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Psalms 104:4

“who makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.”

Psalms 104:4 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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Quotation · Hebrews 1:7

Go to Hebrews 1:7

Hebrews quotes Psalm 104:4 to speak of the angels. The same Hebrew word, mal'ach, comes out as “messengers” in the psalm and “angels” in Hebrews.

Formula: καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει “and of the angels he says” (Hebrews 1:7)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα

Hebrew (Masoretic text): עֹשֶׂה מַלְאָכָיו רוּחוֹת מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לֹהֵט

Septuagint (Psalms 103:4 in the Septuagint numbering): ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 10 consecutive words: “Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Psalms 104:4, word by word

who makesעֹשֶׂהose

make

To build or create something.

Where else “ose” appears
his messengersמַלְאָכָיmalachay

messenger

Someone sent on an errand.

Where else “malachay” appears
windsרוּחוֹתruchot

wind

Moving air; also the four quarters of the horizon.

Where else “ruchot” appears
his ministersמְשָׁרְתָיmeshartay

minister

To serve in worship before YHWH.

Where else “meshartay” appears
a flamingלֹהֵטlohet

set ablaze

Set ablaze, set on fire.

Where else “lohet” appears
fireאֵשׁesh

fire

Fire that burns or cooks.

Where else “esh” appears

Translation note

The Hebrew allows two readings: “he makes his messengers winds” or “he makes the winds his messengers.” The word for “winds” also means “spirits.” Hebrews 1:7 quotes this verse.

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Hebrews 1:7

Hebrews quotes Psalm 104:4 to speak of the angels. The same Hebrew word, mal'ach, comes out as “messengers” in the psalm and “angels” in Hebrews.

See them side by side

Psalms 104:4

4who makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire.

Hebrews 1:7

7And of the angels he says: He who makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.

The context

3who lays the beams of his upper rooms on the waters, who makes the clouds his chariot, who walks on the wings of the wind,

4 · This verse (above)

5He founded the earth on its bases; it will not be shaken forever and ever.

Read all of Psalms 104

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