Psalms 104:15
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wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
It is very probable that this psalm was penned by the same hand, and at the same time, as the former; for as that ended this begins, with "Bless the Lord, O my soul!" and concludes with it too. The style indeed is somewhat different, because the matter is so: the scope of the foregoing psalm was to celebrate the goodness of God and his tender mercy and compassion, to which a soft and sweet style was most agreeable; the scope of this is to celebrate his greatness, and majesty, and sovereign dominion, which ought to be done in the most stately lofty strains of poetry. David, in the former psalm, gave God the glory of his covenant-mercy and love to his own people; in this he gives him the glory of his works of creation and providence, his dominion over, and his bounty to, all the creatures. God is there praised as the God of grace, here as the God of nature. And this psalm is wholly bestowed on that subject; not as Psa 19:1-14, which begins with it, but passes from it to the consideration of the divine law; nor as Psa 8:1-9, which speaks of this but prophetically, and with an eye to Christ. This noble poem is thought by very competent judges greatly to excel, not only for piety and devotion (that is past dispute), but for flight of fancy, brightness of ideas, surprising turns, and all the beauties and ornaments of expression, the Greek and Latin poets upon any subject of this nature. Many great things the psalmist here gives God the glory of I. The splendour of his majesty in the upper world (Psa 104:1-4). II. The creation of the sea and the dry land (Psa 104:5-9). III. The provision he makes for the maintenance of all the creatures according to their nature (Psa 104:10-18, Psa 104:27, Psa 104:28). IV. The regular course of the sun and moon (Psa 104:19-24). V. The furnitur…
Open source ↗104:15 While both can be misused (cp. Prov 21:17), the Lord provides wine and olive oil as gifts to enhance life. Life is sustained by basic food, represented by bread.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
A feast is prepared for laughter, and wine makes life merry, but money is the answer for everything.
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already approved your works:
But the grapevine replied, ‘Should I stop giving my wine that cheers both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’
But You have exalted my horn like that of a wild ox; with fine oil I have been anointed.
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy.”
Then He told me, “Son of man, I am going to cut off the supply of food in Jerusalem. They will anxiously eat bread rationed by weight, and in despair they will drink water by measure.
But the olive tree replied, ‘Should I stop giving my oil that honors both God and man, to hold sway over the trees?’
They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion; they will be radiant over the bounty of the LORD— the grain, new wine, and oil, and the young of the flocks and herds. Their life will be like a well-watered garden, and never again will they languish.