs abundantly, In the chambers of their kings.
Ἐξῆρψεν ἡ γῆ αὐτῶν βατράχους, ἐν τοῖς ταμείοις τῶν βασιλέων αὐτῶν.
"He made their land frogs, yea, even in the king's chambers": as if he were to say, He turned their land into frogs. For there was so great a multitude of frogs, that this might well be said by hyperbole.
He spoke, and the dog fly came, And lice in all their coasts.
Εἶπε καὶ ἦλθε κυνόμυια, καὶ σκνίπες ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ὁρίοις αὐτῶν.
"He spoke the word, and there came all manner of flies, and lice in all their quarters". If it be asked when He spoke, it was in His Word before it took place; and there it was, without time, at what time it should take place: although even then He commanded it to be done, when it was to be done, through Angels, and…
He turned their rain into hail, And sent flaming fire in their land.
Ἔθετο τὰς βροχὰς αὐτῶν χάλαζαν, πῦρ καταφλέγον ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν.
And he smote their vines and their fig trees; And broke every tree of their coast.
Καὶ ἐπάταξε τὰς ἀμπέλους αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς συκὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ συνέτριψε πᾶν ξύλον ὁρίου αὐτῶν.
He spoke, and the locust came, And caterpillars innumerable,
Εἶπε καὶ ἦλθεν ἀκρὶς, καὶ βροῦχος οὗ οὐκ ἦν ἀριθμὸς,
"He spoke the word, and the locust came, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number". The locusts and the caterpillars are one plague: of which the one is the parent, the other the offspring.
And devoured all the grass in their land, And devoured the fruit of their ground.
καὶ κατέφαγε πάντα τὸν χόρτον ἐν τῇ γῇ αὐτῶν, καὶ κατέφαγε τὸν καρπὸν τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν.
"And did eat up all the grass in their land, and devoured the fruit of the ground". Even grass is fruit, as Scripture is wont to speak, which calls even the ripe grain grass; but it wished these two things to harmonize in number with the two which it had spoken of before, that is, the locust and the caterpillar. But…
"He smote every first-born in their land: even the first-fruits of all their strength". This is the last plague, excepting the death in the Red Sea. "The first-fruits of all their strength," I imagine to be an expression derived from the first-born of cattle. These plagues are ten in number, but they are not all…
Now he adds this also to the praises of God, that He led the Israelites out of Egypt enriched with silver and gold; because even they were then in such a condition, that they could not as yet despise the just and due, though temporal, reward of their toils...."He brought them forth also in silver and gold": this too…
"Egypt was glad at their departing: for their fear fell upon them"; that is, the fear of the Hebrews upon the Egyptians. For "their fear" is not that with which the Hebrews feared, but that with which they were feared. Some one will say, how then were the Egyptians unwilling to dismiss them? Why did they let them go…
He now proceeds to the divine blessings which were conferred upon them as they wandered in the desert. "He spread out a cloud to be their covering: and fire to give them light in the night season". This is as clear as it is well known.
"They asked, and the quail came". They did not desire quails, but flesh. But since the quail is flesh, and in this Psalm he speaks not of the provocation of those who did not please God, but of the faith of the elect, the true seed of Abraham; they are to be understood to have desired that that might come which might…
"He opened the rock of stone, and the waters flowed out: so that rivers ran in the dry places". This fact too is understood as soon as read.
But in all these blessings of His, God does commend in Abraham the merit of faith. For the Psalmist goes on to say, "For why? He remembered His holy promise, which He made to Abraham His servant".
But in all these blessings of His, God doth commend in Abraham the merit of faith. For the Psalmist goeth on to say, "For why? He remembered His holy promise, which He made to Abraham His servant." "And He brought forth His people with joy, and His chosen with gladness". What he said, "His people," he has repeated in,…
"And gave them the lands of the heathen: and they took the labours of the people in possession". "The lands of the heathen," and "the labours of the people," are the same; and the words, "He gave," are repeated in these, "they took in possession."
..."That they may keep His statutes, and seek out His law". Lastly, since by the seed of Abraham he wished those to be understood here, who were truly the seed of Abraham, such as were not wanting even in that people; as the Apostle Paul clearly showeth, when he saith, "But not in all of them was God well pleased;"…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.