Bible Strands
Psalms 104:5
He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God within a creation hymn, positioned between a description of divine control over winds and fire and a recollection of the primordial waters covering the mountains.
The words — The verb יָסַד (yasad) translates literally to "he established," while מְכוֹנֶ֑יהָ (mekoneha) means "its foundations," together stating the physical grounding of the earth.
The thread — This motif of divine grounding runs through Job 26:7, which places the earth in empty space, and Psalm 24:2 and Psalm 33:9, which describe God founding the earth upon waters and commanding it to stand firm.
Why it lands — The text states that God permanently anchored the earth, requiring the reader to acknowledge creation as a deliberate, unshakable act of divine command rather than a passive or random event.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
Cross-references
- Job 26:7 He stretches out the north over empty space; He hangs the earth upon nothing.
- Psalms 24:2 For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.
- Psalms 33:9 For He spoke, and it came to be; He commanded, and it stood firm.
- Psalms 96:10 Declare among the nations: “The LORD reigns!” The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved; He will judge the peoples with equity.
- Revelation 20:11 Then I saw a great white throne and the One seated on it. Earth and heaven fled from His presence, and no place was found for them.
- Psalms 93:1 The LORD reigns! He is robed in majesty; the LORD has clothed and armed Himself with strength. The world indeed is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
- Psalms 136:6 He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever.
- Ecclesiastes 1:4 Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
- 2 Peter 3:10 But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and its works will be laid bare.
- Job 38:4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.