NOTES for Psa 104
The hymn to the Creator’s greatness is inseparably joined to the celebration of the greatness of His creation. The world is beautiful, and its endless diversity, which fills the psalmist with wonder, bears witness to the Creator’s boundless power.
Then, after reflections on the natural world, comes the wish that there might be no sinners on earth. It could seem unexpected and artificially attached to the main discourse, but that is not so: both the inner rhythm and the logical structure of the psalm lead us to see that not everything is harmonious in this beautifully created world, and that sin is the reason. Even when we reflect on the ecological crisis that distorts and destroys creation, we inevitably come to understand that its causes are rooted in our sinfulness—and this is far from the only example of sin’s destructive power.
Does the wish that sinners disappear express a desire to destroy them physically? Sin itself destroys sinners, but it does not leave the world; after ruining some, it passes on. The disappearance of sinners therefore means their liberation from the power of sin.