Psalm 104:29

Translations

Modern

When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

Traditional

Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.

Literal

You hide Your face—they are troubled; You gather their spirit—they die, and to their dust they return.

Latin

Avertente autem te faciem, turbabuntur; auferes spiritum eorum, et deficient, et in pulverem suum revertentur.

Original

Hebrew

English

When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

Notes

Psalms 104:29–30

When You send Your Spirit: Life on earth is only possible as the Lord’s gift, symbolized by his breath (Hebrew ruakh, which means "breath, wind, or spirit"). The Lord’s Spirit is the agent of renewal (Isaiah 32:15–20).

Psalms 104:27–30

All living things depend on the Lord, who provides what they need and who has power over life and death (compare Matthew 6:11).

Psalms 104:1–35

This creation hymn (see also Psalms 8, 33, 145) praises God's goodness and greatness. The psalmist thinks about the current world, the original creation, and a future new creation. He views both creations as wonderfully and wisely made (compare Psalm 139:14), as the work of the Lord's Spirit (104:30; Genesis 1:2; 2 Corinthians 3:6).

Theme notes and profiles

David Beauty in Nature Blessing Death God’s Presence in the Psalms The Creator-King The Holy Spirit’s Presence

Related verses

Ecclesiastes 12:7
…before the dust returns to the ground from which it came and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
Job 34:14–15
If He were to set His heart to it and withdraw His Spirit and breath,
Psalm 146:4
When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground; on that very day his plans perish.
Psalm 90:3
You return man to dust, saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”
Psalm 30:7
O LORD, You favored me; You made my mountain stand strong. When You hid Your face, I was dismayed.
Genesis 3:19
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground—because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.”
Acts 17:25
Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
Job 10:9
Please remember that You molded me like clay. Would You now return me to dust?
Job 13:24
Why do You hide Your face and consider me as Your enemy?
Job 34:29
But when He remains silent, who can condemn Him? When He hides His face, who can see Him? Yet He watches over both man and nation,
Deuteronomy 31:17
On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’
Romans 8:20–22
For the creation was subjected to futility, not by its own will, but because of the One who subjected it, in hope

Glossary

David Foreordination Life Music New Creation, New Creature Psalms, Book of Spirit of God

Topics

Blessing: Temporal, from God Corruption: Physical Decomposition: After Death Death: Miscellaneous Subjects: Returning to Dust Death: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To God: Power of God: Providence of God: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Natural Death is Described as Returning to Dust

Psalm 104:29

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