Psalms 104:35 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Let the sinners be consumed, &c. This speaks terror to the wicked. As if he had said, As for those ungodly creatures who do not regard the works of the Lord, nor give him the glory due to his name, but dishonour him, and abuse his creatures, and thereby provoke God to destroy the earth, and the men and things which are upon it, let them be consumed, and be no more, for it is my prayer that, for thine honour and for the safety of mankind, those sinners who obstinately and resolutely continue in this practice of disobeying their Creator and Preserver, their Governor and Judge, may be taken out of the world, that they may no longer infect it, and hasten its total destruction. Or rather, the words are a prediction, and יתמו, jittamu, should be rendered, they shall be consumed, it being impossible that any should prosper, who harden themselves against the Almighty. And they that rebel against the light of such convincing evidence of God's existence, wisdom, power, and goodness, and refuse to serve him, whom all the creatures serve, will be justly consumed. Bless thou the Lord, O my soul But thou, O my soul, come not into this wretched society, but employ thyself in this great and blessed work of praising God, in which I hope to be employed when the wicked are consumed, even world without end; and desire that others may follow my example herein, and therefore say, Praise ye the Lord Hebrew, Hallelujah. This is the first time that this word occurs, and it comes in here on occasion of the destruction of the wicked. And the last time it occurs, Revelation 19., it is on a like occasion, the destruction of Babylon.