What Does Psalm 104:28 Mean in the King James?
That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Fullness begins in an open hand: what is given becomes gatherable, and what is gathered becomes enough.
THE MEANING
What is given becomes something living beings can gather; the open hand makes provision reachable, and receiving it brings fullness. The verse meets you in a present rhythm: life is sustained through what opens toward you, what you gather, and the good that fills you.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that fullness begins only when you manufacture it yourself: here, fullness follows what is given, opened, and gathered.
THE ROOT
תִּפְתַּח
tiftach
GROWS FROM
פתח
pataḥ
To open or make an opening.
“openest” in this verse is tiftach. This root also names an entrance and a key. The open hand becomes an entrance through which provision is made reachable.
ALSO GROWS
petaḥ: Opening; entrance.
פֶּתַח
The open hand is pictured as a passage through which good can reach the living.
maphteaḥ: Key.
מַפְתֵּחַ
A key opens what was closed, echoing the hand opening provision for others.
תִּתֵּן
titten
GROWS FROM
נתן
natan
To give, set, or place.
“givest” in this verse is titten. The root holds giving together with setting or placing. What is given is placed within reach, where it can be gathered.
ALSO GROWS
mattan: Gift.
מַתָּן
The provision gathered here carries the character of a gift already placed in the world.
netinah: Giving; placing.
נְתִינָה
This branch makes the act of giving visible as placing something where it can be received.
יִשְׂבְּעוּן
yisbe'un
GROWS FROM
שבע
sava
To be sated or have enough.
The root joins being filled with reaching satiety. The verse describes fullness as the point at which what is received becomes enough.
ALSO GROWS
sova: Fullness; satiety.
שֹׂבַע
This noun names the fullness that follows the gathering in the verse.
savea: Satisfied; sated.
שָׂבֵעַ
This form describes the living ones who receive enough to be full.
THE PATTERN
Life is sustained as provision opens, is received, and becomes enough.
Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.THE THREAD
Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.The Hebrew word translated satisfiest comes from the same root שבע (sava) as filled in Psalm 104:28. Both verses join an opening hand with fullness: what opens becomes what satisfies.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us