Psalms 145:15 Meaning: All Eyes Wait on God for Daily Bread
The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season.
The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
The eyes of all wait for thee; And thou givest them their food in due season.
The eyes of all unto Thee do look, And Thou art giving to them their food in its season,
The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their food in its season.
Meaning in one sentence
Psalms 145:15 describes all creatures looking to God for food in due season. This verse teaches God's providential care and what it means to wait on Him.
Context
Psalm 145 is a song of praise from David, arranged as an acrostic in Hebrew. It runs through the alphabet to celebrate God’s greatness, goodness, and care for everything He made. In the verses just before this one, David speaks of God upholding those who fall and raising up those who are bowed down. Then he turns to a wider scene: every living creature depends on God for its next meal. This verse sits at the heart of that picture, showing a God who is not distant but personally attentive to the needs of all He created, birds, animals, fish, and people alike.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb translated “wait” is yśabbērû. It carries a sense of eager, confident expectation, the way young birds stretch their necks toward the parent returning to the nest. It is not a passive wait but an active looking, almost a leaning forward. The same word appears in Psalm 104:27, where all creatures wait for God to give them food in its season.
Then there is the phrase “food in due season.” The word for food, okhel, means what sustains life. And “due season” comes from et, which points to the right or appointed time. Not just any time, but the moment God sees as best. Together these words paint a God who knows exactly when each creature, and each of us, needs to be fed, and who always keeps to that schedule.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have long seen this verse as a window into two kinds of provision. Some, like Adam Clarke and the Geneva Bible notes, focus on the literal care God shows for every animal and human, the daily bread that comes from His hand. Others, such as Baptist commentator John Gill, read it as a picture of spiritual nourishment: the soul’s food of Christ and the Gospel, given out by faithful stewards at the right time.
The ancient Jewish tradition recites this psalm three times a day, and many Christian traditions echo that rhythm in grace before meals. Across denominations, the common thread is trust: God gives, generously, on time, and to all.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is to hear “wait” as passive resignation, as if we just sit back and do nothing while God drops food from the sky. In fact, the Hebrew verb pictures an active, hopeful looking. The same word is used for the young lions seeking their prey from God (Psalm 104:21). Waiting on God means staying alert, expecting Him to provide, and doing our part while trusting His timing.
Living This Out
This week, when you sit down to a meal, pause before you take the first bite. Look at the food on your plate and say quietly, “The eyes of all wait on You.” That small act can shift your mind from anxiety to trust.
If you are waiting for something bigger, a job, a healing, a sign of direction, remember the “due season.” God is not late. He has not forgotten. The same hand that feeds the sparrow (Matthew 6:26) is holding what you need, and He will let go at the exact moment it will do you the most good.
Main takeaway: God faithfully provides for every living creature, and we can trust Him to give us what we need at just the right time.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God feeds all the animals and all the people. When you are hungry, you can look up to God and know He will take care of you.
For ages 9, 12
The Bible says every creature looks to God for food. That includes you. When you are waiting for something, a meal, a friend, an answer, it is not a wasted time. It is a time to trust that God knows when is best. Like a bird waiting for its mother, you can keep your eyes on Him.
Questions People Ask
What does 'due season' mean in Psalms 145:15?
The Hebrew word for 'due season' is et, which means the right or appointed time. It points to the moment God knows is best for providing what is needed, not too early, not too late, but exactly when it will do the most good.
Is Psalms 145:15 only about physical food?
Christians have read it both ways. Some, like John Gill, see it as spiritual food, the teachings of Christ and the nourishment of the soul. Others, including most commentators, take it as a picture of God’s care for all creatures’ physical needs. The verse itself refers to food (okhel), which can mean literal bread or the deeper bread of life.
Who are 'all' in this verse?
The phrase 'the eyes of all' includes every living creature, animals, birds, fish, and humans. Psalm 145:9 says 'Yahweh is good to all,' and this verse shows that goodness in action, providing for the needs of every creature that looks to Him.
How does this verse connect to Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6?
In Matthew 6:26, Jesus says, 'See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?' Psalms 145:15 paints the same picture of a God who feeds all creatures, and Jesus uses that truth to call us away from worry and into trust.
For pastors & researchers
Hebrew interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study