Psalm 104 (103):7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The prophet seems to be alluding to the clouds situated atop the mountains. These areas experience enduring clouds, resulting in the desolate mountains being perpetually shrouded in darkness. He declares that whenever You desire, they vacate their positions, disperse, and vanish.

Bless the Lord, O my soul. Let all of us, united in Christ, proclaim this. O Lord my God, Thou art immensely exalted! Psalm 102:1. In what way do You display Your magnificence? In confession and beauty have You clothed Yourself. Confess, so that you may be embellished, so that He may envelop you. Wrapped in radiance like a garment, Psalm 103:2. Clothed in His Church, which has become radiant in Him, while previously it was dark, as the apostle states, "You were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord." Ephesians 5:8. You spread the heavens as if stretching a veil, so simply that it resembles a skin; or as if one could grasp its essence through the letters of Holy Scripture, encompassing the entire world, referred to as ‘skin’ because mortality is represented by skin. All the authority of the Divine Scriptures has been conveyed to us through mortal men, whose glory continues even after their passing.

He who covers the heights with water, Psalm 102:3. What are the heights? They pertain to the Heavenly. What constitutes Heaven? We have figuratively referred to the Divine Scriptures. What are the heights of the Divine Scriptures? The commandment of love, for there is no greater commandment than this. Mark 12:31. Why is love likened to water? Because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5. Where does the Spirit originate - from water? For Jesus stood and cried out, "Whoever believes in Me, out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water." John 7:37-38. How do we affirm that this was spoken of the Spirit? The evangelist clarifies when he continues, "But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those believing in Him were to receive." He goes above the wings of the winds; this denotes surpassing the virtues of the soul. What is a virtue of the soul? Its selfish love. Yet, how will He conquer it? The love of God toward us is greater than our love for God.

Who makes spirits His angels, Psalm 102:4, meaning that He transforms those who are already spirits, who are spiritual rather than carnal, into His angels by sending them forth to proclaim His Gospel. The blazing fire serves Him. For if the preacher does not possess fervor, he does not ignite passion in those to whom he preaches.

He has established the earth upon its steadfastness, Psalm 103:5. He has established the Church upon its steadfastness. What is this steadfastness of the Church but its foundation? What is the Church’s foundation except that which the Apostle states: "No one can lay any other foundation than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 3:11. What, then, can it expect to hear upon such a foundation? It cannot be moved forever. He has grounded the earth in its firmness. Thus, He has founded the Church upon Christ's foundation. The Church will tremble if the foundation trembles; however, when will Christ, through whom all things were created before His incarnation, and without whom nothing came into being; John 1:3, and who upholds all things by His greatness, Hebrews 1:3, be shaken? Because Christ is unwavering, the Church will remain unshaken forever. Where are those who claim the Church has vanished from the world when she cannot even be worshipped...

The abyss, like a garment, is its cover. Psalm 102:6. Whose garment is this? Could it be God’s? Yet, He has already declared of His garment: "Clothed with light as a garment." I hear of God being clothed in light, and that light, if we desire it, signifies us. What occurs when we desire it? When we no longer dwell in darkness. If God is clothed in light, then whose garment is the abyss? For the vast expanse of waters is termed the abyss. All water, all moist nature and substance, flowing forth from seas, rivers, and hidden caverns, are collectively named the Abyss. Therefore, we comprehend the earth of which He said, "He founded the earth." It seems that He declared, "The Abyss, like a garment, is its garment." For water is, in a sense, the garment of the earth, surrounding and enveloping it...

The waters shall rise above the mountains, that is, the earth's garment, which is the abyss, has swelled to such an extent that the waters rise above even the mountains. We recall this happening during the flood. The prophet, aiming to foretell the future rather than recount the past, spoke thus to indicate that the Church must endure a flood of persecution. There was a time when waves of persecutions engulfed God's earth, God’s Church, and obscured even the mighty mountains. When the assaults surged everywhere, how did they not cease to manifest? It is perhaps these very waters that cry out, "Save me, O God, for the waters have reached even to my soul." Especially the tumultuous waters that render the sea tumultuous and barren. For whatever land the sea water covers, it will transform from fertility to barrenness. For there existed mountains submerged beneath the water, for above the mountains the deluge prevailed... Why did the apostles flee? Because there were waters surging over the mountains. The might of the waters was formidable, but for how long? Listen to what follows.

At Thy rebuke they shall flee. Psalm 102:7. And indeed, brethren, by God's rebuke the waters withdrew; that is, they receded from the mountains. Now the mountains themselves, Peter and Paul: how they have been elevated! Those once oppressed by persecutors are now honored like emperors. For the waters have receded from the rebuke of God; since the heart of kings is in the hand of God, He directs it where He wills; Proverbs 21:1. He has commanded peace for the Christians; the authority of the Apostles has grown and advanced... The waters retreated at the rebuke of God. At the sound of Thy thunder they shall tremble. Who would not be afraid of God's voice through the apostles, His voice through Scripture, through His clouds? The sea became still, the waters trembled, the mountains were revealed, and the emperor issued orders. But who would have commanded if God had not thundered? Since God willed it, they commanded, and so it happened. Therefore, let no one claim anything for themselves.

The mountains rise, and the plains sink to the place You have established for them. Psalm 102:8. He still speaks of the waters. Let us not interpret mountains here as earthly elevations; nor plains as terrestrial; but rather as towering waves akin to mountains. The sea once surged, with waves like mountains that might have concealed those mountains of the Apostles. But how long do the mountains rise and the plains sink? They raged but have been subdued. When they were in fury, they were mountains; now, pacified, they have transformed into plains, for He has established a place for them. There is, as it were, a channel, a deep place where all these newly raging hearts of humanity have receded... Once they were mountains, now they are plains: but, brethren, even the deepest calm remains the sea. Why are they no longer fierce now? Why are they not enraged? Why do they not strive to cover our land, at least if they cannot overthrow it? Why do they not?

Hear this. You have established a boundary that they shall not cross, nor shall they return to cover the earth. Psalm 103:9. What, then, considering that the most turbulent waves have received their limitations, now allows us to preach such things freely; for they have been given their appointed limits, for they cannot surpass the bounds established and will not return to cover the earth; what activity is occurring on the earth itself? What is transpiring now that the sea has left it bare? Though the gentle waves lap at its shore, although the Gentiles murmur around it; I hear the sound of the shores, and I do not fear the deluge. What, then, is happening on the earth? Who sends forth springs in the valleys? Psalm 102:10. You send, he says, springs in the valleys. You understand what these little valleys are, low areas found among the lands. For hills and mountains contrast with valleys and lowlands. Hills and mountains are the lofty places of the earth, while valleys represent the lowly. Do not underestimate the lowly; springs flow from there. You send springs to the small valleys. Hear the mountain: The apostle says, "I worked harder than all." Some magnitude is evident, yet immediately, so that the waters may flow, he positions himself as a valley: "But not I, but the grace of God with me." 1 Corinthians 15:10. There is no discrepancy that mountains can also be valleys; for as they are termed mountains by their spiritual greatness, so they are called valleys through the humility of their spirit. "Not I," he states, "but the grace of God with me."

What does it signify, "In the midst of the mountains the waters shall flow through"? We have recognized who the mountains are—great preachers of the Word, exalted angels of God, yet still in mortal flesh; elevated, not by their own strength, but by His grace; however, they are valleys, by their humility, pouring forth springs. In the midst, he asserts, between the mountains shall the waters flow. Imagine it thus, "In the midst of the apostles shall pass the proclamation of the Word of Truth." What exists in the middle between the apostles? That which is termed 'the midst' denotes shared property. The communal property, by which all might live equally, is at the center; it does not pertain to me or to you alone... For if it is not common, it becomes as it were individual, it flows not for public benefit, and I have mine and he has his, which is not suitable for me or him to possess; however, this does not constitute the preaching of peace... Therefore, brethren, let what has been shared with your Love serve this aim—let the springs flow from you as valleys, and share all that you have from God. Let the waters flow amidst you, envious of none, drinking deeply, being filled, and flowing out once filled. May the communal waters of God be glorified everywhere, not the private whims of men...

Thus, all the creatures of the forest shall quench their thirst. Psalm 103:11. We indeed observe this in visible creation; the beasts of the forest drink from the springs and streams flowing among the mountains; yet now, since it pleased God to conceal His wisdom within these images, not to deprive fervent seekers, but to obscure it to those who disregard it, and to reveal it to those who knock; It has pleased the Lord God Himself to encourage you through us, that in all these matters, which speak, as it were, of the physical and visible creation, we might seek something spiritually concealed, which, when uncovered, may lead us to rejoice. By beasts of the forest we understand the Gentiles, and this is confirmed by Scriptures in many places.

The deep is akin to a cloak, representing the very essence of the earthly realm. It is said that He enveloped the earth with the deep as if wrapping it in a garment, surrounding it with waters. The waters will rise on the mountains, symbolizing the depths of the abyss reaching up, appearing to threaten to engulf the land; yet at Your command, before Your might, which is indicated by the term thunder, they will retreat. Alternatively, it could be understood that the thunders are meant to instill a sense of dread in the very waters of the abyss through the events unfolding in the world. If this is true for them, how much more should we ourselves be affected similarly.

Certainly, here is a paraphrase of the original text:

At the command of the Lord, the waters will recede, and the ground will be revealed, as stated in Genesis, ‘And God gathered the waters into one place’ (see Genesis 1:9). ‘They shall tremble at the sound of Your thunder.’ Thunder, indeed, represents the voice of God. When He decrees it, the waters will be separated.

The deep covers the earth like a garment. The prophet chose the pronoun "his" instead of "her," as Aquila and Theodotion have interpreted. The term "abyss" is used to signify the watery essence, as indicated in Scripture. Indeed, blessed Moses described the state of the world at creation, saying, "The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep" (Genesis 1:2). Hence, since the earth is surrounded by waters and bounded by vast, treacherous seas with other bodies of water interspersed within, the Prophet aptly conveys that the abyss envelops the earth as a garment would.

They will flee from Your stern command, and they will tremble at Your thundering voice. The waters that flow from the heights of the mountains shall be dried up at Your mighty and fearsome decree, O Lord, and the roaring waves of the sea will be calmed and made still. For David also proclaims in another passage, “Thou hast thundered to the Red Sea, and it hath dried up” (Psalm 105:10). Furthermore, the waters and waves of the ocean will tremble when they sense the thunderous sound, either quieting in fear for our benefit or trembling with a natural reverence. If the waters react with fear at the sound of thunder, perceiving perhaps the wrath of God, should we, as rational beings, not fear that thunder and Divine anger even more, thus turning away from wrongdoing?

In a different light, the prophets are likened to mountains due to the profound depth of their contemplation. From these heights, the waters flow, offering the thirsty a chance to partake of the teachings. What is the source of this ‘prohibition’? It stems from the restrictions placed upon the Jews. This is underscored by another prophet who states, ‘I will send a famine upon the earth,-not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a thirst to hear the words of the Lord’ (Am. 8:11). When the Lord is displeased, the waters of the prophets diminish, for they do not possess an intrinsic source of abundance. Furthermore, the calling of thunder symbolizes the preaching of the gospel, by which the waters of the prophets do not vanish but rather tremble, for they transcend human understanding.

This passage conveys that the waters which enveloped the earth on all sides, by the decree of God, were collected into a single place and descended into the depths of the earth; for God's command struck them like a thunderclap, instilling fear in humanity.

A Psalm, inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by David, serves to exalt the glory and majesty of God, the Creator of everything, reflecting upon His marvelous and unfathomable creation of the universe, the heavens, and all that dwells within them: the earth and its inhabitants, the sea and all therein; praising their design, holiness, abundance, and beauty, as well as their wise and powerful sustenance by our Lord Jesus Christ. He embodies the unseen God, the firstborn of all creation, through whom all things were made, both that which is seen and that which is unseen, and in Him all things hold together (Rev. 10:6; Col. 1:16). The soul, inspired from above by God, ought to offer Him gratitude. God's majesty is eternal, having no beginning or end.