Psalm 104:9
New International Version
You set a boundary they cannot cross; never again will they cover the earth.

New Living Translation
Then you set a firm boundary for the seas, so they would never again cover the earth.

English Standard Version
You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.

Berean Standard Bible
You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth.

King James Bible
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

New King James Version
You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, That they may not return to cover the earth.

New American Standard Bible
You set a boundary so that they will not pass over, So that they will not return to cover the earth.

NASB 1995
You set a boundary that they may not pass over, So that they will not return to cover the earth.

NASB 1977
Thou didst set a boundary that they may not pass over; That they may not return to cover the earth.

Legacy Standard Bible
You set a boundary that they may not pass over, So that they will not return to cover the earth.

Amplified Bible
You set a boundary [for the waters] that they may not cross over, So that they will not return to cover the earth.

Christian Standard Bible
You set a boundary they cannot cross; they will never cover the earth again.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
You set a boundary they cannot cross; they will never cover the earth again.

American Standard Version
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth.

Contemporary English Version
Now you have set boundaries, so that the water will never flood the earth again.

English Revised Version
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Water cannot cross the boundary you set and cannot come back to cover the earth.

Good News Translation
You set a boundary they can never pass, to keep them from covering the earth again.

International Standard Version
You have set a boundary they cannot cross; they will never again cover the earth.

Majority Standard Bible
You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth.

NET Bible
You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross, so that they would not cover the earth again.

New Heart English Bible
You have set a boundary that they may not pass over; that they do not turn again to cover the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

World English Bible
You have set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they don’t turn again to cover the earth.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You have set a border, they do not pass over, "" They do not turn back to cover the earth.

Young's Literal Translation
A border Thou hast set, they pass not over, They turn not back to cover the earth.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou didst set a bound they shall not pass over; they shall not turn bark to cover the earth.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You have set a limit that they will not cross. And they will not return to cover the earth.

New American Bible
You set a limit they cannot pass; never again will they cover the earth.

New Revised Standard Version
You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over, to cover the earth.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You have set borders for them which they will not cross and cover the earth.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou didst set a bound which they should not pass over, That they might not return to cover the earth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass, neither shall they turn again to cover the earth.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
How Many Are Your Works, O LORD!
8the mountains rose and the valleys sank to the place You assigned for them— 9You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth. 10He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains.…

Cross References
Genesis 9:11-15
And I establish My covenant with you: Never again will all life be cut off by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” / And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: / I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be a sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. ...

Job 38:10-11
when I fixed its boundaries and set in place its bars and doors, / and I declared: ‘You may come this far, but no farther; here your proud waves must stop’?

Jeremiah 5:22
Do you not fear Me?” declares the LORD. “Do you not tremble before Me, the One who set the sand as the boundary for the sea, an enduring barrier it cannot cross? The waves surge, but they cannot prevail. They roar but cannot cross it.

Proverbs 8:29
when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

Isaiah 54:9
“For to Me this is like the days of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth. So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you or rebuke you.

Genesis 1:9-10
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. / God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Job 26:10
He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

Amos 9:6
He builds His upper rooms in the heavens and founds His vault upon the earth. He summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth. The LORD is His name.

Isaiah 40:12
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or marked off the heavens with the span of his hand? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on a scale and the hills with a balance?

Genesis 8:21-22
When the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, He said in His heart, “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from his youth. And never again will I destroy all living creatures as I have done. / As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.”

2 Peter 3:5-7
But they deliberately overlook the fact that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water, / through which the world of that time perished in the flood. / And by that same word, the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.

Matthew 8:27
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Mark 4:39-41
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. / “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?” / Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Luke 8:24-25
The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm. / “Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”

Revelation 21:1
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.


Treasury of Scripture

You have set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.

hast set

Psalm 33:7
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.

Genesis 9:11-15
And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth…

Job 26:10
He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

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Psalm 104
1. A meditation upon the mighty power
7. And wonderful providence of God
31. God's glory is eternal
33. The prophet vows perpetually to praise God














You set a boundary they cannot cross
This phrase speaks to the divine authority and sovereignty of God over creation. The Hebrew word for "boundary" is "גְּבוּל" (gevul), which implies a limit or a border. In the context of Psalm 104, this boundary refers to the limits set by God for the waters, reminiscent of the Genesis account of creation where God separates the waters and establishes dry land. This act of setting boundaries is a demonstration of God's control and order over chaos, a theme prevalent throughout the Old Testament. The phrase underscores the belief that God's decrees are unchangeable and that His creation operates within the parameters He has established. This is a comforting reminder of God's omnipotence and the stability He provides in the natural world.

they cannot cross
The phrase "they cannot cross" emphasizes the permanence and inviolability of God's commands. The Hebrew verb "עָבַר" (avar) means to pass over or to transgress. In this context, it signifies that the waters, symbolic of chaos and disorder, are restrained by God's command. This reflects the broader biblical theme of God's authority over nature and His ability to maintain order in the universe. Historically, this would have been a powerful image for the Israelites, who lived in a region where water could be both life-giving and destructive. The assurance that the waters cannot cross the boundaries set by God would have been a source of comfort and security, reinforcing the belief in a God who is both powerful and protective.

they will never again cover the earth
This part of the verse recalls the promise God made after the flood in Genesis 9:11, where He vowed that the waters would never again destroy all life by covering the earth. The Hebrew word "כִּסָּה" (kasa) means to cover or conceal, and in this context, it refers to the floodwaters that once covered the earth. This promise is a testament to God's faithfulness and His covenant with humanity. It serves as a reminder of God's mercy and the assurance that He will not allow the forces of chaos to overwhelm His creation again. For believers, this is a powerful affirmation of God's commitment to His creation and His ongoing role as sustainer and protector. It inspires trust in God's promises and His unchanging nature.

(9) A bound.--It is striking to observe what a deep impression their little line of coast, the barrier which beat off the waves of the Mediterranean, made on the Hebrew mind. The sea was an object of dread. Or if dread passes into reverent wonder, as in Psalm 104:25-26, it ends there; the Jew never took delight in the sea. Hence, the coast has for him only one purpose and suggestion. It is not for enjoyment or recreation, or even for uses of commerce. It is simply the defence set by God against the hostile waters.

Verse 9. - Thou hast set (or, didst set) a bound that they may not (rather, might not) pass over (comp. Job 38:10, 11; Jeremiah 5:22). The Deluge is for the time beyond the ken of the poet, who is singing God's greatness in nature, and in the general laws under which he has placed it. Neither turn again to cover the earth. This law, once Broken by the miracle of the Deluge, was thenceforth made absolute and inviolable (Genesis 9:15).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You set
שַׂ֭מְתָּ (mə·tā)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

a boundary
גְּֽבוּל־ (gə·ḇū·l·śa-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1366: A cord, a boundary, the territory inclosed

they cannot
בַּל־ (bal-)
Adverb
Strong's 1077: A failure, nothing, not at all, lest

cross;
יַֽעֲבֹר֑וּן (ya·‘ă·ḇō·rūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

they will never
בַּל־ (bal-)
Adverb
Strong's 1077: A failure, nothing, not at all, lest

again
יְ֝שׁוּב֗וּן (yə·šū·ḇūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again

cover
לְכַסּ֥וֹת (lə·ḵas·sō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Infinitive construct
Strong's 3680: To plump, fill up hollows, to cover

the earth.
הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land


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OT Poetry: Psalm 104:9 You have set a boundary that they (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 104:8
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