Psalm 104:5 kjv
Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
Psalm 104:5 nkjv
You who laid the foundations of the earth, So that it should not be moved forever,
Psalm 104:5 niv
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.
Psalm 104:5 esv
He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.
Psalm 104:5 nlt
You placed the world on its foundation
so it would never be moved.
Psalm 104 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference (Short Note) |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 24:2 | For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. | God as Creator of earth's foundation. |
| Ps 33:9 | For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm. | Divine spoken word creates and establishes. |
| Prov 3:19 | The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens. | Wisdom's role in earth's foundation. |
| Job 38:4-6 | “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?...” | God questions Job on earth's original establishment. |
| Isa 45:18 | For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens (He is God!), who formed the earth and made it, He established it... | God's specific act of establishing earth. |
| Jer 10:12 | It is He who made the earth by His power, who established the world by His wisdom... | God's power and wisdom in world establishment. |
| Ps 93:1 | The Lord reigns; He is robed in majesty... Yes, the world is firmly established; it cannot be moved. | Earth's firm establishment under God's reign. |
| Ps 96:10 | Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!... Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved.” | God's sovereignty ensuring earth's stability. |
| 1 Sam 2:8 | For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them He has set the world. | Metaphorical 'pillars' indicating divine support. |
| Ps 119:90 | Your faithfulness endures to all generations; You established the earth, and it stands. | God's faithfulness upholds creation's stability. |
| Isa 40:21-22 | ...Do you not know? Have you not heard?... He who sits above the circle of the earth... | God's transcendence and sovereign control over creation. |
| Col 1:16-17 | For by Him all things were created... and in Him all things hold together. | Christ as agent of creation and sustainer. |
| Heb 1:2-3 | ...through whom He also made the worlds. He upholds the universe by the word of His power... | Christ's role in creation and continuous upholding. |
| Ps 148:6 | He established them forever and ever; He gave a decree, which will not pass away. | God's eternal decree for creation's order. |
| Mal 3:6 | “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” | God's unchanging nature ensures enduring promises and order. |
| Gen 8:22 | “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.” | God's covenant with the earth for ongoing natural cycles. |
| Eccl 1:4 | A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever. | Earth's permanence from a human, existential view. |
| Isa 65:17 | “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth...” | Prophecy of new creation, distinguishing from present state. |
| Isa 66:22 | “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before Me, declares the LORD...” | Future, eternal, divinely established new earth. |
| 2 Pet 3:10 | ...the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the elements will be destroyed with fire, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be burned up. | Current earth's transformation/judgment in God's plan. |
| 2 Pet 3:13 | But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. | Future hope for a transformed and eternal dwelling place. |
| Rev 21:1 | Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away... | Fulfillment of prophecy: the first earth superseded by the new. |
Psalm 104 verses
Psalm 104 5 Meaning
Psalm 104:5 proclaims God's omnipotence and wise design in the creation and sustained ordering of the earth. It asserts that the Creator meticulously founded the earth upon its base, guaranteeing its inherent stability and secure place within His divine cosmic arrangement. This verse highlights God's unyielding power and faithfulness, demonstrating that His creative act established an enduring and stable habitat that will not totter or give way from its ordained purpose or position.
Psalm 104 5 Context
Psalm 104 is a magnificent hymn praising God as the sovereign Creator and sustainer of the cosmos, often seen as a poetic meditation on the creation account in Genesis 1. It details God's activities in shaping the world, from light and water to land and living creatures. Verse 5 specifically belongs to the initial descriptions of the foundational work of creation, highlighting how God laid the groundwork for the earth itself before populating it with life. Historically and culturally, this psalm resonates against contemporary Ancient Near Eastern mythologies where the world was often portrayed as arising from chaos or violent conflict among lesser deities and thus inherently unstable. Psalm 104 presents a profound theological statement of God's solitary, wise, and peaceful establishment of an ordered, stable, and purposeful creation.
Psalm 104 5 Word analysis
- He established (יָסַד yasadh): This Hebrew verb signifies to lay a foundation, to found, or to settle firmly. It speaks of a deliberate and masterful act of construction, not merely existence by chance. It emphasizes God as the architect and builder who purposefully brought the earth into being with specific, secure parameters.
- the earth (אֶרֶץ ’eretz): This term refers to the land, the ground, or the inhabited world. It encompasses the tangible sphere where humanity dwells and where God's created order unfolds. Its stability is critical for the thriving of life within it.
- upon its foundations (עַל־מְכוֹנֶיהָ ‘al-m'khoneyha): M'khonah (plural m'khonot) refers to bases, places, or supports. This phrase uses anthropomorphic imagery, likening the earth to a massive building firmly set upon a sturdy substructure. Biblically, "foundations" often speak metaphorically of divine decrees and unchanging laws, reinforcing God's unwavering control over His creation. This implicitly opposes any notion of an unstable, floating earth governed by capricious forces in polytheistic cosmologies.
- it will never be moved (בַּל־תִּמּוֹט bal-timot): Bal is a strong negative particle meaning "never," and timot (from the root mut) means to totter, shake, or slip. The phrase declares an absolute stability and unshakeable quality. This does not preclude future transformation, such as the "new heavens and new earth," but rather assures the present divine purpose, order, and continued existence of the earth for God's redemptive plan, meaning it will not fail in its appointed course or role.
Psalm 104 5 Bonus section
The poetic language of Psalm 104:5 ("foundations," "never be moved") should be understood through a theological lens rather than a strictly scientific one. It highlights the steadfastness of God's decree concerning His creation, assuring that it operates reliably according to His established laws. This verse stands as a powerful polemic against ancient polytheistic beliefs which often depicted creation as arising from violent struggle or chaos, and the world as sustained precariously by unreliable deities. In contrast, the God of Israel single-handedly, purposefully, and peacefully establishes the earth as a place of secure order. While the current earth will one day be transformed into a "new heaven and new earth," Psalm 104:5 firmly attests to God's unchanging nature and His promise of ordered stability for His purposes throughout history.
Psalm 104 5 Commentary
Psalm 104:5 serves as a profound testament to God's inherent power and unshakeable sovereignty over His creation. The verse encapsulates a key aspect of biblical cosmology: the world is not a product of chance, nor is it sustained by finite powers. Rather, it is established and upheld by the divine decree and infinite wisdom of the Lord. The imagery of "foundations" underscores God's meticulous engineering of the earth, ensuring its order and resilience. This steadfastness allows life to flourish and divine purposes to unfold through successive generations. The assertion that it "will never be moved" signifies not an absolute, static eternality of its current physical form, but rather its enduring stability within the scope of God's present cosmic order and His continuous providential care, standing secure until He determines its glorious renewal.