Psalms 104:14 · Bible study
Psalms 104:14 Commentary: The Meaning of 'Herb for the Service of Man'
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
A study of Psalm 104:14 exploring whether the verse refers to God's original creation provision or implies human labor after the Fall.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God is the provider of food for animals and humans, highlighting His sovereignty over agriculture and our partnership.
- Key words: “causing to grow” (Hiphil participle of tsamach, continuous action), “‛avodah” (service/labour), “lechem” (bread/food).
- Main debate: Whether “herb for the service of man” refers to original creation provision or to post-Fall cultivation.
- Theological theme: God’s providential care for creation, including the role of human labour as a gift.
- Best use: Understanding the relationship between divine sovereignty and human effort in daily work and provision.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth:
WEB World English Bible 2000
He causes the grass to grow for the livestock, and plants for man to cultivate, that he may produce food out of the earth:
KJV King James Version 1769
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man; That he may bring forth food out of the earth,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Causing grass to spring up for cattle, And herb for the service of man, To bring forth bread from the earth,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
He maketh the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man; bringing forth bread out of the earth,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
He suffered no man to hurt them: and he reproved kings for their sakes.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El que hace producir el heno para las bestias, y la hierba para el servicio del hombre; sacando el pan de la tierra.
Ele faz brotar a erva para os animais, e as plantas para o trabalho do homem, fazendo da terra produzir o pão,
Il fait germer l’ herbe pour le bétail,
du lässest Gras wachsen für das Vieh und Saat zu Nutz den Menschen, daß du Brot aus der Erde bringest,
Hij doet het gras uitspruiten voor de beesten, en het kruid tot dienst des mensen, doende het brood uit de aarde voortkomen.
Egli fa germogliar l’erba per il bestiame e le piante per il servizio dell’uomo, facendo uscir dalla terra il nutrimento,
Za twoją sprawą rośnie trawa dla bydła, a zioła na pożytek człowieczy; ty wywodzisz chleb z ziemi:
никому не позволял обижать их и возбранял о них царям:
他使草 生長，給六畜吃，使菜蔬發長，供給人 用，使人從 地 裡能得 食物，
He makes the grass come up for the cattle, and plants for the use of man; so that bread may come out of the earth;
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 104:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree the verse praises God as the provider for both cattle and humans. The main interpretive question centers on the phrase “herb for the service of man.” The Hebrew word ‛avodah can mean either “service” (use) or “labour” (cultivation). Barnes and Gill see the verse as describing the original creation, when food grew spontaneously for human use (Genesis 1:29). Cambridge Bible and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that the word suggests human cultivation, a reality that aligns with the toil described after the Fall (Genesis 3:18-19). All sides affirm that God is the ultimate cause of growth and that the verse functions as part of a hymn celebrating His wisdom and goodness in the natural order.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Original creation view: Points to Genesis 1:29-30 where God provides herbs without human labor; interprets ‛avodah as 'service' (use).
- Labor/Cultivation view: Points to Genesis 2:5 (no man to till) and Genesis 3:18-19 (toil); interprets ‛avodah as 'labour' or 'tillage'.
What is clear: God is the ultimate cause of growth and food, and the verse functions as praise of His provision.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Divine causation of growth | All traditions affirm that God causes the grass and herbs to grow; He is the ultimate source. | No significant debate; this point is unanimous. |
| Human role in provision | Both humans and animals receive food from God’s hand. | Some see human involvement as minimal (pure gift), others as partnership (divine gift working through human labor). |
| Reference to the Fall | The verse is set within a psalm celebrating God’s ongoing provision for creation. | Barnes and Gill treat the verse as describing the original Edenic state; Cambridge Bible sees the possibility of post-Fall labor in the word '‛avodah'. |
| Meaning of lechem (bread) | Lechem refers to food in general, not exclusively bread. | No significant debate; the lexical range is clear. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 104 is a creation hymn, echoing Genesis 1 and celebrating God’s ongoing care for the world. It likely originated in ancient Israel’s agricultural setting, where rainfall and soil fertility were constant concerns. The phrase “herb for the service of man” (or “for the labour of man”) draws on two scriptural threads. Genesis 2:5 says that no plant had yet sprung up because there was no one to “till the ground”, implying that human cultivation was part of God’s original design. After the Fall, cultivation became toilsome (Genesis 3:18-19), but the psalm still presents it as a gift: God makes the land productive in response to human work. The verse lies within a section (verses 10-18) that describes God providing for all creatures, from wild donkeys to birds to livestock. The flow of the psalm treats this provision not as a one-time event, but as a continuous, present reality, sustained by God’s regular gifts of rain and growth.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse.
Reception History
Psalm 104 has been a cornerstone of creation theology across Christian history. Early church writers such as Basil of Caesarea and John Chrysostom used it to illustrate God’s care for all creatures. During the Reformation, Calvin pointed to its portrayal of God as a father who provides for every need. The verse has been sung in harvest hymns and is frequently cited in discussions of ecological stewardship and the theology of work.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- God’s Provision for All Creatures, He causes grass to grow for the livestock, showing His care for every animal, even those not directly useful to humans.
- God’s Provision for Humanity, He provides herbs for the service of man, which includes both the gift of food and the dignity of human participation.
- The Purpose, “That he may bring forth bread out of the earth”: God brings daily sustenance through the combination of His creative power and human effort.
Five-point outline
- The Divine Gardener, “He causes to grow”: the participle (Hiphil of tsamach) emphasizes continuous, present action by God.
- For Every Creature, Grass for the cattle; even when we don’t see the benefit, God feeds His creation.
- For Human Cultivation, “Herb for the service of man”: the Hebrew ‛avodah can mean labor, pointing to the partnership of God and humanity in farming.
- The Purpose of Toil, God does not leave us idle; He invites us to work the soil and participate in His provision.
- Bread from the Earth, Lechem (bread/food) is the result, a gift that comes through our hands yet from God’s hand.
Illustration hooks
- A farmer checking the sky for rain and noticing the first green shoots, the growth is God’s work, even as the soil is the farmer’s.
- Baking bread from flour that was once a wheat plant, the chain from field to table has God at the start and at the end.
- Watching a lawn recover after a dry spell, it happens slowly, visibly, and no amount of human work can force it without water.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does my work really matter if God causes the growth?
- Why do harvests fail if God is the provider?
- How should I think about food, is it simply a commodity, or is it a gift with a divine source?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits at the intersection of God’s sovereignty and human activity. It invites us to see our daily work, especially the work of growing, preparing, and sharing food, as part of God’s good plan. But does the verse assume the Fall? That question opens a richer understanding of how Christians view labor and provision.
Discussion questions
- What two groups of recipients are mentioned in the first half of the verse? Why do you think the psalmist includes both?
- The Hebrew word ‛avodah can mean “service” or “labour.” How does the meaning you choose change the feel of the verse?
- Read Genesis 1:29-30 and Genesis 3:18-19. Which of these do you think Psalm 104:14 is closer to? Why?
- If God “causes the grass to grow,” what role do human beings play? How does that shape your view of your own daily tasks?
- Verse 15 (just beyond our passage) mentions wine, oil, and bread. Why do you think God provides not just for necessity, but also for enjoyment?
- When you consider the food on your table, how aware are you of God’s role in its production? Does this passage change that awareness?
- How can we pray for God’s provision in a world where agriculture often fails due to climate, war, or poverty?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 1:11 | God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;” and it was so. |
| Genesis 1:12 | The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. |
| Genesis 1:29 | God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food. |
| Genesis 1:30 | To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so. |
| Genesis 2:5 | No plant of the field was yet in the earth, and no herb of the field had yet sprung up; for Yahweh God had not caused it to rain on the earth. There was not a man to till the ground, |
| Genesis 2:9 | Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. |
| Genesis 3:18 | It will yield thorns and thistles to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. |
| Genesis 4:12 | From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that God's merciful care reaches every beast, answering the question "Doth God care for oxen?" with a clear yes. He sees a profusion of miracles in the germination of a grain of wheat, as God provides both bread for man and grass for cattle.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes emphasizes that God's provision shows not just abundance but careful variety, meeting the distinct needs of every creature from the same earth. He notes that grass for cattle grows spontaneously, while herbs for man require cultivation, pointing to the original pre-Flood arrangement in Genesis.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin points out that this psalm does not focus on God's special gifts to his church or the hope of heaven, as the previous one did. Instead, it uses the vivid images of creation and nature to show God's wisdom, power, and goodness, calling us to praise him as a Father who cares for us in this earthly life.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible Schools point out that the Hebrew phrase behind "herb for the service of man" could also be translated "for the labour of man," but "service" fits the poetic parallelism better. They emphasize that the passage shows God providing for both human enjoyment and sustenance—wine to gladden the heart and bread to strengthen it.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva annotation emphasizes the deliberate ordering of God's provision: he grows grass for cattle and herbs for human use, so that people may then bring bread out of the earth through their labor. Each step in this chain flows from God's direct design.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill examines a translation nuance: some render the verse as "herb at the tillage of man," suggesting grass grows naturally for cattle while plants for man require human labor. He prefers the simpler reading that God directly causes both to grow and brings food out of the earth for all.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB takes the phrase about oil making the face shine to mean that God's provision cheers a person so much that their face looks brighter than if they had been anointed with literal oil. For him, the point is that these gifts do more than nourish: they visibly invigorate and strengthen the heart.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch clarifies that the psalm does not speak of anointing with oil to make the face shine. Instead, oil brightens the countenance by adding savor and nourishment to food, since in biblical custom only the head was anointed, not the face.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that God provides fresh water from springs, not from the sea, because sea water is too salty to drink. This shows God's thoughtful care for every creature, not just those serving humans—wild animals and birds also drink and find homes through his provision.