“My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.”
The statement 'May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD' expresses the hope that the speaker's contemplation of creation will be acceptable to God and grounds that hope in the speaker's own joy. The verb 'be pleasing' (yie'erav) suggests agreement and acceptability; the speaker hopes the meditation will accord with God's will and nature. The phrase 'for I rejoice in the LORD' (ki-ani samachti ba-YHWH) establishes the source of the contemplative joy: delight in God. The meditation of which the speaker speaks is the entire psalm, the contemplation of creation as manifestation of divine wisdom and care. By expressing hope that this meditation will be pleasing, the speaker acknowledges that all human speech and thought are subject to divine judgment; yet by grounding hope in personal joy in God, the speaker expresses confidence. The verse suggests that praise that flows from genuine joy and authentic contemplation of divine works is likely to be acceptable. The connecting 'for' suggests that joy in God is the foundation and guarantee of acceptability; meditation motivated by genuine delight cannot be displeasing.
Church Fathers on Psalms 104:34
1. ...“Bless the Lord, O my soul.” Let the soul of us all, made one in Christ, say this. “O Lord my God, You are magnified exceedingly!” Psalm 103:1. Where are You magnified? “Confession and beauty You have put on.” Confess ye, that you may be beautified, that He may put you on. “Clothed with light as a garment” Psalm 103:2. Clothed with His Church, because she is made “light” in Him, who before was darkness in herself, as the apostle says: “You were sometime darkness, but…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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