The Meaning of Psalms 104:23 Explained

Psalms 104:23

KJV: Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.

YLT: Man goeth forth to his work, And to his service -- till evening.

Darby: Man goeth forth unto his work, and to his labour until the evening.

ASV: Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labor until the evening.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Man  goeth forth  unto his work  and to his labour  until the evening. 

What does Psalms 104:23 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 104:23 mean?

Goes out Man to his work and to his labor until the evening
יֵצֵ֣א אָדָ֣ם לְפָעֳל֑וֹ וְֽלַעֲבֹ֖דָת֣וֹ עֲדֵי־ עָֽרֶב

יֵצֵ֣א  Goes  out 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
אָדָ֣ם  Man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
לְפָעֳל֑וֹ  to  his  work 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֹּעַל  
Sense: work, deed, doing.
וְֽלַעֲבֹ֖דָת֣וֹ  and  to  his  labor 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֲבֹדָה  
Sense: labour, service.
עֲדֵי־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: perpetuity, for ever, continuing future.
עָֽרֶב  the  evening 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.