Psalms 145:15
The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Original Language Analysis
עֵֽינֵי
The eyes
H5869
עֵֽינֵי
The eyes
Strong's:
H5869
Word #:
1 of 10
an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)
כֹ֭ל
H3605
כֹ֭ל
Strong's:
H3605
Word #:
2 of 10
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
יְשַׂבֵּ֑רוּ
of all wait
H7663
יְשַׂבֵּ֑רוּ
of all wait
Strong's:
H7663
Word #:
4 of 10
to scrutinize; by implication (of watching) to expect (with hope and patience)
נֽוֹתֵן
upon thee and thou givest
H5414
נֽוֹתֵן
upon thee and thou givest
Strong's:
H5414
Word #:
6 of 10
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
Cross References
Psalms 136:25Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.Psalms 104:27These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.Acts 17:25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;Matthew 6:26Behold 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?Luke 12:24Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?Genesis 1:30And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.Psalms 104:21The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.Joel 2:22Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength.Psalms 145:9The LORD is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works.
Historical Context
Agricultural societies understood seasonal dependence acutely—rain must come at the right time, harvest at the proper season. Israel's covenant blessings included timely rains (Deuteronomy 11:14), while curses included drought and failed harvests. This verse assured believers that God faithfully provides according to His wisdom.
Questions for Reflection
- How can daily dependence on God for provision guard against both anxiety and presumption?
- What does it mean to 'wait' for God's provision rather than frantically striving or passively assuming?
- How should believers balance working diligently with trusting God's provision 'in due season'?
Analysis & Commentary
The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Universal dependence on divine providence—einei-khol (עֵינֵי־כֹל) "the eyes of all"—all creatures look expectantly to God for sustenance. The verb yĕsabberu (יְשַׂבֵּרוּ) "wait/hope" conveys eager anticipation, confident expectation. This echoes Psalm 104:27-28, portraying creation's utter dependence on God's provision.
Thou givest them their meat in due season (ve'attah noten-lahem et-okhlam be'itto, וְאַתָּה נוֹתֵן־לָהֶם אֶת־אָכְלָם בְּעִתּוֹ)—be'itto (בְּעִתּוֹ) "in its time" emphasizes God's perfect timing, neither early nor late. Jesus taught disciples to pray "give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11) and trust God's provision like birds of the air (Matthew 6:26), applications of this psalm's principle.