Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless Yahweh, my soul. Praise Yah!
Parallel Translations
-
Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. Let the wicked be no more. Bless Yahweh, my soul. Praise Yah!
-
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
-
Let sinners cease out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah.
Cross-references (13)
Passages linked to Psalms 104:35 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Psalms 103:22–104:1 Praise Yahweh, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion. Praise Yahweh, my soul! Bless Yahweh, my soul. Yahweh, my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty.
- Psalms 37:38 As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together. The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
- Psalms 68:1-2 Let God arise! Let his enemies be scattered! Let them who hate him also flee before him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away. As wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
- Psalms 106:48 Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting! Let all the people say, “Amen.” Praise Yah!
- Proverbs 2:22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.
- Revelation 19:1-2 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation, power, and glory belong to our God; for his judgments are true and righteous. For he has judged the great prostitute, who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and he has avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.”
- Psalms 1:4 The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
- Psalms 59:13 Consume them in wrath. Consume them, and they will be no more. Let them know that God rules in Jacob, to the ends of the earth.
- Psalms 101:8 Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wicked of the land, to cut off all the workers of iniquity from Yahweh’s city.
- Psalms 105:45 that they might keep his statutes, and observe his laws. Praise Yah!
- Psalms 103:1-2 Praise Yahweh, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name! Praise Yahweh, my soul, and don’t forget all his benefits,
- Judges 5:31 “So let all your enemies perish, Yahweh, but let those who love him be as the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had rest forty years.
- Psalms 73:27 For, behold, those who are far from you shall perish. You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to you.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (17 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain 35. Let sinners perish from the earth This imprecation…
35. Let sinners perish from the earth This imprecation depends on the last clause of the 31st verse, Let Jehovah rejoice in his works As the wicked infect the world with their pollutions, the consequence is, that God has less delight in his own workmanship, and is even almost displeased with it. It is impossible, but that this uncleanness, which, being extended and diffused through every part of the world, vitiates and corrupts such a noble product of his hands, must be offensive to him. Since then the wicked, by their perverse abuse of God’s gifts, cause the world in a manner to degenerate and fall away from its first original, the prophet justly desires that they may be exterminated, until the race of them entirely fail. Let us then take care so to weigh the providence of God, as that being wholly devoted to obeying him, we may rightly and purely use the benefits which he sanctities for our enjoying them. Farther, let us be grieved, that such precious treasures are wickedly squandered away, and let us regard it as monstrous and detestable, that men not only forget their Maker, but also, as it were, purposely turn to a perverse and an unworthy end, whatever good things he has bestowed upon them.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain Who infect the world, and so cause God that…
Who infect the world, and so cause God that he cannot rejoice in his works.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Psa 104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of…
Psa 104:35 Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD.
Ver. 35. Let the sinners be consumed, &c.] Such sinners against their own souls, as when they know God, or might know him by his wonderful works, glorify him not as God, neither are thankful, Rom 1:21; but pollute and abuse his good creatures, to his dishonour, fighting against him with those lives that he hath given them.
Read full note →
Bless thou the Lord, O my soul] The worse others are the better be thou, kindling thyself from their coldness, &c.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain But as for those ungodly creatures who do not…
But as for those ungodly creatures who do not regard the works of the Lord, which is noted as a most grievous sin, and punished with a grievous imprecation, like this, Psa 27:4,5, nor give him the glory due to his name, but dishonour God, and abuse his creatures, and thereby provoke God to destroy the earth, and the men and things which are upon it, it is my prayer for thine honour, and for the safeguard of all mankind, that those sinners who obstinately and resolutely continue in this practice of dishonouring and disobeying their Creator, may be taken out of this world, that they may no longer infect it, nor procure its total destruction. Or it may be a prediction delivered in the form of an imprecation, as hath been noted before in like cases. But thou, O my soul, come not into this wretched society, but employ thyself in this great work of blessing and praising God; and it is my desire and hope that others will follow my example.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth,....…
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth,.... Not in common, for all men are sinners, even good men are not without sin; but notorious sinners, whose lives are one continued series and course of sinning; such as will not have Christ to reign over them, and do not give him the glory due unto him; particularly antichrist, the man of sin, and his followers; they that worship the beast and his image: these will be consumed with the breath of his mouth, and with the brightness of his coming, and will perish out of his land, Th2 2:3.
And let the wicked be no more; as the wicked one, antichrist, will be no more when consumed; there will never rise another, when the beast and false prophet are taken and cast alive into the lake of fire; there will no more of the antichristian party remain, the remnant of them will be slain with the sword; after the battle of Armageddon, there will be none left of the followers of antichrist, nor any ever rise up any more.
Read full note →
Bless thou the Lord, O my soul; as for his mercies, spiritual and temporal, so for the destruction of all his enemies. The psalm begins and ends alike as the preceding.
Praise ye the Lord, or hallelujah: this is the first time this word is used in this book of Psalms, though frequently afterwards: and it is observable that it is only used, in the New Testament, at the prophecy of the destruction of antichrist, Rev 19:1 which may serve to confirm the sense before given; and is to be considered as a call upon the saints to praise the Lord, on account of his righteous judgments on his and his church's enemies; so Aben Ezra.
Next: Psalms Chapter 105
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain Praise ye the Lord - Hebrew. Hallelujah. This is…
Praise ye the Lord - Hebrew. Hallelujah. This is the first time that this word occurs. And it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Rev. xix, 1, 3, 4, 6, it is on a like occasion, the destruction of Babylon.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of…
Verse 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more.] Or, He shall consume the wicked and ungodly, till no more of them be found. Then the wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the nations that forget God. No wonder, with these prospects before his eyes, he cries out, "Bless Jehovah, O my soul! Hallelujah!" And ye that hear of these things, bless the Lord also.
ANALYSIS OF THE HUNDRED AND FOURTH PSALM
Read full note →
The scope of this Psalm is the same with that of the former, i.e., to excite them to praise God in consideration of his benefits; but yet on a different ground. In the former, for the benefits of grace conferred upon his Church; in this, for the gifts of nature bestowed in general upon all. Those flow immediately from his mercy; these, from his power, wisdom, and goodness, and depend upon his providence, and are manifest in the creation, governance, and preservation of all things. The creature then is the subject of this Psalm, relative to which we have a long but very methodical narration.
I. The exhortation proposed briefly, Ps 104:1.
II. The exhortation urged by the inspection of the fabric, the beauty, order, and government of the world, Ps 104:1-33.
III. The duty practiced by himself, Ps 104:33-34.
IV. An imprecation on them that neglect the duty, Ps 104:35.
I. He begins with a double apostrophe: -
1. To his own soul, to praise God: "Bless the Lord, O my soul;" which was the conclusion of the former Psalm.
2. To his God: "O Lord my God," whom he describes to be great and glorious. That he may set forth his majesty and glory, borrowing his figure from the person of some great king, presenting himself very glorious to his people in his robes, in his pavilion, with a glittering canopy extended over his throne; sometimes in his chariot, drawn by the swiftest horses, with his nobles, ministers, and servants, waiting on his pleasure.
In this way he describes the majesty of God in the works of the first and second day, for by that order he proceeds in setting forth God's works, that in which they were made.
1. His robe is the light, the work of the first day, which is the purest, the most illustrious and cheerful of all God's creatures. With this "he is clothed as with a garment," for he is light, Joh 1:1; and he dwells in that inaccessible light that no man hath seen, nor can see, 1Ti 6:16.
2. His pavilion stretched round about him is the heavens, the work of the second day. These are as the hangings and curtains of his chamber of presence, by his fiat and power stretched out as we now see them: "He stretched out the heavens as a curtain."
3. His palace built in a most miraculous manner. The beams are laid, not as usual on a solid body, but upon that which is most fluent: "He lays the beams of his chambers in the waters." In Ge 1:7 we read of the "waters above the firmament," which were a part of the second day's work; and of these the prophet surely speaks.
4. His chariot, the clouds: "Who makes the clouds his chariot." Upon these he rides in a most wonderful manner, in all places he pleases; which are now in this place, and then instantly removed to another.
5. The horses that draw it, the winds, alipedes, as the poets feigned the horses who drew the chariot of the sun. The psalmist intends to show that by the power of God they are brought upon the face of heaven, and removed at his pleasure.
6. His attendants, angels: "He maketh his angels spirits, his ministers a flaming fire." No creature of greater quickness and agility than a spirit, no element more active than fire. These blessed spirits he sends forth as he pleases, to defend his servants; and as a flame of fire to consume and burn up his enemies: in which appears his might and majesty.
II. Next, the prophet descends from the heavens, and out of the air, and speaks of the work of the third day; and begins with the earth, that element which is best known to us, in which he shows the power and wisdom of God many ways.
1. In the foundation of it upon its centre. Strange it is that so great and heavy a body should remain in the midst of it and not sink; this the prophet attributes to the power and providence of God: "Who laid the foundations of the earth that it should not be removed for ever."
2. Another part of his providence about the earth was, that the water, being the lighter element, covered the earth, and thus rendered it useless. God, either by taking some parts of the upper superficies out of the earth in some places, made it more hollow, and putting them in others, made it convex; or in other words, by raising some and depressing others, made room for the sea; this was the work of God's word, and the prophet speaks of this in the three following verses.
1. He shows in what condition the earth was in the first creation; it was covered, and under water: "Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains."
2. He shows that the earth became uncovered by the voice, power, and fiat of God: "Let the waters be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." This the psalmist here calls the rebuke of God, the voice of thunder; for God no sooner spake than it was done: "At thy rebuke they fled, at the voice of thy thunder they were afraid."
3. And so there became a new world. The mountains and valleys take the lower place; the mists and vapours go up by the mountains.
4. There they inclose them: "Thou hast set a bound," c. Yet not violently kept there, but restrained by an ordinary law of nature, it being natural for water to descend to the lower places.
III. He next speaks of the rivers and springs, and shows God's wonderful providence over them: -
1. "He sendeth the springs," the streams of water, from the hills "into the valleys."
2. "The end of this infinitely declares God's providence it is for the sustenance of beasts and fowls, or they must perish for thirst: "The springs and rivers give drink to every beast of the field, the wild asses," c.
IV. But the springs and rivers cannot water all parts of the earth therefore, his wisdom devised the rain and the clouds.
"He watereth the hills from his chambers." The effect of which is, -
1. In general, the satisfaction of the earth, which, being thirsty, gapes for rain: "The earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works."
2. In particular, the effects and consequences of the dews. 1. Grass for the cattle: "He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle." 2. Herbs for meat and medicine: "And herbs for the service of man." 3. All kinds of food: "And that he may bring forth food." 4. "And wine that makes glad the heart of man," lawfully used. 5. "And oil to make his face to shine." Oil supplies and strengthens the nerves, and keeps the flesh smooth, fresh, and youthful. 6. "And bread which strengtheneth man's heart;" for it is always the chief and necessary part of the service.
V. Neither hath the God of providence forgotten to provide us trees for shade, building, and fuel, as well as to yield us fruit.
1. "The trees of the Lord also." His trees, because he first made them, and now causes them to grow. "They are full of sap," which is another effect of the rain.
2. "Where the birds make their nests."
3. Other creatures are not forgotten; not the goats nor the conies: "For the high hills," c.
The psalmist next mentions the work of the fourth day the creation of the two great luminaries, the sun and the moon.
1. "God appointed the moon for certain seasons."
2. "And the sun knoweth his going down."
And in this division of time, the providence of God is admirable: "Thou makest darkness, and it is night."
1. For the good of the beasts, even the wildest, that they be sustained. 1. The night comes, and the beasts of the forest creep forth: "The young lions," c. 2. Again, the day appears: "The sun ariseth, and they appear not," c.
2. For the good of man: "Man goeth forth to his labour." Labour he must all day, and then take rest: "Labour till the evening."
Upon the consideration of all which the prophet exclaims: "O God, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches."
l."How manifold are thy works." How great, how excellent, how worthy of praise! such that I cannot express them.
2. "In wisdom hast thou made them all." Nothing is done by chance or rashness, but with great reason neither too much nor too little.
3. "All the earth is full of thy riches." No place, no part of it, but thy works proclaim that thou art a bountiful and most wise Creator an open handed and liberal bestower of riches.
The prophet has hitherto set forth God's wisdom in his works; in the heavens, air, the earth; and now he descends into the sea.
1. In the amplitude of it: It is the great and wide sea.
2. In the abundance of the fish, the work of the fifth day: "Wherein are things creeping innumerable."
3. In the useful art of navigation, which God taught by Noah's ark: "There go the ships."
4. In the whale: "There is that leviathan."
And the conservation of the creature now follows, verse 27 to 30; where their dependence is shown upon the providence of God, both for their meat, life, and continuation of their species. Ps 104:27-30
1. "These all wait upon thee;" they expect till thou givest.
2. "That thou mayest give them their meat." Meat fit for every season of the year, and when they want it.
3. "That thou givest them they gather." That, and no more nor less: and his power and blessing must co-operate with the second causes.
4. This he farther explains: "Thou openest thine hand, and they are filled with good."
Farther, life and death are in thy power. Death, and the forerunner of it; trouble.
1. "Thou hidest thy face;" seemest displeased, and withdrawest help and assistance; "and they are troubled."
2. "Thou takest away their breath; they die."
And life also.
1. "Thou sendest forth thy spirit," a vital spirit, by restoring new individuals to every species.
2. And by this "thou renewest the face of the earth;" which, if not done, the whole would fail in an age.
Now, after this long catalogue of the creatures, and God's power, wisdom, and goodness made most manifest in the creation, governance, and sustentation of them, he descends, Ps 104:32.
1. "Let the glory of the Lord," his glory, for his wisdom, and goodness and power, "endure for ever." Hallowed be his name!
2. "The Lord shall rejoice in his works." Let man be so careful to use them well, that by the abuse he grieve not God, and cause him to repent that he made them.
3. Which if it happen, it would be remembered that he is a God, and able to punish the ungrateful person: "For if he looketh on the earth with a threatening brow, it trembleth."
He makes then an open profession of his of practice.
1. "I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live," c.
2. And this he would do with delight: "My meditation of him shall be sweet," &c.
3. And he concludes with an imprecation against unthankful and negligent persons, who regard not the works of God, and will not see his glory, power, wisdom, and goodness, in his creating, governing, and sustaining this universe and therefore very little praise him. Against these he prays that they may be confounded or converted.
"But, O my soul," be not thou like to them, - "bless the Lord. Hallelujah."
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Psa 104:35. Let the sinners be consumed, &c. —…
Psa 104:35. Let the sinners be consumed, &c. — This speaks terror to the wicked. As if he had said, As for those ungodly creatures who do not regard the works of the Lord, nor give him the glory due to his name, but dishonour him, and abuse his creatures, and thereby provoke God to destroy the earth, and the men and things which are upon it, let them be consumed, and be no more, for it is my prayer that, for thine honour and for the safety of mankind, those sinners who obstinately and resolutely continue in this practice of disobeying their Creator and Preserver, their Governor and Judge, may be taken out of the world, that they may no longer infect it, and hasten its total destruction. Or rather, the words are a prediction, and יתמו, jittamu, should be rendered, they shall be consumed, it being impossible that any should prosper, who harden themselves against the Almighty. And they that rebel against the light of such convincing evidence of God’s existence, wisdom, power, and goodness, and refuse to serve him, whom all the creatures serve, will be justly consumed. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul — But thou, O my soul, come not into this wretched society, but employ thyself in this great and blessed work of praising God, in which I hope to be employed when the wicked are consumed, even world without end; and desire that others may follow my example herein, and therefore say, Praise ye the Lord — Hebrew, Hallelujah. This is the first time that this word occurs, and it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Revelation 19., it is on a like occasion, the destruction of Babylon.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth…
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth - Compare Psa 37:38. This might with propriety be rendered, “Consumed are the sinners out of the earth,” expressing a fact and not a desire; and it may have been prompted by the feeling of the psalmist that such an event would occur; that is, that the time would come when sin would no more abound, but when the world would be filled with righteousness, and all the dwellers on the earth would praise God. The word translated “consumed” - from תמם tâmam - means properly to complete, to perfect, to finish, to cease. It does not mean “consume” in the sense of being burned up - as our word means - or destroyed, but merely to come to an end, to cease, to pass away: that is; Let the time soon come - or, the time will soon come - when there will be no sinners on the earth, but when all the inhabitants of the earth will worship and honor God. The “connection” here seems to be this: The psalmist was himself so filled with the love of God, and with admiration of his works, that he desired that all might partake of the same feeling; and he looked forward, therefore, as those who love God must do, to the time when all the dwellers on earth would see his glory, and when there should be none who did not adore and love him. All that is “fairly” implied in the wish of the psalmist here would be accomplished if all sinners were converted, and if, in that sense, there were to be no more transgressors in the world.
And let the wicked be no more - Let there not be anymore wicked persons; let the time come when there shall be no bad people on the earth, but when all shall be righteous. In this prayer all persons could properly unite.
Read full note →
Bless thou the Lord, O my soul - The psalm closes (as Ps. 103 does) as it began. The psalmist commenced with the expression of a purpose to bless God; it closes with the same purpose, confirmed by a survey of the wonderful works of God.
Praise ye the Lord - Hebrew, Hallelu-jah. The psalmist expresses the earnest desire of a truly pious heart (in looking upon a world so beautiful, so varied in its works, so full of the expressions of the wisdom and goodness of God - a world where all the inferior creation so completely carries out the purpose of the Creator), that man, the noblest of all the works of God, might unite with the world around and beneath him in carrying out the great purpose of the creation - so that he might, in his own proper place, and according to the powers with which he is endowed, acknowledge God. How beautiful - how sublime - would be the spectacle on earth, if man accomplished the purpose of his creation, and filled his place, as well as the springs, the hills, the trees, the fowls, the wild goats, the moon, the sun, the young lions, and the inhabitants of the “great and wide sea” do in their spheres! Oh, come the time when on earth there shall be harmony in all the works of God, and when all creatures here shall carry out the purpose which was contemplated when God called the earth into existence.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 35. Let the sinners be consumed—Or, The sinners shall…
35. Let the sinners be consumed—Or, The sinners shall be consumed. These are not only the enemies of God, but of mankind. They are at war with the harmony of nature and well being of society, by opposing the purposes of God. Sin exists only in personal actors, and to pray against sin is to pray against the sinner only as such.
Praise ye the Lord—Hebrew, Hallelujah. This is the first occurrence of this word in the Bible, and it is noticeable that it follows from a true insight into the works of God, the triumph of Jehovah, the downfall of the wicked, and the harmony of God and man. See Exo_15:1; Rev_19:1-8. In this psalm we have an example of a pious soul made exultant with holy joy and praise st the contemplation of the economy of God in nature, and the true relation of the Creator to all his works. Let it rebuke the selfishness of that religion which rejoices only in blessings personally received and enjoyed, without lively sympathy with God in all living things. “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.” Psa_111:2.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 35. Let the sinners be consumed &c.] There is…
35. Let the sinners be consumed &c.] There is no need to make excuse for this conclusion of the Psalm. It is not an imprecation, but a solemn prayer for the restoration of the harmony of creation by the banishment from it of “all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity.” The preceding verses (31, 32) have just hinted that there is something in the world which may hinder God from continuing to rejoice in His works. What is it?
“Disproportioned sin
Read full note →
Jarred against nature’s chime, and with harsh din
Broke the fair music that all creatures made
To their great Lord, whose love their motion swayed
In perfect diapason, whilst they stood
In first obedience, and their state of good.”
Modern thought would say, ‘May sin be banished’: but Hebrew thought is not abstract but concrete, and moreover the form of the prayer reminds us of the solemn truth that sin is a personal thing, which cannot be separated from the sinner, but has its existence through his perverted will. It may be noted that the intensive form of the word for sinner implies obstinate and incorrigible habit.
As in Psalms 103, the Psalmist concludes as he began, Bless Jehovah, O my soul, to which is appended the general call to praise, Hallelujah, ‘Praise ye Jah.’ This word (for according to the Massoretic tradition it is to be written as one word except in Psa_135:3) occurs nowhere but in the Psalter[57] and meets us here for the first time.
[57] In Jer_20:13 the phrase is ‘Praise ye Jehovah,’ as in Psa_117:1. Cp. however Tob_13:18, “All her streets shall say, Hallelujah”: 3Ma_7:13, “The priests and all the people shouted, Hallelujah.”
According to Graetz (Comm. p. 91), and Ginsburg (Introd. to the Heb. Bible, pp. 376 ff.), it was the summons addressed by the precentor to the congregation to join him in reciting the Psalm, or to respond by repeating the first verse after his recitation of each verse. Its proper place therefore is at the beginning not at the end of a Psalm, and in the LXX (with the possible exception of Psalms 150) it is always found at the beginning. In the Massoretic text however it occurs at both beginning and end of eight Psalms, at the beginning only of two, at the end only of five, and once in the text of the Psalm (Psa_135:3).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (35) Sinners be consumed.—This imprecation, which comes in at…
(35) Sinners be consumed.—This imprecation, which comes in at the close of this otherwise uniformly glad hymn, has been variously excused. The truth seems to be that from a religious hymn of Israel, since religion and patriotism were one, the expression of the national feeling against heathen oppressors and apostates who sided with them could not well be absent, whatever its immediate subject and tone. But the poet touches even a profounder truth.[19] The harmony of creation was soon broken by sin, and the harmony of the song of creation would hardly be complete, or rather, would be false and unreal, did not a discord make itself heard. The form such a suggestion would take was conditioned by the nationality of the poet; the spirit of it brings this ancient hymn at its close into accord with the feeling of modern literature, as reflected in Wordsworth’s well-known “Verses Written in Early Spring”:—
[19] In reality the power of sin to interfere with God’s pleasure. in His universe is present as an undercurrent of thought in Psalms 103, as well as 104. In the former it is implied that forgiveness and restoration are requisite before the harmony of the universe (Psa_104:20-22) can become audible. The two psalms are also closely related in form.
Read full note →
“I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I lay reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did Nature link
The human soul that through me ran
And much it grieved my heart to think
What Man has made of Man.”
Bless thou the Lord.—This is the first hallelujah in the psalter. Outside the psalter it is never found, and was therefore a liturgical expression coined in a comparatively late age. It is variously written as one or two words.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth;…
Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth; i.e. "Let the great blot upon creation sin and sinners exist no more. Let the harmony upon the earth be complete, by the elimination of this "one jarring string." And let the wicked be no more. Repetition for the sake of emphasis. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Then, when this blot is removed, when the trials of the godly, from the persecutions and vexations of sinners, are over, it will be the part of my soul, with greater heartiness than ever, to "bless the Lord." Praise ye the Lord. Then, too, all mankind may well be called upon to join in a chorus of praise and blessing, and to sing, as saints and angels sing in the courts of heaven, "Hallelujah!". (Rev_19:1, Rev_19:3, Rev_19:4, Rev_19:6)
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain Ver. 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of…
Ver. 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. They are the only blot upon creation.
"Every prospect pleases.
Read full note →
And only man is vile."
In holy indignation the psalmist would fain rid the world of beings so base as not to love their gracious Creator, so blind as to rebel against their Benefactor. He does but ask for that which just men look forward to as the end of history: for the day is eminently to be desired when in all God's kingdom there shall not remain a single traitor or rebel. The Christian way of putting it will be to ask that grace may turn sinners into saints, and win the wicked to the ways of truth.
Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Here is the end of the matter whatever sinners may do, do thou, my soul, stand to thy colours, and be true to thy calling. Their silence must not silence thee, but rather provoke thee to redoubled praise to make up for their failures. Nor canst thou alone accomplish the work; others must come to thy help. O ye saints,
Praise ye the LORD. Let your hearts cry HALLELUJAH, for that is the word in the Hebrew. Heavenly word! Let it close the Psalm: for what more remains to be said or written? HALLELUJAH. Praise ye the Lord.
Ver. 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, etc. It fell to my lot some years ago, to undertake a walk of some miles, on a summer morning, along a seashore of surpassing beauty. It was the Lord's day, and the language of the Hundred and fourth Psalm rose spontaneously in my mind as one scene after another unfolded itself before the eye. About half way to my destination the road lay through a dirty hamlet, and my meditations were rudely interrupted by the brawling of some people, who looked as if they had been spending the night in a drunken debauch. Well, I thought, the Psalmist must have had some such unpleasant experience. He must have fallen in with people, located in some scene of natural beauty, who, instead of being a holy priesthood to give voice to nature in praise of her Creator, instead of being, in the pure and holy tenor of their lives the most heavenly note of the general song, filled it with a harsh discord. His prayer is the vehement expression of a desire that the earth may no longer be marred by the presence of wicked men, that they may be utterly consumed, and may give place to men animated with the fear of God, just and holy men, men that shall be a crown of beauty on the head of this fair creation. If this be the right explanation of the Psalmist's prayer, it is not only justifiable, but there is something wrong in our meditations on nature, if we are not disposed to join in it. William Binnie.
Ver. 35. Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth. This imprecation depends on the last clause of the 31st verse, "Let Jehovah, rejoice in his works." As the wicked infect the world with their pollutions, the consequence is, that God has less delight in his own workmanship, and is even almost displeased with it. It is impossible, but that this uncleanness, which, being extended and diffused through every part of the world, vitiates and corrupts such a noble product of his hands, must be offensive to him. Since then the wicked, by their perverse abuse of God's gifts, cause the world in a manner to degenerate and fall away from its first original, the prophet justly desires that they may be exterminated, until the race of them entirely fails. Let us, then, take care so to weigh the providence of God, as that being wholly devoted to obeying him, we may rightly and purely use the benefits which he sanctifies for our enjoying them. Further, let us be grieved, that such precious treasures are wickedly squandered away, and let us regard it as monstrous and detestable, that men not only forget their Maker, but also, as it were, purposely turn to a perverse and an unworthy end, whatever good things he has bestowed upon them. John Calvin.
Ver. 35. The sinners.
All true, all faultless, all in tune,
Creation's wondrous choir,
Opened in mystic unison,
To last till time expire.
And still it lasts: by day and night,
With one consenting voice,
All hymn thy glory, Lord, aright,
All worship and rejoice.
Man only mars the sweet accord,
Overpowering with harsh din
The music of thy works and word,
Ill matched with grief and sin. John Keble in "The Christian Year."
Ver. 35. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul. Rehearse the first words of the Psalm which are the same as these. They are here repeated as if to hint that the end of good men is like their beginning, and that he is not of the number who begins in the spirit and seeks to be made perfect in the flesh. A worthy beginning of the Psalm, says Cassiodorus, and a worthy end, ever to bless him who never at any time fails to be with the faithful. The soul which blesses shall be made fat... Reined in by this rein of divine praise, he shall never perish. Lorinus.
Ver. 35. This is the first place where HALLELUJAH ("Praise ye the Lord") occurs in the Book of Psalms. It is produced by a retrospect of Creation, and by the contemplation of God's goodness in the preservation of all the creatures of his hand, and also by a prospective view of that future Sabbath, when, by the removal of evil men from communion with the good, God will be enabled to look on his works, as he did on the first Sabbath, before the Tempter had marred them, and see "everything very good." See Ge 1:31 2: 2-3 Christopher Wordsworth.
Ver. 35. Praise ye the Lord. This is the first time that we meet with Hallelujah; and it comes in here upon occasion of the destruction of the wicked; and the last time we meet with it, it is upon the like occasion, when the New Testament Babylon is consumed, this is the burden of the song, "Hallelujah, "Re 14:1, 3, 4, 6. Matthew Henry.
Ver. 35.
1. They who praise not God are not fit to be on the earth: "Let the sinners be consumed, "etc.
2. Much less are they fit to be in heaven.
3. They who praise God are fit both for earth and heaven. Though others do not praise him here, the saints will. "Bless thou the Lord, "etc.
(a) In opposition to others, they praise him on earth.
(b) In harmony with others, they praise him in heaven,
etc. Everywhere it is with them, "Praise ye the Lord." G. R.
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain O my soul
Psa_104:35
O my soul
Read full note →
The soul (to children)
I.
You have a soul. A stone can be seen and felt, weighed and measured; but it has no life. A flower is superior to a stone, because it has a certain kind of life. A dog is more valuable than a flower, because he possesses a higher form of life. He has all the five senses which you have. He has also instinct and sagacity, by which he does a great many wonderful things. Now, your bodies are not so hard as the stone; they are not so beautiful as the flower; and there is no little boy here who could run as swiftly as the dog. Nevertheless, you are far more valuable than the stone, the flowers, and the dog; yea, you rise above everything that is material, vegetable, and animal, because you have souls within your bodies. It is your duty to care for both. Try to preserve your bodies from everything that would injure them. Be very anxious about the salvation of your soul.
II. Your soul is full of life. This life is not to be compared to that which is either in the flowers or in the animals; it does not depend for its continuance, as they do, upon such things as light and heat, wind and rain. The soul, under the blessing of God, moves itself, and the body too in which it dwells. It is your souls which cause your eyes to see, your ears to hear, your tongues to speak, your hands to work, and your feet to walk. Now, you all know that everything in which there is life requires food. Our bodies could not live unless they were nourished from day to day. As it is with all these things, so is it with the soul. Unless it is strengthened with food it must become exceedingly weak. You also know that the same kind of food will not suit everything in which there is life. What kind of food, then, does the soul require? The truth as it is in Jesus, and the truth about Jesus, is the food for the soul.
III. Your soul is distinct from and independent of your body. When the Spaniards went first among the Indians they were on horses. And what do you suppose the poor, ignorant Indians thought? They thought that there was no difference between the horse and the rider, but that both were the same person. Even so, there are many men who have the conviction that there is not any distinction between the soul and the body. They believe that both are composed of the same material, and that both are buried in the same grave. This is a dangerous error. You have all heard of the telescope. The astronomer looks through it to the sun, the moon, and the stars. If the telescope were taken from the astronomer and destroyed he would no doubt be grieved, but that would not destroy him. Well, the body is the telescope through which the soul looks out upon men and things. It is, as Dr. Watts has said, the harp of a thousand strings, which keeps in tune so long. It is, as Eliphaz said many years ago, the house in which the soul lives. When death comes, and takes away the beauty, the strength, and the life of the body, that does not interfere with the soul. During that hour the soul goes away, like the Arab from his tent, or the bird from the cage, to the place in eternity for which it has been prepared.
IV. Your soul has a number of wonderful powers.
1. There is the understanding. As it is with the eyes of the body that we see the things by which we are surrounded, so it is with the understanding that we perceive truth and error. The two disciples who were walking towards Emmaus with Jesus had their understandings opened by Him. This enabled them to comprehend the meaning of the Scriptures as they had never done before. If you pray to Jesus for the same blessing, He will grant it, for--Ask and ye shall receive.
2. There is the judgment. As it is with the hand that the farmer sometimes separates the chaff from the wheat, so it is by the judgment that we distinguish right from wrong. A good judgment is most invaluable in a world such as this is. In order to secure it, be close observers of all you see and hear; think for yourselves upon every subject which comes before you, and keep the company of those who are older and wiser than yourselves.
3. There is the memory. We might compare it to a museum, for we have hung up around it the pictures of the places we have seen and admired, and the portraits of the persons we have known and loved. We might also compare it to a book, for we write upon it the figures and the names, the facts and the truths, which we wish to retain. Trust your memories as much as possible. By this means you will strengthen them, and in after years they will be to you faithful and useful servants.
4. There are the affections. You have seen the ivy. It is deeply rooted in the soil; it entwines itself around the old tree or the old cottage, and adds considerably to their beauty. Your affections resemble the ivy. With these you can grasp persons, places, and books. Set your affections on things above. Love to be truthful, honest, benevolent, and pure, in thought, word, and deed.
5. There is the conscience. A judge in a court of law sits calmly upon the bench. He watches all that is done, he listens to all that is said, and then he pronounces the verdict either by setting the accused person free, or by sending him to prison for a certain time. Conscience is very much like the judge. It observes all your thoughts, words, and actions; and while it smiles upon the good, it frowns upon the bad. Listen to the voice of your conscience. It is a good guide; keep on good terms with your conscience by hating every wrong thing, and only doing that which is right. This will contribute largely to your peace of mind.
6. There is the will. The will is the commander-in-chief, both of the body and the soul. Learn to obey your parents cheerfully, promptly, and continuously. Tips will prepare you to obey others with pleasure who shall be over you when you go out into life.
V. Your soul will never die. Abels soul is still living, and so is Cains. There was a time when your souls were not in existence, but the time will never come when they shall cease to be. Prepare, therefore, to meet God, by giving your hearts and lives to Christ, that you may be perfectly happy in eternity.
VI. When your soul leaves the body at death, it will go to see Jesus the Judge. Time does not dim the eyes of the soul, affliction does not touch them, and over them death will have no power. How soon after death will you see Jesus? In a very short time. He said to the penitent thief upon the Cross, To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise. (A. McAuslane, D.D.)
.
Psa_105:1-45
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 let the wicked be no more
vanish
disappear
Read full note →
let the wicked be no more
The phrase "the wicked" refers to wicked people. AT: "may wicked people disappear" (See: Nominal Adjectives)
translationWords
sin
evil
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 104:35 The Lord will remove all forms of evil…
104:35 The Lord will remove all forms of evil that defile his creation. • The concluding phrase takes us back to 104:1 (see also 103:1-2, 22; 146:1).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.