Psalm 104 19

Psalm 104:19 kjv

He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

Psalm 104:19 nkjv

He appointed the moon for seasons; The sun knows its going down.

Psalm 104:19 niv

He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down.

Psalm 104:19 esv

He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting.

Psalm 104:19 nlt

You made the moon to mark the seasons,
and the sun knows when to set.

Psalm 104 verses

Psalm 104 19 Meaning

Psalm 104:19 beautifully articulates God's intentional design and meticulous orchestration of the celestial bodies for specific, vital purposes. It proclaims that God established the moon to mark precise times, particularly seasons and appointed festivals, guiding humanity's temporal and spiritual rhythms. Furthermore, the verse affirms that the sun, too, operates with perfect, divinely programmed obedience, unfailingly knowing and adhering to its designated time of setting, ensuring the consistent cycle of day and night. This declaration underscores God's supreme wisdom, power, and sovereign control over creation, contrasting with any belief in independent or deified celestial powers.

Psalm 104 19 Context

Psalm 104 is a magnificent hymn celebrating God as the glorious Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, paralleling and elaborating on the Genesis creation account. The psalm methodically recounts God's creative acts, starting with light (v. 1-2), expanding to the formation of the earth and seas (v. 3-9), providing water and sustenance for all living things (v. 10-18). Verse 19 specifically transitions the focus to the celestial bodies—the moon and the sun—emphasizing their appointed roles in the orderly progression of time and the life rhythms of the world. It frames their movements not as autonomous, but as divinely ordained and perfectly executed functions within God's meticulously governed creation. This placement highlights that even the most dominant forces in the sky are subject to God's unchanging decree, culminating the psalm's testament to divine providence extending to every detail of the cosmos, from the smallest creature to the grandest heavenly lights. Historically, this Psalm stands as a potent polemic against surrounding Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) polytheistic cultures that deified the sun (e.g., Ra in Egypt, Shamash in Mesopotamia) and the moon (e.g., Sin in Mesopotamia). The Psalmist directly counters these beliefs by portraying these powerful celestial bodies as mere obedient servants performing Yahweh's commands.

Psalm 104 19 Word analysis

• He appointed (עָשָׂה - asah): This Hebrew verb signifies "to make," "to do," or "to fashion," but here, in the context of divine command over creation, it implies "to establish," "to ordain," or "to set in place." It conveys intentionality, authority, and meticulous design rather than a mere, spontaneous occurrence. God actively designed and placed the moon in its precise role.

• the moon (יָרֵחַ - yareach): Refers specifically to Earth's natural satellite. In ancient cultures, including Israel's, the moon played a crucial role in calendar systems. The Psalmist emphasizes it as a created entity, not a deity.

• for seasons (לְמוֹעֲדִים - lemo'adim): This is a critical term. While mo'adim can mean general "times" or "periods," its most significant usage in the Hebrew Bible refers to "appointed times," "fixed festivals," or "holy convocations" (e.g., Lev 23). These include Passover, Pentecost, Tabernacles, New Moons, and Sabbaths. The lunar calendar dictated the timing of Israel's entire religious year. Thus, the moon's primary purpose here is to regulate God's ordained times of worship and communal gathering. This detail underlines God's ordering of creation specifically for humanity's religious and societal life.

• the sun (שֶׁמֶשׁ - shemesh): Refers to the solar body, a powerful and vital source of light and heat for Earth. Similar to the moon, its nature as a created instrument under God's command directly challenges its deification in surrounding pagan traditions.

• knows (יָדַע - yada): To know, understand, or perceive. This is an anthropomorphism, attributing human-like awareness to an inanimate celestial body. It signifies perfect obedience and predictability. The sun does not "decide" its course; rather, it inherently fulfills God's set decree, demonstrating a precise, inherent understanding or programming instilled by the Creator. Its action is not by chance but by infallible, pre-ordained knowledge.

• its going down (מְבוֹאוֹ - mevo'o): Its entrance, its coming, specifically referring to its setting or descent below the horizon. The phrase highlights the unwavering regularity of the sun's daily cycle. Every evening, without fail, the sun follows its pre-ordained path, providing the consistent alternation of day and night.

• "He appointed the moon for seasons": This phrase highlights God's purposeful establishment of the moon's orbital cycle primarily for the regulation of sacred "appointed times" or festivals for humanity. In stark contrast to pagan worship of lunar deities (like the Mesopotamian god Sin), this declares that the moon is merely God's obedient instrument. It grounds Israel's calendrical worship in the divine order of creation, showing that even religious timing is established by God.

• "the sun knows its going down": This segment emphasizes the perfect, unwavering, and autonomous regularity of the sun's daily recession. The sun, often deified in the ANE as Shamash or Ra, is depicted here as inherently "knowing" and following its divine directive. Its precise, undeviating behavior serves as a testament to God's omniscient control and unwavering sovereignty, ensuring the consistent cycle of day and night for the world. It implies that nothing can alter or stop this divinely programmed course.

Psalm 104 19 Bonus section

This verse's assertion that "the sun knows its going down" beautifully illustrates what scholars refer to as the "obedient creation." Unlike unpredictable pagan gods who might act erratically, the God of Israel has established an order so reliable that even the celestial bodies are portrayed anthropomorphically as "knowing" and consistently obeying their assigned roles. This obedience reflects God's steadfastness and faithfulness in His governance of the universe. Furthermore, this concept of a predictable, ordered cosmos under God's faithful command undergirds the biblical understanding of covenant theology. If God is able to maintain the covenant of day and night with such absolute reliability (as emphasized in Jer 31:35-36 and 33:20-21), then His covenants with humanity—particularly His redemptive covenant—are equally trustworthy and unbreakable. The order observed in Psalm 104:19 is therefore not merely scientific observation, but a theological testimony to God's dependable character and His unwavering commitment to His created world and His people.

Psalm 104 19 Commentary

Psalm 104:19 concisely presents God as the supreme Architect and Overseer of cosmic order. The verse serves as a profound statement of divine intentionality and meticulous design, revealing that the celestial bodies, far from being self-governing or objects of worship, are mere instruments subservient to Yahweh's precise decree. The moon is purposefully placed to mark "seasons," a specific reference to the biblically appointed feasts and holy times crucial to Israel's worship calendar, thus intrinsically linking creation's rhythm to their spiritual life. Likewise, the sun's perfect adherence to its "going down" exemplifies the steadfastness and absolute control of God. This consistent predictability ensures the continuity of day and night, a foundational aspect of earthly existence. The verse therefore establishes God's unfailing faithfulness and unwavering maintenance of the created order, acting as a direct theological challenge to any polytheistic notions of independent or deified cosmic forces.

Examples of practical usage:

• Trust in God's faithfulness: Just as the sun unfailingly sets and the moon predictably marks seasons, we can trust God's promises and His consistent nature.
• Observance of rhythms: Recognizing divine order in the cosmos encourages us to live according to God's design and acknowledge His ordained times (like resting on a Sabbath).
• Combating idolatry: The verse reminds us that creation serves the Creator; we are to worship God, not His handiwork.