Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

PSALMS 104:1KJV
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Psalms 104:1 (KJV)

What does Psalms 104:1 mean?

Psalms 104:1 is a call for the speaker’s own soul to praise the LORD, recognizing God as supremely great and describing Him as being clothed in honor and majesty. The verse expresses deep respect and awe for God’s greatness and glory, using vivid language to picture God’s splendor.

In this verse, the psalmist (traditionally understood to be David) is speaking to himself, urging his own soul to bless the LORD (God’s personal name, often rendered as Yahweh). The situation is one of personal worship, where the writer reflects on God’s greatness and majesty. The verse sets the tone for the rest of the psalm, which goes on to describe God’s creative power and care for the world.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 104:1

  • "Bless" (בָּרַךְ, barakh, H1288): This word means to kneel or to praise, often used in the sense of giving honor or speaking well of someone. Here, it is a call for the psalmist’s own soul to actively praise God, not just a passive feeling.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH, H3068): This is God’s personal name in Hebrew, emphasizing a direct and covenant relationship with His people.
  • "Soul" (נֶפֶשׁ, nefesh, H5315): This word refers to the whole self or inner being, not just emotions or thoughts. The psalmist is calling every part of himself to worship.
  • "Clothed" (לָבֵשׁ, lavash, H3847): The idea of God being "clothed" in honor and majesty uses a picture of royal garments, showing God’s dignity and kingly status.
  • "Honour" (הָדָר, hadar, H1935) and "Majesty" (הָדָר, hadar, H1926): These words both point to splendor and greatness, emphasizing the overwhelming beauty and authority that surround God.

Why Psalms 104:1 matters

  • This verse makes clear that worship is not just outward but involves the whole inner self, as the psalmist urges his own soul to praise God.
  • The language of being "clothed with honour and majesty" helps readers picture God’s greatness in royal, vivid terms, setting up the psalm’s theme of God as the majestic Creator.
  • By using God’s personal name (YHWH), the verse highlights a relationship, not just a distant admiration, which shapes how the rest of the psalm is read.

Where else these words appear

“honour” Hebrew H1935 · used in 24 verses

  • Numbers 27:20 And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.
  • Psalms 8:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
  • Isaiah 30:30 And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.

“majesty” Hebrew H1926 · used in 29 verses

  • Leviticus 23:40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
  • Psalms 90:16 Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children.
  • Isaiah 2:10 Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.

“clothed” Hebrew H3847 · used in 103 verses

  • Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
  • 1 Chronicles 12:18 Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
  • Isaiah 49:18 Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the LORD, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth.

“great” Hebrew H1431 · used in 112 verses

  • Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
  • 1 Chronicles 17:24 Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: and let the house of David thy servant be established before thee.
  • Isaiah 23:4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.