Psalm 104:22
New International Version
The sun rises, and they steal away; they return and lie down in their dens.

New Living Translation
At dawn they slink back into their dens to rest.

English Standard Version
When the sun rises, they steal away and lie down in their dens.

Berean Standard Bible
The sun rises, and they withdraw; they lie down in their dens.

King James Bible
The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

New King James Version
When the sun rises, they gather together And lie down in their dens.

New American Standard Bible
When the sun rises they withdraw, And they lie down in their dens.

NASB 1995
When the sun rises they withdraw And lie down in their dens.

NASB 1977
When the sun rises they withdraw, And lie down in their dens.

Legacy Standard Bible
When the sun rises they gather together And lie down in their dens.

Amplified Bible
When the sun arises, they withdraw And lie down in their dens.

Christian Standard Bible
The sun rises; they go back and lie down in their dens.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The sun rises; they go back and lie down in their dens.

American Standard Version
The sun ariseth, they get them away, And lay them down in their dens.

Contemporary English Version
But when morning comes, they return to their dens,

English Revised Version
The sun ariseth, they get them away, and lay them down in their dens.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
When the sun rises, they gather and lie down in their dens.

Good News Translation
When the sun rises, they go back and lie down in their dens.

International Standard Version
When the sun rises, they gather and lie down in their dens.

Majority Standard Bible
The sun rises, and they withdraw; they lie down in their dens.

NET Bible
When the sun rises, they withdraw and sleep in their dens.

New Heart English Bible
The sun rises, and they steal away, and lie down in their dens.

Webster's Bible Translation
The sun ariseth, they collect, and lay themselves down in their dens.

World English Bible
The sun rises, and they steal away, and lie down in their dens.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
The sun rises, they are gathered, "" And they crouch in their dens.

Young's Literal Translation
The sun riseth, they are gathered, And in their dens they crouch.

Smith's Literal Translation
The sun shall rise, they will be gathered together, and in their dens they will lie down.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together: and they shall lie down in their dens.

Catholic Public Domain Version
The sun arose, and they were gathered together; and in their dens, they will lie down together.

New American Bible
When the sun rises, they steal away and settle down in their dens.

New Revised Standard Version
When the sun rises, they withdraw and lie down in their dens.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The sun rises; they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
The rising of the sun they are gathered and they lie down in their dwellings.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
The sun ariseth, they slink away, And couch in their dens.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
The sun arises, and they shall be gathered together, and shall lie down in their dens.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
How Many Are Your Works, O LORD!
21The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God. 22The sun rises, and they withdraw; they lie down in their dens. 23Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening.…

Cross References
Job 38:12-15
In your days, have you commanded the morning or assigned the dawn its place, / that it might spread to the ends of the earth and shake the wicked out of it? / The earth takes shape like clay under a seal; its hills stand out like the folds of a garment. ...

Genesis 1:24-25
And God said, “Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, land crawlers, and beasts of the earth according to their kinds.” And it was so. / God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that crawls upon the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

Job 24:14-17
When daylight is gone, the murderer rises to kill the poor and needy; in the night he is like a thief. / The eye of the adulterer watches for twilight. Thinking, ‘No eye will see me,’ he covers his face. / In the dark they dig through houses; by day they shut themselves in, never to experience the light. ...

Isaiah 45:7
I form the light and create the darkness; I bring prosperity and create calamity. I, the LORD, do all these things.

Amos 5:8
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth—the LORD is His name—

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:

Job 37:21
Now no one can gaze at the sun when it is bright in the skies after the wind has swept them clean.

Genesis 8:22
As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease.”

Isaiah 60:1-2
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. / For behold, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness is over the peoples; but the LORD will rise upon you, and His glory will appear over you.

Job 12:22
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.

Matthew 6:26
Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

Luke 12:24
Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn; yet God feeds them. How much more valuable you are than the birds!

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.

Colossians 1:16-17
For in Him all things were created, things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities. All things were created through Him and for Him. / He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

John 1:3-5
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made. / In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. / The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.


Treasury of Scripture

The sun rises, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.

Job 24:13-17
They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof…

Nahum 3:17
Thy crowned are as the locusts, and thy captains as the great grasshoppers, which camp in the hedges in the cold day, but when the sun ariseth they flee away, and their place is not known where they are.

John 3:20
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

Jump to Previous
Ariseth Collect Couch Crouch Dens Gather Gathered Lay Places Rest Retreat Rises Riseth Secret Steal Sun Themselves Together Withdraw
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Ariseth Collect Couch Crouch Dens Gather Gathered Lay Places Rest Retreat Rises Riseth Secret Steal Sun Themselves Together Withdraw
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














The sun rises
The phrase "The sun rises" in Psalm 104:22 marks the transition from night to day, symbolizing the renewal of life and the constancy of God's creation. In Hebrew, the word for "sun" is "שֶׁמֶשׁ" (shemesh), which is often associated with God's provision and faithfulness. The rising of the sun is a daily reminder of God's order and sovereignty over the universe. Historically, the sun was a central figure in many ancient cultures, often deified, but in the biblical context, it is a creation of God, serving His purposes and under His command. This highlights the distinction between the Creator and the created, emphasizing God's ultimate authority.

they withdraw
The phrase "they withdraw" refers to the nocturnal animals mentioned in the preceding verses, which retreat as daylight emerges. The Hebrew root for "withdraw" is "אָסַף" (asaph), meaning to gather or remove. This action signifies the natural order established by God, where creatures have their appointed times and roles. The withdrawal of these animals at sunrise illustrates the harmony and balance in creation, orchestrated by divine wisdom. It serves as a metaphor for the retreat of darkness and evil in the presence of God's light and truth.

and lie down in their dens
The phrase "and lie down in their dens" completes the cycle of activity for the nocturnal creatures. The Hebrew word for "lie down" is "רָבַץ" (rabat), which conveys a sense of rest and security. "Dens" (מְעוֹן, me'on) are places of refuge and safety, highlighting God's provision for all His creatures. This imagery reflects the peace and order that God instills in creation, where every being has its place and time. It also serves as a reminder of God's care and protection, not only for animals but for humanity, offering rest and refuge in His presence. The verse as a whole underscores the intricate design and purpose in God's creation, inviting believers to trust in His providence and sovereignty.

(22) Lay them down.--With sunrise all is changed. The Wild animals, with their savage instincts, give way to man with his orderly habits and arranged duties. The curse of labour, on which the account in Genesis dwells, is here entirely out of sight, and instead there appears the "poetry of labour." And if all sense of the primal curse has disappeared, the later curse, which lies so heavy on the modern generations of overworked men,

"Who make perpetual moan,

Still from one labour to another thrown,"

has not appeared. The day brings only healthy toil, and the evening happy rest.

Verses 22, 23. - The sun ariseth. Bright beams of light flame up the eastern sky; and earth basks in the sun's smile. But it is a signal to the lions and the other wild beasts to withdraw. They gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens. Hiding themselves from the eye of day, and retreating into places where they are safe. Then it is the turn of humanity to reappear. Humanity wakes up; and man goeth forth auto his work and to his labour uutil the evening; i.e. man proceeds to his appointed task, which is "work" - once a curse (Genesis 3:17-19), now a blessing (Ephesians 4:28).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The sun
הַ֭שֶּׁמֶשׁ (haš·še·meš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement

rises,
תִּזְרַ֣ח (tiz·raḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2224: To irradiate, to rise, to appear

and they withdraw;
יֵאָסֵפ֑וּן (yê·’ā·sê·p̄ūn)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 622: To gather for, any purpose, to receive, take away, remove

they lie down
יִרְבָּצֽוּן׃ (yir·bā·ṣūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 7257: To crouch, be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbed

in
וְאֶל־ (wə·’el-)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

their dens.
מְ֝עוֹנֹתָ֗ם (mə·‘ō·w·nō·ṯām)
Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 4585: An abode, of God, men, animals, a retreat


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OT Poetry: Psalm 104:22 The sun rises and they steal away (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 104:21
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