Psalms 104:6-9
You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place that you appointed for them. You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse paints a picture of creation not as a formless void, but as a world already shaped with mountains, yet completely submerged, suggesting God's creative power began with existing structures under a vast watery blanket. This imagery highlights how God's command brought order, not from nothing, but by directing and revealing the already formed earth.
The psalm isn't just describing a cataclysmic flood, but the very beginning of creation itself, painting a picture of the early earth already formed with mountains, yet completely submerged. It uses the imagery of a garment to show how the vast, primeval ocean enveloped the entire world, a stunning reminder that even before dry land appeared, God's presence covered everything.
Understand the original words
tehom · Hebrew Noun
A term referring to the primordial chaotic waters or the subterranean ocean. In creation narratives, it signifies the raw, uncontrolled elements that God brings into subjection and order.
ge'arah · Hebrew Noun
A formal expression of displeasure or command. In Scripture, it highlights God's absolute sovereignty and authority over nature, which obeys His voice instantly.
ra'am · Hebrew Noun
A metaphor for the powerful, terrifying, and authoritative voice of God. It is often associated with His presence, judgment, or dramatic intervention in history.
gebul · Hebrew Noun
A fixed limit or shoreline established by God. Theologically, it demonstrates God’s control over the chaos of the natural world, ensuring stability for His creation.
This verse draws on the ancient Israelite understanding of creation, describing the primordial state of the earth as a watery chaos before God's ordering. While the language echoes the creation account in Genesis, some scholars suggest it might also poetically allude to the catastrophic events of the Flood, reflecting on God's ultimate control over even the most destructive forces of nature.
c. 1400 BC
Genesis Creation Account Written
The creation narrative in Genesis 1 describes the initial state of the earth as a formless void covered by water, with God separating the waters to reveal dry land. This account provides a foundational backdrop for understanding early Israelite cosmology.
c. 1400 BC
Exodus and Wilderness Journey
The foundational experiences of the Exodus, including the parting of the Red Sea, shaped Israel's understanding of God's power over natural forces and His deliverance of His people.
c. 950 BC
Reign of Solomon and Temple Dedication
The dedication of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, with its elaborate prayers and sacrifices, was a pivotal moment for Israelite worship and theology, often referencing God's creative power and covenant faithfulness.
c. 700 BC
Prophetic Ministry of Isaiah
Isaiah's prophecies frequently invoked imagery of creation and God's dominion over the natural world to underscore His sovereignty and His plans for Israel and the nations.
This passage directly informs Psalm 104:6 by describing the state of the earth at creation as covered by a vast 'deep' or 'waters'.
Job 38:9Like Psalm 104:6, Job 38:9 speaks of God establishing boundaries for the sea, likening the waters to a swaddling cloth, highlighting God's power over the primordial waters.
Genesis 7:19While Psalm 104:6 primarily refers to creation, its imagery of waters covering mountains strongly echoes the description of the global flood in Genesis, illustrating God's dominion over overwhelming waters.
2 Peter 3:5This New Testament passage explicitly links the creation account (waters above and below) and the flood narrative, demonstrating how both events underscore God's sovereign power to form and reform the earth through water.
bensonPsalms 104:6: "Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains."
Psalm 104:6-7 . Thou coveredst it with the deep — That is, in the first creation, of which the psalmist is here speaking, when the earth, while yet without form, was covered all over, and, as it were, clothed with the great deep, that vast expansion of air and waters; the waters stood above the mountains — Those which are now the highest mountains were all under that liquid element. At thy r…
ellicottPsalms 104:6: "Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains."
(6) The deep. —The water-world is first considered as a vast garment wrapped round the earth, so that the mountain-tops are covered. But here it is beyond its right, and the Divine rebuke forces it to retire within narrower limits. It is noticeable that the idea of a chaos finds no place in the poetic conception of the world’s genesis. The primitive world is not formless, but has its mountai…
The verse paints a picture of creation not as a formless void, but as a world already shaped with mountains, yet completely submerged, suggesting God's creative power began with existing structures under a vast watery blanket. This imagery highlights how God's command brought order, not from nothing, but by directing and revealing the already formed earth.
The psalm isn't just describing a cataclysmic flood, but the very beginning of creation itself, painting a picture of the early earth already formed with mountains, yet completely submerged. It uses the imagery of a garment to show how the vast, primeval ocean enveloped the entire world, a stunning reminder that even before dry land appeared, God's presence covered everything.
The psalm isn't just describing a cataclysmic flood, but the very beginning of creation itself, painting a picture of the early earth already formed with mountains, yet completely submerged. It uses the imagery of a garment to show how the vast, primeval ocean enveloped the entire world, a stunning reminder that even before dry land appeared, God's presence covered everything.
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c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
The Babylonian conquest and destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple marked a catastrophic turning point, leading to exile and a profound re-evaluation of God's relationship with His people.
c. 500 BC— this verse
Post-Exilic Period and Temple Rebuilding
Following their return from Babylonian exile, the Jewish people began rebuilding the Temple and reaffirming their covenant with God, often reflecting on past glories and divine interventions.
"You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. At your rebuke they fled; at the sound of your thunder they took to flight. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the plac…" — The verse paints a picture of creation not as a formless void, but as a world already shaped with mountains, yet completely submerged, suggesting God's creative power began with existing structures u…
