Psalms 104:14

12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.

13 ^aHe waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with ^bthe fruit of Your works.

14 ^aHe causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth ^bfood from the earth,

15 And ^awine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,

17 Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.

18 The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the ^arock badgers.

19 ^aHe appointed the moon for seasons;
The ^bsun knows its going down.

20 ^aYou make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.

Commentaries:

Barnes' Notes

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Psalms 104:14

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle - Out of the earth there is caused to grow every variety of food necessary for the various orders of beings that are placed upon it. The idea here is not merely that of "abundance;" it is also that of "variety:" the needs and tastes of all have been consulted in the productions of the earth. The one earth - the same earth - has been made to produce the endless varieties of food required for the creatures that have been placed on it. The word "grass" here refers to all the vegetable productions needful for cattle.

And herb for the service of man - Genesis 1:29. The word "herb" here would include every green plant or vegetable; or all that the earth produces for the food of man. This, of course, refers to the earth as it came from the hand of God, and to the original arrangement, before permission was given to man to eat the flesh of animals, Genesis 9:3. The word translated "service" might be rendered "culture," as if man was to cultivate it for his use, not that it was to be produced, as the food for cattle, spontaneously.

That he may bring forth food out of the earth - Hebrew, "bread." That is, that by culture he may bring forth that which would make bread.

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