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Psalm 104:29-31
New Catholic Bible
Psalm 104:29-31
New Catholic Bible
29 When you turn away your face,[a]
they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send forth your Spirit,[b]
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 [c]May the glory of the Lord abide forever,
and may the Lord rejoice in his works.[d]
Footnotes
- Psalm 104:29 Turn . . . face: see note on Ps 13:2. Return to dust: see note on Ps 90:3.
- Psalm 104:30 Your Spirit: the Spirit or “Breath” of God is the divine creative power, source of all natural life (see Gen 1:2; 2:7). So also the Holy Spirit is the source of all supernatural life (see Jn 3:5f). Hence, this verse is applied by the Church to the third Person of the Blessed Trinity.
- Psalm 104:31 The psalmist concludes the psalm the way it began—with praise (vv. 1-4). The Lord, who reveals himself in creation in all his splendor (vv. 1-4), has bestowed his glory on it (see Ps 19:2; Isa 6:3), and his handiwork will endure as long as he undergirds it. Hence, his faithful should respond with praise, devotion, and an intention to please the Lord (see Ps 19:15).
- Psalm 104:31 Rejoice in his works: as he did at the end of creation (see Gen 1:31).
