What does Psalm 147:8 mean?
ESV: He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills.
NIV: He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.
NASB: It is He who covers the heavens with clouds, Who provides rain for the earth, Who makes grass sprout on the mountains.
CSB: who covers the sky with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, and causes grass to grow on the hills.
NLT: He covers the heavens with clouds, provides rain for the earth, and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.
KJV: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
NKJV: Who covers the heavens with clouds, Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
Verse Commentary:
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 147; verse-level content coming soon!
Verse Context:
Psalm 147:7–11 describes how those who appreciate the Lord's creation can praise Him. God is responsible for providing crops, rain, livestock, and wild animals. Yet His ultimate joy is not in physical things, but in the trusting love of people who acknowledge that He alone is Lord (Proverbs 1:7).
Chapter Summary:
This psalm praises the Lord God for many of His great acts and attributes. These include His power as shown in the crea-tion of the universe, His authority over weather and nature, His unlimited knowledge, and His mercy, love, and loyal care. Only Israel was privileged to be given God's Word in the years before Christ. The first and last phrases of this psalm are the Hebrew expression halelu-yāh, a command to "praise the Lord!"
Chapter Context:
In Hebrew, only the psalms use the phrase halelu-yāh, which literally means "praise the Lord!" Psalm 147 begins and ends with this phrase. This song uses many images and themes seen across the other psalms. Zion is Jerusalem, the capital of Israel (2 Samul 5:7; 1 Kings 8:1). God gave Jacob the new name Israel, and Jacob's sons became the tribes of that nation. Only these people—God's cho-sen people (Deuteronomy 7:6)—were privileged to receive His statements in the Old Testament era (Exodus 19:5–6). References to the restoration of Jerusalem (Ezra 1:3–4) and the gathering of exiles (Ezra 2:1) refer to the return from Babylonian captivity (2 Chronicles 36:17–21).
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
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