Psalms 104:5-9

Psalms 104:5-9

[5] the foundations  of the earth,  that it should not be removed  for ever.  [6] Thou coveredst  it with the deep  as with a garment:  the waters  stood  above the mountains.  [7] At  thy rebuke  they fled;  at the voice  of thy thunder  they hasted  [8] They go up  by the mountains;  they go down  by the valleys  unto the place  which  thou hast founded  [9] Thou hast set  a bound  that they may not pass over;  that they turn not again  to cover  the earth. 

What does Psalms 104:5-9 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

The psalmist described God creating the earth and then covering it with a blanket, as one would cover a new-born infant. He pictured the earth as though it were a building and stressed the stability of what God had made. He did not mean that the earth has literal foundations and is flat. God proceeded to separate the waters on the earth from those above the earth ( Psalm 104:6-7; cf. Genesis 1:6-8). Then he separated the dry ground from the waters on the earth ( Psalm 104:8-9; cf. Genesis 1:9-13). The seas are humanly unmanageable, but God set their boundaries and prohibited the waters from crossing them. The frequent references to God controlling water in this psalm demonstrate His sovereignty over all that is difficult to manage in creation.