Psalms 147:8
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
Original Language Analysis
הַֽמְכַסֶּ֬ה
Who covereth
H3680
הַֽמְכַסֶּ֬ה
Who covereth
Strong's:
H3680
Word #:
1 of 9
properly, to plump, i.e., fill up hollows; by implication, to cover (for clothing or secrecy)
שָׁמַ֨יִם׀
the heaven
H8064
שָׁמַ֨יִם׀
the heaven
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
2 of 9
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
בְּעָבִ֗ים
with clouds
H5645
בְּעָבִ֗ים
with clouds
Strong's:
H5645
Word #:
3 of 9
properly, an envelope, i.e., darkness (or density, 2 chronicles 4:17); specifically, a (scud) cloud; also a copse
הַמֵּכִ֣ין
who prepareth
H3559
הַמֵּכִ֣ין
who prepareth
Strong's:
H3559
Word #:
4 of 9
properly, to be erect (i.e., stand perpendicular); hence (causatively) to set up, in a great variety of applications, whether literal (establish, fix,
הַמַּצְמִ֖יחַ
to grow
H6779
הַמַּצְמִ֖יחַ
to grow
Strong's:
H6779
Word #:
7 of 9
to sprout (transitive or intransitive, literal or figurative)
Historical Context
Ancient Palestinian agriculture depended entirely on seasonal rains, as irrigation infrastructure was limited. The 'early rains' (October-November) softened soil for plowing and planting; 'latter rains' (March-April) matured crops before harvest. Drought meant famine. Israel's covenant included promises of rain for obedience and drought for disobedience (Leviticus 26:3-4, 19-20; Deuteronomy 11:13-17). Thus, regular rainfall was understood as covenant faithfulness, a sign that Yahweh remembered His people.
Questions for Reflection
- How does understanding natural processes (weather, ecology) as God's direct provision affect your daily gratitude and trust?
- In what ways does God 'prepare rain' for spiritually dry areas of your life, and are you positioned to receive it?
- What does it mean that God makes grass grow even on mountains—places where human cultivation seems impossible?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. This verse celebrates God's providential control over the water cycle, which ancient peoples observed but couldn't fully explain. The Hebrew hamekhaseh shamayim be'avim (הַמְכַסֶּה שָׁמַיִם בֶּעָבִים) portrays God actively covering the heavens with clouds—what we now understand as evaporation, condensation, and atmospheric dynamics is here attributed directly to divine agency.
The purpose is agricultural: "prepareth rain for the earth" (hameikhin la'aretz matar, הַמֵּכִין לָאָרֶץ מָטָר). The verb kun means to establish, make firm, or prepare—rain doesn't happen randomly but through God's careful provision for creation's needs. This rain then causes "grass to grow upon the mountains" (hamatzmi'ach harim chatzir, הַמַּצְמִיחַ הָרִים חָצִיר), even in seemingly barren highland regions where direct human agriculture is impossible.
Theologically, this verse connects God's cosmic sovereignty (numbering stars, v. 4) to His earthly provision (feeding creation, v. 9). The same God who manages galaxies orchestrates weather patterns to nourish vegetation. Jesus would later point to this providential care as evidence of God's faithfulness to His children: "Consider the lilies... if God so clothe the grass of the field... shall he not much more clothe you?" (Matthew 6:28-30).