Psalm 104:19-20
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
The verse doesn't just say the moon marks seasons, but that God appointed it for them, highlighting the moon's role in establishing calendars and sacred times. Furthermore, the phrasing "the sun knows its time for setting" personifies the sun, presenting it not as a mere clock, but as a conscious servant obeying divine command.
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalm is praising God's magnificent creation, moving from the earth and its waters to the celestial bodies. After celebrating the foundational work of light and darkness on the fourth day of creation, this verse highlights how God ordained the moon and sun to govern time, marking seasons and sacred festivals. This sets the stage for the psalm to further describe the beauty and order of the night and day, demonstrating God's purposeful design in the cosmos.
Did you know the moon wasn't just put there for pretty night skies? The Bible calls it a divine calendar-maker!
More Than Just a Pretty Face
The psalmist highlights a practical, divinely ordained purpose for the moon: marking time. "He appointed the moon for seasons." This wasn't just about the changing phases; it was about establishing order.
The sun 'knows' when to set? That sounds like more than just physics. What does it mean for a celestial body to 'know'?
A Sun with Awareness
The phrase "the sun knows its time for setting" is poetic, not scientific in a modern sense. It personifies the sun, not to suggest it's alive or divine, but to highlight its perfect obedience to God's command.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
mo'ed · Hebrew Noun
A recurring, appointed time or fixed occasion, often used for holy feasts or seasonal cycles. In this context, it refers to the ordered temporal patterns established by God through the celestial bodies.
choshek · Hebrew Noun
The absence of light, often representing mystery, the unknown, or the judgment of God. Biblically, it is also a part of God's created cycle, demonstrating His sovereignty over both light and dark.
The psalmist's reflection on the sun and moon's reliable cycles, particularly their role in marking seasons and festivals, would have resonated deeply with an Israelite audience familiar with their reliance on the lunar calendar for worship and agriculture, especially during and after the exilic period when divine order was a source of immense comfort.
c. 1400 BC
Exodus and Covenant at Sinai
The Israelites, having been freed from slavery in Egypt, receive the Law from God and establish a covenant relationship, including instructions for observing festivals tied to the lunar calendar.
c. 950 BC
Solomon's Temple Completed
The magnificent Temple in Jerusalem is dedicated, serving as the central place for Israel's worship and religious festivals, many of which are dictated by the lunar cycle.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom (Israel)
The Assyrian Empire conquers the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of many Israelites and a period of divine judgment and scattering.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquer Jerusalem, destroy the Temple, and deport a significant portion of the remaining Jewish population into exile. This marks a profound crisis of faith and national identity.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile
Under Cyrus the Great of Persia, many Jewish exiles are permitted to return to Jerusalem and begin rebuilding the Temple, marking a hopeful new era.
c. 400 BC— this verse
Post-Exilic Period and Temple Reconstruction
This period sees the gradual rebuilding of Jewish life and worship in Jerusalem, with a renewed emphasis on the Law and the established religious calendar, often dating back to the Mosaic Law.
This verse directly echoes Genesis 1:14, where God appoints the sun, moon, and stars to be signs and to mark seasons and days, highlighting the celestial bodies' purpose for humanity.
Jeremiah 31:35This passage speaks of God establishing the fixed order of the sun, moon, and stars for His people, reinforcing the idea that their predictable movements are a divine provision, just as Psalm 104:19 suggests.
Job 38:12When God questions Job about the cosmos, He asks if Job has commanded the morning to know its place, mirroring Psalm 104:19's personification of the sun 'knowing' its time for setting and implying a divine command behind their order.
This text explicitly states that the moon is a sign for the festival, directly correlating with Psalm 104:19's mention of the moon being appointed for seasons, especially in the context of religious observances.
pulpitPsalms 104:19: "He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down."
Verse 19. - He appointed the moon for seasons (comp. Genesis 1:14). The Jewish festivals depended greatly on the moon, the Passover being celebrated at the time of the full moon of the first month (Exodus 12:6), and the other festivals depending mostly on the Passover. And the sun knoweth his going down. Observes the laws, that is to say, appointed for him.
clarkePsalms 104:19: "He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down."
He appointed the moon for seasons - The heathens thought that the sun and moon were gods, and worshipped them as such. The psalmist shows, 1. That they are creatures dependent on God for their being and continuance; and, 2. That they were made for the use of man. See what has been said on these luminaries in the notes on Genesis 1:14-16 (note).
The verse doesn't just say the moon marks seasons, but that God appointed it for them, highlighting the moon's role in establishing calendars and sacred times. Furthermore, the phrasing "the sun knows its time for setting" personifies the sun, presenting it not as a mere clock, but as a conscious servant obeying divine command.
The psalm is praising God's magnificent creation, moving from the earth and its waters to the celestial bodies. After celebrating the foundational work of light and darkness on the fourth day of creation, this verse highlights how God ordained the moon and sun to govern time, marking seasons and sacred festivals. This sets the stage for the psalm to further describe the beauty and order of the night and day, demonstrating God's purposeful design in the cosmos.
The psalm is praising God's magnificent creation, moving from the earth and its waters to the celestial bodies. After celebrating the foundational work of light and darkness on the fourth day of creation, this verse highlights how God ordained the moon and sun to govern time, marking seasons and sacred festivals. This sets the stage for the psalm to further describe the beauty and order of the night and day, demonstrating God's purposeful design in the cosmos.
"He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. You make darkness, and it is night, when all the beasts of the forest creep about." — The verse doesn't just say the moon marks seasons, but that God appointed it for them, highlighting the moon's role in establishing calendars and sacred times. Furthermore, the phrasing "the sun…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
