The Meaning of Psalms 104:13 Explained

Psalms 104:13

KJV: He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

YLT: Watering hills from His upper chambers, From the fruit of Thy works is the earth satisfied.

Darby: He watereth the mountains from his upper-chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

ASV: He watereth the mountains from his chambers: The earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He watereth  the hills  from his chambers:  the earth  is satisfied  with the fruit  of thy works. 

What does Psalms 104:13 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 104:13-23 - A Habitation For Beast And Man
Where there is true love for God, there will be a glad and rejoicing heart that takes pleasure in the study of His works. The loving child of a great artist lingers about his studio, watches with eager interest the development of picture or statue, and speaks with delight to others of her father's work. It is in such a spirit that those who know God in daily fellowship and communion follow the psalmist to mountain streams, to the pastures and the meadows, the grain-fields and the orchards, the high mountains with their dark pines and firs.
There is no pen that has more eloquently portrayed these scenes than Ruskin's. He had a natural love for beauty, and an unrivaled genius for vivid description; but it was as a boy at his mother's knee that he learned from these Scriptures to connect the glories of the natural world with the devout adoration of the Creator. His books reflect this early training.
This psalm may be called a divine commentary on God's earliest book-the world which lies around us. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 104

1  A meditation upon the mighty power
7  And wonderful providence of God
31  God's glory is eternal
33  The prophet vows perpetually to praise God

What do the individual words in Psalms 104:13 mean?

He waters the hills from His upper chambers with the fruit of Your works is satisfied the earth
מַשְׁקֶ֣ה הָ֭רִים מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָ֑יו מִפְּרִ֥י מַ֝עֲשֶׂ֗יךָ תִּשְׂבַּ֥ע הָאָֽרֶץ

מַשְׁקֶ֣ה  He  waters 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁקָה  
Sense: to give to drink, irrigate, drink, water, cause to drink water.
הָ֭רִים  the  hills 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
מֵעֲלִיּוֹתָ֑יו  from  His  upper  chambers 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲלִיָּה  
Sense: roof-room, roof chamber.
מִפְּרִ֥י  with  the  fruit 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פְּרִי  
Sense: fruit.
מַ֝עֲשֶׂ֗יךָ  of  Your  works 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
תִּשְׂבַּ֥ע  is  satisfied 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׂבַע  
Sense: to be satisfied, be sated, be fulfilled, be surfeited.
הָאָֽרֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.