Psalms 104:20 Meaning: What Does Night Mean When God Makes It?
You make darkness, and it is night, in which all the animals of the forest prowl.
Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
Thou makest darkness, and it is night, Wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
Thou settest darkness, and it is night, In it doth every beast of the forest creep.
Thou makest darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth:
Meaning in one sentence
See how God creates darkness and night in Psalm 104:20 as a gift for both rest and the prowling of forest animals, what that means for your life.
Context
Psalm 104 is a song that praises God for creating and sustaining the world. It follows the order of the creation days in Genesis, describing light, sky, land, sea, plants, sun and moon, and living creatures. By verse 20, the poet is looking at the night that follows the setting of the sun. He speaks directly to God, marveling at how each part of the day has its purpose. The night is not empty or wasted, it is the time when the animals of the forest move about, and when the young lions call to God for their food. The psalmist sees God’s hand in every part of the rhythm.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind “You make” is shith, which means to set, place, or appoint. It is not about creating out of nothing, but about arranging something into its proper role. God sets darkness where it belongs, like a gatekeeper opening the door for night. The word for “prowl” or “creep” is ramas, used in Genesis for creatures that move on the earth, slithering, gliding, or walking quietly. It suggests a soft, purposeful motion, not a chaotic one. Even the stealth of a lion is part of God’s wise ordering. And “darkness” (choshekh) is not a sinister force here; it is part of the world God called good. These words together show a Creator who does not just allow the night but appoints it, filling it with life that depends on Him.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian readers have long seen Psalm 104:20 in two main ways. Some, like the Baptist commentator John Gill, read the verse as a picture of how wicked people do their evil deeds under cover of darkness, a moral warning. Others, like Methodist Adam Clarke, focus on the natural order: God wisely gave the night to wild animals so they would not compete with humans for food and rest. The verse itself describes the animals seeking their food from God, which suggests dependence, not rebellion. Most traditions agree that the psalmist is praising God for the way He arranges all things, whether in daylight or darkness. Both readings invite trust in the God who made the night.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to read this verse as if God only creates night to hide dangerous things. In fact, the verse is part of a joyful poem about God’s wisdom. The night is not a mistake or a cover for evil; it is a time when animals move about and seek their food from God. The psalmist is not afraid of the dark, he is amazed that God has given every creature a time to live and rest.
Living This Out
You might be in a season that feels like night, uncertain, hidden, restless. This verse invites you to see that God is the one who set that darkness in place. He is not surprised by it. The same God who provides for the lions in the dark can provide for you. This week, when you lie down at night, try thanking Him for the rest He gives you, and for the ways He is at work even when you cannot see. The night has a purpose in His hands.
Main takeaway: God appoints the darkness and the night, filling them with life that depends on Him, so nothing is outside His care.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God makes the night time. That is when animals like lions and deer walk around in the forest. God takes care of them even in the dark.
For ages 9, 12
Psalm 104:20 shows that God is in charge of everything, including the night. The animals that come out after dark are not scary to God, He made them and He feeds them. When you are afraid of the dark, you can remember that God is the one who made the night, and He is with you in it. He also gives you rest at night so you can wake up strong for the next day.
Questions People Ask
Does Psalm 104:20 mean that God creates evil?
No. The darkness here is the physical darkness of night, not moral evil. The verse is about the natural order God set up at creation. Other passages like Isaiah 45:7 say God creates darkness, but always as part of His good plan, not as something sinful. Evil comes from choices that rebel against God, not from the night itself.
Why does the psalm mention the animals prowling at night?
The poet is showing that every part of the day has a purpose. Daytime is for human work, and nighttime is for animals to move about and find food. The next verse says the young lions roar and seek their food from God. It highlights how all creatures depend on God, even when we cannot see them.
How does this verse connect to the creation story in Genesis?
Psalm 104 follows the order of the creation days. Verse 19 mentions the moon for seasons, and verse 20 describes night, which echoes the fourth day when God made the sun and moon to separate day and night (Genesis 1:14-18). The psalmist is praising God for the same patterns that Genesis records.
Is there a warning in this verse about people who do bad things at night?
Some Christian interpreters, like John Gill, read it as a comparison with wicked people who hide their deeds in darkness. But the primary meaning of the psalm is not a warning, it is praise for God's wise ordering of creation. The animals are not sinning; they are simply acting according to the nature God gave them.
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