Psalm 74 16

Psalm 74:16 kjv

The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

Psalm 74:16 nkjv

The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun.

Psalm 74:16 niv

The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

Psalm 74:16 esv

Yours is the day, yours also the night; you have established the heavenly lights and the sun.

Psalm 74:16 nlt

Both day and night belong to you;
you made the starlight and the sun.

Psalm 74 verses

Psalm 74 16 Meaning

(h2)Psalm 74:16 proclaims God's ultimate sovereignty and ownership over all of time—day and night—and over all sources of light, particularly the sun. It declares that God alone established and maintains the cosmic order, demonstrating His complete control over creation.

Psalm 74 16 Context

(h2)Psalm 74 is a communal lament (a qinah psalm) expressing the deep distress of the Israelite community over the destruction of God's sanctuary. The psalm opens with an appeal for God's remembrance of His people, recounting the devastation and profanation of the holy place by an enemy. Verses 12-17 constitute a hymn of praise and recollection of God's past mighty acts, particularly His creative power and victories over primeval chaos (often depicted in Canaanite mythology by sea monsters like Leviathan). Verse 16 falls within this section, serving as a powerful theological assertion: despite the present chaos and perceived absence, the psalmist reminds God of His unwavering control over the cosmos. This affirmation of divine order in creation forms the foundation for the plea for divine intervention against the disorder brought by the enemies. It acts as a polemic against pagan deities worshipped in the ancient Near East, specifically those associated with celestial bodies or natural phenomena, by declaring Yahweh as the sole sovereign creator and orchestrator of day, night, and all light sources.

Psalm 74 16 Word analysis

(h2)

• Thine (לְךָ – lәkhā): A possessive pronoun, emphasizing complete ownership and authority. It directly attributes both the day and night, and by extension, all their elements, to God alone. This repetition underscores divine sovereignty.
• is the day (יוֹם – yom): Refers to the period of daylight, implying the cycle of light and the temporal ordering of existence. The use of "yom" here points to God's governance over measured time.
• and Thine (אַף־לָךְ – ’aph-lākh): "And also Thine." The particle "aph" intensifies the possessive, highlighting that God's ownership is absolute and extends equally to what might seem contradictory – day and night.
• also is the night (לָיְלָה – laylah): The period of darkness. Including "night" alongside "day" emphasizes God's comprehensive rule over the entirety of temporal experience, demonstrating that nothing is outside His domain, even seemingly negative or mysterious elements like darkness.
• Thou hast prepared (כּוֹנַנְתָּ – kônantā): From the verb כון (kun), meaning to establish, to set up firmly, to make stable, to appoint, or to ordain. This signifies not just a casual arrangement but a deliberate, powerful, and lasting act of creation and organization. God actively orchestrated the cosmos.
• the light (מָאוֹר – mā’ôr): Refers to luminaries or light-bearers. While it can broadly mean "light," in this context, especially paired with "sun," it points to the sources of light (e.g., the moon, stars, or a general source of celestial light), demonstrating God's control over all such objects. This differs from simple "light" (אוֹר – ’ôr) as used in Gen 1:3.
• and the sun (וָשָׁמֶשׁ – wāshāmesh): The primary celestial body and a crucial source of warmth and light. Mentioning the sun specifically highlights God's authority over even the most powerful and life-sustaining elements of the natural world, often deified in pagan cultures. This is a direct challenge to sun worship prevalent in the ancient Near East.

Psalm 74 16 Bonus section

(h2)The placement of this assertion of divine sovereignty within a communal lament emphasizes a key theological principle: when faced with chaos, destruction, or perceived abandonment, a return to the foundational truth of God's creative power and ongoing control over the cosmos is crucial. It implicitly reminds God (and the community) of His covenant relationship, which is as stable and predictable as the cycles of day and night He ordained (Jer 33:20). The reference to God "preparing" the light and the sun resonates deeply with the order described in the Genesis creation account, firmly linking this psalm to the earliest biblical narratives of God's power and character as Creator and Sustainer.

Psalm 74 16 Commentary

(h2)Psalm 74:16 is a profound declaration of God's unmatched power and dominion over creation. In a psalm grieving destruction, this verse pivots to affirm God's enduring cosmic control. It asserts that both day and night—the entire temporal cycle—are His. Furthermore, He is the sole architect and establisher of all sources of light, culminating with the majestic sun itself. This foundational truth serves multiple purposes: it offers hope by reminding the distressed psalmist of God's limitless capability to restore order; it grounds their appeal for divine intervention in His character as sovereign creator; and significantly, it serves as a powerful polemic, undermining any belief in other gods associated with celestial bodies or natural cycles by proclaiming Yahweh's exclusive ownership and orchestrating power. The verse emphasizes that God does not merely exist but actively "prepares" and orders the universe, His authority unwavering despite the apparent chaos in His people's present reality. This universal reign is the ultimate basis for trusting in His ultimate deliverance and justice.