New Living Translation
Psalms 104:4
4The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants.
Psalms 104:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
- New International Version (NIV)He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants.
- English Standard Version (ESV)he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire.
Context of Psalms 104:4
2You are dressed in a robe of light. You stretch out the starry curtain of the heavens; 3you lay out the rafters of your home in the rain clouds. You make the clouds your chariot; you ride upon the wings of the wind. The winds are your messengers; flames of fire are your servants. 5You placed the world on its foundation so it would never be moved. 6You clothed the earth with floods of water, water that covered even the mountains.
Read all of Psalms 104Psalms 104:4 word by word
עֹשֶׂ֣ה מַלְאָכָ֣יו רוּח֑וֹת מְ֝שָׁרְתָ֗יו אֵ֣שׁ לֹהֵֽט׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 104:4
- Acts 23:8for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these.
- Hebrews 1:7Regarding the angels, he says, “He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire.”
- 2 Kings 2:11As they were walking along and talking, suddenly a chariot of fire appeared, drawn by horses of fire. It drove between the two men, separating them, and Elijah was carried by a whirlwind into heaven.
- 2 Kings 6:17Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
- Ezekiel 1:13The living beings looked like bright coals of fire or brilliant torches, and lightning seemed to flash back and forth among them.
Commentaries on Psalms 104:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4רחות מלאכיו עשה oseh rnalachaiv ruchoth, להט אש משרתיו mesharethaiv esh lohet . The elements are described as prompt and expedite to perform the Divine commands, like angels or ministers serving in the tabernacle; the Hebrew word משרתיו mesharethaiv being a word most common in the sacred ministrations.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4Who maketh his angels spirits - The meaning here literally would be, “Who makes the winds his messengers,” or “his angels;” that is, who employs them to execute his purpose; who sends them out as messengers or angels to do his will. His ministers a flaming fire - That is, Fire is employed by him - in lightnings - to accomplish his purpose as his ministers or his servants. They are entirely under his command. They are sent by him to do his will; to carry…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Wind and lightning (flames of fire) are described as God’s messengers. The Lord controls the wind, rain, and storms and uses them as he desires (Psalm 77:17–18; 78:26; 135:7; 148:5–6). The psalmist refers to the third day of creation (Genesis 1:9–13). The Lord is master of water and earth.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. This is quoted by Paul (He 1:7) to denote the subordinate position of angels; that is, they are only messengers as other and material agencies. spirits--literally, "winds." flaming fire--(Psa 105:32) being here so called.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 104:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 104
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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