Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:

PSALMS 148:10KJV
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Psalms 148:10 (KJV)

What does Psalms 148:10 mean?

Psalms 148:10 calls on all kinds of animals—wild beasts, livestock, small creatures, and birds—to join in praising God. The verse lists different types of living creatures to show that every part of creation is included in this call to praise.

In this psalm, the writer (traditionally understood as a temple singer or poet) is inviting not just people, but all of nature to worship God. The verse fits into a larger section where the psalmist names various parts of creation, both in the heavens and on earth, as participants in a universal chorus of praise. By naming specific groups of animals, the psalm emphasizes that nothing is left out of this invitation.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 148:10

  • "Beasts" (חַיָּה, ḥayyāh): This word often refers to wild animals or living creatures in general, highlighting the untamed parts of creation.
  • "Cattle" (בְּהֵמָה, behemah): This term points to domesticated animals, especially those used by humans, showing that even animals closely tied to people are called to praise.
  • "Creeping things" (רֶמֶשׂ, remes): This word covers small creatures like insects, reptiles, or anything that moves along the ground, suggesting that even the smallest and least noticed are included.
  • "Flying" (כָּנָף, kanaph): Literally meaning "wing," this word is used here to describe creatures that fly, focusing on their movement through the air.
  • "Fowl" (עוֹף, ‘oph): This term means birds in general, so together with "flying," it paints a picture of all winged creatures.

Why Psalms 148:10 matters

  • Psalms 148:10 makes clear that the call to praise God is not limited to humans or heavenly beings, but extends to every living creature, no matter how big, small, wild, or familiar.
  • By listing different types of animals, the verse shows the psalmist’s intent to include the whole created world in worship, emphasizing the unity and diversity of creation.
  • This verse connects to the broader theme of Psalms 148, where all elements of creation—sun, moon, weather, mountains, animals, and people—are invited to join in a universal act of praise.

Where else these words appear

“things” Hebrew H7431 · used in 17 verses

  • Genesis 1:24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.
  • Genesis 7:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
  • 1 Kings 4:33 And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

“fowl” Hebrew H6833 · used in 36 verses

  • Genesis 7:14 They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.
  • Deuteronomy 4:17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
  • Proverbs 7:23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.

“flying” Hebrew H3671 · used in 85 verses

  • Genesis 1:21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
  • Job 37:3 He directeth it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth.
  • Ezekiel 1:8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.