Chapter CIV · Location 104 of 150
Chapter 104 · Open to readFrom Psalms · Douay–Rheims / Challoner (1749–1752)
What does Psalms Chapter 104 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?
Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary
Covenant remembrance connects patriarchs, Joseph, Egypt’s signs and settlement. Named plague details and none-feeble departure remain in the account. Explanations of hatred, darkness, insects and justifications remain attributed notes.
Chapter breakdown
Confitemini Domino is the incipit; the heading describes thanksgiving for benefits to Israel, followed by Alleluia. The speakers call for glory, invocation, deeds among Gentiles, songs and narration of wonders, holy-name glory and seeking the Lord's face and strength. Abraham's seed and Jacob's sons are told to remember works and mouth's judgments throughout earth. God remembered covenant forever, a word commanded to a thousand generations, made to Abraham, sworn to Isaac and appointed law to Jacob and everlasting testament to Israel, promising Chanaan as inheritance.
Few sojourners passed among nations and kingdoms; God allowed no harm, rebuked kings and forbade touching anointed or harming prophets. He called famine and broke bread's support, sent Joseph beforehand as a sold slave, whose feet were fettered and soul pierced by iron until his word came and the Lord's word inflamed him. Famine is not diagnosed as drought or inflamed changed into tested. The king sent and released him, making him household master and possession ruler to instruct princes as himself and ancients in wisdom.
Israel entered Egypt and Jacob sojourned in Cham. People increased and were strengthened over enemies; the verse says He turned their heart to hate and deceit. The separate note says God is not sin's author: Egyptians took occasion for hate and envy from observed benefits. He sent Moses and chosen Aaron with power of signs in Cham, sending darkness without grieving words. The note offers alternatives: fulfillment of words, not grieving messengers Moses and Aaron, or not grieving Israel's sons who had light while Egyptians were darkened.
Water became blood and fish died; frogs came into kings' chambers, diverse flies and sciniphs along coasts. The sciniphs note refers to Exodus 8:16 without supplying that external passage. Hail replaced rain and fire burned land, vineyards and figs destroyed and coastal trees broken. Locust and unnumbered bruchus came, separately glossed as a locust-kind insect, consuming all grass and ground fruit. All firstborn were slain as firstfruits of labor. This span does not enumerate ten plagues.
God brought them out with silver and gold, with no feeble tribe member; Egypt was glad in fear at departure. Cloud protected and fire lit night, requested quail came and heavenly bread filled them, rock opened with waters and rivers in dry land. Remembering Abraham's word, He brought people out joyful, gave Gentiles' lands and others' labors for observing justifications and seeking law. The separate note calls justifications commandments whose keeping makes just and criticizes Protestant statutes rendering and works doctrine; the edition's polemic stays attributed, not generalized as the reviewer’s judgment.
The story inside
Opening: Covenant remembrance connects patriarchs, Joseph, Egypt’s signs and settlement. Development: Named plague details and none-feeble departure remain in the account. Conclusion: Explanations of hatred, darkness, insects and justifications remain attributed notes.
Lessons worth keeping
- 1Covenant remembrance connects patriarchs, Joseph, Egypt’s signs and settlement.
- 2Named plague details and none-feeble departure remain in the account.
- 3Explanations of hatred, darkness, insects and justifications remain attributed notes.
Test your recall
Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?
Source edition and notes
Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.
Lines 64340–64341
104:8. He hath remembered his covenant for ever: the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.
Lines 64365–64365
104:17. He sent a man before them: Joseph, who was sold for a slave.
Lines 64455–64459
104:44. And he gave them the lands of the Gentiles: and they possessed the labours of the people: 104:45. That they might observe his justifications, and seek after his law.
Lines 64461–64465
His justifications.... That is, his commandments; which here, and in many other places of the scripture, are called justifications, because the keeping of them makes man just. The Protestants render it by the word statutes, in favour of their doctrine, which does not allow good works to justify.
