Psalm 104 1

Psalm 104:1 kjv

Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

Psalm 104:1 nkjv

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great: You are clothed with honor and majesty,

Psalm 104:1 niv

Praise the LORD, my soul. LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

Psalm 104:1 esv

Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty,

Psalm 104:1 nlt

Let all that I am praise the LORD.
O LORD my God, how great you are!
You are robed with honor and majesty.

Psalm 104 verses

Psalm 104 1 Meaning

Psalm 104:1 is a self-exhortation, a passionate call from the psalmist to his own being to bless the Lord. It then immediately follows with a direct address to God, declaring His immeasurable greatness and describing Him as being arrayed in glorious splendor and magnificent majesty. It serves as an awe-filled confession of God's supreme nature and unparalleled glory.

Psalm 104 1 Context

Psalm 104 stands as a majestic hymn of creation and divine providence, often considered a literary companion to Genesis 1, describing the acts of the Creator from the beginning. Unlike Gen 1's systematic account, this psalm presents a lyrical and awe-filled journey through God's active sustainment of the world. Verse 1 sets the tone, a personal declaration of worship and recognition of God's magnificent nature, preparing the heart of the psalmist and the reader for the subsequent details of God's power revealed in the natural world. Historically, it contrasts sharply with contemporary pagan beliefs where natural forces were deified or chaotic. The psalm asserts Yahweh's sole sovereignty, order, and control over all aspects of creation, underscoring His transcendent greatness over any imagined rival god or impersonal force. It is a powerful affirmation of monotheism against the polytheistic tendencies of surrounding cultures, depicting God not merely as a creator but as the active sustainer who "clothes" Himself with cosmic glory.

Psalm 104 1 Word analysis

• Bless (בָּרְכִי - bar-khi): This is a command, a feminine singular imperative directed by the psalmist to his own "soul." It means "to kneel," "to praise," "to offer homage." It implies an internal, heartfelt adoration, not merely external ritual. It is a call to align the innermost being with God's worthiness.
• the Lord (יְהוָה - Yahweh): This is the tetragrammaton, the personal, covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent, faithful, and relational nature. Its use here emphasizes the intimate, committed relationship between the psalmist and the Sovereign Creator.
• O my soul (נַפְשִׁי - naf-shi): "Soul" refers to the totality of a person's inner being, vitality, mind, emotions, and will. The psalmist is rousing his entire being, every faculty, to worship God, signifying a complete and undivided devotion.
• O Lord (יְהוָה - Yahweh): Repeated from the first clause, underscoring the address to the personal covenant God.
• my God (אֱלֹהָי - Elohai): This is the possessive form of Elohim (general term for God, emphasizing power and divinity) combined with "my." This strengthens the personal declaration of relationship and allegiance to the sovereign and powerful God. It shifts from internal exhortation to direct address.
• You (אַתָּה - attah): The second person singular pronoun, directly addressing God, making the declaration intensely personal and immediate.
• are very (מְאֹד - m'od): An adverb meaning "exceedingly," "greatly," "truly." It intensifies the subsequent word, "great," conveying unparalleled immensity.
• great (גָּדַלְתָּ - gadal'ta): A verb in the perfect tense, meaning "You have become great" or "You are (proven to be) great." It denotes magnitude, power, and significance beyond human comprehension. It describes God's inherent, unmatched majesty.
• You are clothed (לָבַשְׁתָּ - lāvashtā): A strong metaphor. God is not merely associated with splendor and majesty, but actively "puts them on" as royal robes. This implies a visible, active display and embodiment of these attributes. It suggests a tangible manifestation of His divine essence, evident in creation.
• with splendor (הוֹד - hod): Means majesty, glory, honor, excellent renown, aura of greatness. Often used to describe royal dignity or divine magnificence, an outward radiance that evokes awe and reverence. It conveys inherent kingly power and authority.
• and majesty (וְהָדָר - vəhadar): Paired with "hod," it signifies grandeur, beauty, glory, adornment, dignity. It often relates to visual magnificence and stately impressiveness. Together, hod and hadar create a rich picture of God's supreme, glorious presence that permeates His being and actions.

Words-group analysis:

• "Bless the Lord, O my soul": This phrase is a common poetic device (known as enallage) in the Psalms, a powerful self-command or inner monologue compelling one's entire being to engage in worship. It emphasizes the necessity of heartfelt, internal praise, not merely external rituals.
• "O Lord my God": This personal address establishes a deep, covenantal relationship. It unites the reverential respect for Yahweh with the personal devotion implied by "my God," affirming God's universal sovereignty while recognizing His particular relationship with the worshipper.
• "You are very great": This is a fundamental declaration of God's unparalleled transcendence. It implies His limitless power, infinite wisdom, and incomparable majesty, distinguishing Him from all created beings and false deities.
• "You are clothed with splendor and majesty": This vivid imagery portrays God not just possessing but embodying and manifesting His inherent glory and regal power. Like a king robed in magnificent garments, God's essential being radiates awe-inspiring splendor and dignified grandeur, visible in His creation and deeds.

Psalm 104 1 Bonus section

The imagery of God being "clothed" or "girded" with divine attributes is a recurring biblical motif (e.g., Ps 93:1, Isa 59:17), not suggesting God literally wears garments but powerfully conveying His inherent and visible manifestation of these qualities. The combination of "splendor" (הוֹד, hod) and "majesty" (הָדָר, hadar) forms a merism, meaning they function together to convey a complete sense of divine glory and exalted honor, far exceeding human royalty. This verse, with its immediate burst of worship, often prompts reflection on the purpose of human existence—to glorify God, which finds its fulfillment in His revelation through creation (as depicted throughout Psalm 104). The verse implicitly contrasts the stability and unwavering power of the True God with the mutable, weak deities of polytheistic cultures that required constant appeasement; here, Yahweh simply is great, clothed in eternal glory.

Psalm 104 1 Commentary

Psalm 104:1 serves as a grand overture to a magnificent hymn celebrating God as Creator and Sustainer. It is an immediate, passionate outpouring of praise, starting with the psalmist's command to his own "soul" to actively worship Yahweh. This self-exhortation reveals that genuine praise must emanate from the innermost being, encompassing every facet of human existence. The direct address, "O Lord my God," personalizes this profound reverence, shifting from internal resolve to an intimate, relational declaration. The core theological affirmation follows: God is "very great," a statement of His absolute and incomparable supremacy. This greatness is not abstract but tangibly expressed and perpetually displayed; He is "clothed with splendor and majesty," portraying Him as perpetually arrayed in kingly robes of dazzling glory and dignified grandeur. These attributes, often paired in Hebrew poetry, signify God's inherent glory, excellent renown, and kingly power, which are fully revealed in His mighty acts of creation and sustainment that follow in the rest of the psalm. The verse sets the foundation for understanding all of creation as a testament to God's inherent, majestic glory.