You rule the raging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them.
Parallel translations
- WEB You rule the pride of the sea. When its waves rise up, you calm them.
- KJV Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.
- NKJV You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.
- NASB You rule the surging of the sea; When its waves rise, You calm them.
- NLT You rule the oceans. You subdue their storm-tossed waves.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God rules the raging sea and calms its rising waves. He holds sovereign power over the forces of chaos.
Overview
The verse celebrates God's dominion over the sea, an ancient symbol of chaos and threat. His mastery shows His unrivaled power over creation. This same authority is displayed by Christ, who stilled the storm and the sea, revealing Himself as the LORD of creation.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 65:7You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.
- Ps 107:25–29For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea.
- Mark 4:41Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
- Matt 8:24–27Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea, so that the boat was engulfed by the waves; but Jesus was sleeping.
- Mark 4:39Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
- Ps 93:3–4The floodwaters have risen, O LORD; the rivers have raised their voice; the seas lift up their pounding waves.
- Job 38:8–11Who enclosed the sea behind doors when it burst forth from the womb,
- Ps 29:10The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
- Nah 1:4He rebukes the sea and dries it up; He makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither, and the flower of Lebanon wilts.
- Matt 14:32And when they had climbed back into the boat, the wind died down.
- Ps 66:5–6Come and see the works of God; how awesome are His deeds toward mankind.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 89:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.