Bible Strands
Psalms 74:16
The day is Yours, and also the night; You established the moon and the sun.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The psalmist addresses God in a communal lament, contrasting past cosmic victories with the current desecration of the sanctuary. The declaration of divine ownership over day and night occurs as the speaker recounts God's past acts of breaking waters and establishing earthly boundaries.
The words — The Hebrew verb הֲ֝כִינ֗וֹתָ (ha.khi.No.ta) literally means "you prepared" or "you established," applied directly to the celestial bodies. The noun מָא֥וֹר (ma.'or) denotes a "luminary" or light source, specifically paired with the sun (שָֽׁמֶשׁ, Sha.mesh) to mark the division of time.
The thread — This theme of God's sovereign control over light and darkness recurs in the creation account (Genesis 1:3) and the liturgical refrain of Psalm 136:7. The New Testament later echoes this authority in Matthew 5:45, where God’s provision of sunlight extends to all people.
Why it lands — The verse demands recognition that temporal cycles and celestial order belong to God alone, regardless of current circumstances. It calls the reader to anchor trust in divine sovereignty rather than immediate visible conditions.
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
The day is thine, the night also is thine: thou hast prepared the light and the sun.
Cross-references
- Genesis 1:3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
- Psalms 136:7 He made the great lights—His loving devotion endures forever.
- Matthew 5:45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
- Genesis 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to distinguish between the day and the night, and let them be signs to mark the seasons and days and years.
- Psalms 104:19 He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.
- Psalms 19:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.
- Psalms 8:3 When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place—