Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 104:20
Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep [forth].
Thou makest darkness, and it is night – Thou hast made arrangements for the return of night – for the alternations of day and night. The Hebrew word rendered makest, means to place; and the idea is, that God constitutes the darkness, or so disposes things that it occurs.
Wherein all the beasts of the forest – The margin is, the beasts thereof do trample on the forest. The reference is to the beasts which seek their prey at night.
Do creep forth – The Hebrew word used here means properly to creep, as the smaller animals do, which have feet, as mice, lizards, crabs, or as those do which glide or drag themselves upon the ground, having no feet, as worms and serpents. Gen 1:21, Gen 1:26, Gen 1:28, Gen 1:30; Gen 9:2. The allusion here is to the quiet and noiseless manner in which the animals come forth at night in search of their prey, or seem to crawl out of their hiding-places – the places where they conceal themselves in the day-time. The idea is, that the arrangements which God has made in regard to day and night are wisely adapted to the animals which he has placed on the earth. The earth is full of animated beings, accomplishing by day and night the purposes of their existence.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 20. Thou makest darkness] It is not the design of God that there should be either constant darkness or constant light. That man may labour, he gives him, by means of the sun, the light of the day; and that he may rest from his labour, and get his strength recruited, he gives him night, and comparative darkness. And as it would not be convenient for man and the wild beasts of the forest to collect their food at the same time, he has given the night to them as the proper time to procure their prey, and the day to rest in. When MAN labours, THEY rest; when MAN rests, THEY labour.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Darkness; which succeeds the light by virtue of thy decree and established order.
Creep forth, to look out for prey, which in the day time they dare not do for fear of men. So by this vicissitude of day and night God hath wisely and mercifully provided both for men, that they may follow their day labours without danger from wild beasts, and for the beasts, that they may procure a subsistence.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
20-23. He provides and adapts toman’s wants the appointed times and seasons.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou makest darkness, and it is night,…. The darkness was before the light, and the night before the day, Ge 1:2 and now the darkness and night are made by the setting of the sun before mentioned; see Isa 45:7.
Wherein all the beasts of the field do creep forth; out of their dens, and range about for their prey, as the evening wolves and others: and these are not the only creatures that choose the night and darkness; all wicked men do the same; whose deeds are evil, and do not care to come to the light, lest they should be reproved; particularly drunkards, adulterers, thieves, and murderers, Joh 3:20. So the Scribes and Pharisees, when they consulted to take away the life of Christ, and agreed with Judas to betray him, did it in the night: so false teachers, who are wolves in sheep’s clothing, when it is a night of darkness with the church, take the advantage of it, to creep about and spread their pernicious doctrines; see 2Ti 3:6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(20) Creep forth.The word forth is better omitted. The Hebrew verb is that especially used of crawling animals and reptiles, and here, no doubt, his chosen to express the stealthy motion of the beasts when on the track of their prey. (See Psa. 104:25; comp. Job. 37:8; Job. 38:40.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
20. Night To Psa 104:23 he restricts his note of time to day and night.
Creep Here used for the stealthy movement of beasts of prey.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 104:20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep [forth].
Ver. 20. Thou makest darkness ] Which, though it be dreadful, yet is it useful, and in the vicissitude of light and darkness much of God’s wisdom and goodness is to be seen. We must see that we turn not the day into night, nor night into day, without some special and urgent occasion.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
makest: Psa 74:16, Psa 139:10-12, Gen 1:4, Gen 1:5, Gen 8:22, Isa 45:7, Amo 1:13
of the forest do creep forth: Heb. thereof do trample on the forest
Reciprocal: Gen 1:14 – Let there Gen 1:26 – have dominion Gen 9:2 – General Job 38:19 – darkness Psa 65:8 – outgoings Jer 5:6 – and a wolf Amo 5:8 – maketh
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 104:20. Thou makest darkness Which succeeds the light, by virtue of thy decree and established order; and it is night Which, though black and dismal, contributes to the beauty of nature, and is as a foil to the light of the day. Wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth To seek their prey, which they are afraid to do in the day-time, God having put the fear and dread of man upon them, (Gen 9:2,) which contributes as much to mans safety as to his honour. Thus, by this vicissitude of day and night, God hath wisely and mercifully provided, both for men, that they may follow their daily labours without danger from wild beasts, and for the beasts, that they may procure a subsistence.