Psalms103
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1 Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth thy desire with good things, So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 Jehovah executeth righteous acts, And judgments for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses, His doings unto the children of Israel.
8 Jehovah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always chide; Neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins, Nor rewarded us after our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children’s children;
18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his precepts to do them.
19 Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless Jehovah, all ye his works, In all places of his dominion: Bless Jehovah, O my soul.
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Psalms 103Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 103. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: An exhortation to bless God for his mercy. (1–5). And to the church and to all men. (6–14). For the constancy of his mercy. (15–18). For the government of the world. (19–22).
vv1-5
By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. Think of the provocation; it was sin, and yet pardoned: how many the provocations, yet all pardoned! God is still forgiving, as we are still sinning and repenting. The body finds the melancholy consequences of Adam's offence, it is subject to many infirmities, and the soul also. Christ alone forgives all our sins; it is he alone who heals all our infirmities. And the person who finds his sin cured, has a well-grounded assurance that it is forgiven. When God, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, recovers his people from their decays, and fills them with new life and joy, which is to them an earnest of eternal life and joy, they may then be said to return to the days of their youth, Job 33:25.
vv6-14
Truly God is good to all: he is in a special manner good to Israel. He has revealed himself and his grace to them. By his ways we may understand his precepts, the ways he requires us to walk in; and his promises and purposes. He always has been full of compassion. How unlike are those to God, who take every occasion to chide, and never know when to cease! What would become of us, if God should deal so with us? The Scripture says a great deal of the mercy of God, and we all have experienced it. The father pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and teaches them; pities them when they are froward, and bears with them; pities them when they are sick, and comforts them; pities them when they are fallen, and helps them to rise; pities them when they have offended, and, upon their submission, forgives them; pities them when wronged, and rights them: thus the Lord pities those that fear him. See why he pities. He considers the frailty of our bodies, and the folly of our souls, how little we can do, how little we can bear; in all which his compassion appears.
vv15-18
How short is man's life, and uncertain! The flower of the garden is commonly more choice, and will last the longer, for being sheltered by the garden-wall, and the gardener's care; but the flower of the field, to which life is here compared, is not only withering in itself, but exposed to the cold blasts, and liable to be cropt and trod on by the beasts of the field. Such is man. God considers this, and pities him; let him consider it himself. God's mercy is better than life, for it will outlive it. His righteousness, the truth of his promise, shall be unto children's children, who tread in the footsteps of their forefathers' piety. Then shall mercy be preserved to them.
Key Words
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
בָרַךְ: to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration), and (vice-versa) man (as a benefit); also (by euphemism) to curse (God or the king, as treason)
נֶפֶשׁ: properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)
כֹּל: properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
קֶרֶב: properly, the nearest part, i.e. the center, whether literal, figurative or adverbial (especially with preposition)
קֹדֶשׁ: a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity
שֵׁם: an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
שָׁכַח: to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention
אַל: not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothing
גְּמוּל: treatment, i.e. an act (of good or ill); by implication, service or requital
Cross References
Psalms 103Directly cited for God's self-revelation: 'merciful and gracious, slow to anger, plenteous in mercy.'
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Explicit confession that God has punished us far less than our iniquities deserved.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Prophetic promise of total forgiveness, removing transgressions so they are remembered no more.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Vivid parallel comparing mortal man's fleeting life to grass and a flower of the field.
Supported by JFB
Thematic connection of God renewing the strength and youth of His people like eagles.
Supported by JFB
Moses requests God to show him His way, fulfilled in the revelation of His character.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Verbal link to man's physical creation out of dust ('remembers that we are dust').
Supported by JFB
Echoes loving and blessing God with 'all that is within me'—the entire soul.
Supported by JFB
Contrasts human grudging (keeping anger) with God's ultimate refusal to keep anger forever.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Mary's Magnificat echoes that God's mercy is on those who fear Him throughout generations.
Affirms God's sovereign rule from His established heavenly throne over all creation.
Supported by JFB
Identical opening liturgical call to self-exhortation: 'Bless the Lord, O my soul.'
Compares human transience and mortality to grass that grows and soon withers.
Identifies angels as ministering spirits who execute God's word and command.
Parallel call for all of God's works in all places to praise Him.