Mazmur 104:16-25

104:16 The trees of the Lord ¹  receive all the rain they need, ² 

the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,

104:17 where the birds make nests,

near the evergreens in which the herons live. ³ 

104:18 The wild goats live in the high mountains; ⁴ 

the rock badgers find safety in the cliffs.

104:19 He made the moon to mark the months, ⁵ 

and the sun sets according to a regular schedule. ⁶ 

104:20 You make it dark and night comes, ⁷ 

during which all the beasts of the forest prowl around.

104:21 The lions roar for prey,

seeking their food from God. ⁸ 

104:22 When the sun rises, they withdraw

and sleep ⁹  in their dens.

104:23 Men then go out to do their work,

and labor away until evening. ¹⁰ 

104:24 How many living things you have made, O Lord! ¹¹ 

You have exhibited great skill in making all of them; ¹² 

the earth is full of the living things you have made.

104:25 Over here is the deep, wide sea, ¹³ 

which teems with innumerable swimming creatures, ¹⁴ 

living things both small and large.

[104:16]  ¹ sn The trees of the Lord are the cedars of Lebanon (see the next line), which are viewed as special because of their great size and grandeur. The Lebanon forest was viewed elsewhere in the OT as the “garden of God” (see Ezek 31:8).

[104:16]  ² tn Heb “are satisfied,” which means here that they receive abundant rain (see v. 13).

[104:17]  ³ tn Heb “[the] heron [in the] evergreens [is] its home.”

[104:17]  sn The cedars and evergreens of the Lebanon forest are frequently associated (see, for example, 2 Chr 2:8; Isa 14:8; 37:24; Ezek 31:8).

[104:18]  ⁴ tn Heb “the high mountains [are] for the goats.”

[104:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “he made [the] moon for appointed times.” The phrase “appointed times” probably refers to the months of the Hebrew lunar calendar.

[104:19]  ⁶ tn Heb more metaphorically, “knows its setting.”

[104:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “you make darkness, so that it might be night.”

[104:21]  ⁸ sn The lions’ roaring is viewed as a request for food from God.

[104:22]  ⁹ tn Heb “lie down.”

[104:23]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “man goes out to his work, and to his labor until evening.”

[104:24]  ¹¹ tn Heb “How many [are] your works, O Lord.” In this case the Lord’s “works” are the creatures he has made, as the preceding and following contexts make clear.

[104:24]  ¹² tn Heb “all of them with wisdom you have made.”

[104:25]  ¹³ tn Heb “this [is] the sea, great and broad of hands [i.e., “sides” or “shores”].”

[104:25]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “where [there are] swimming things, and without number.”