Psalms 103 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David.

103:1   Bless the LORD, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!
2   Bless the LORD, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,
3   who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,
4   who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5   who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6   The LORD works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.
7   He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.
8   The LORD is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9   He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
10   He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11   For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12   as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
13   As a father shows compassion to his children,
    so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
14   For he knows our frame;¹
    he remembers that we are dust.
15   As for man, his days are like grass;
    he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16   for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
    and its place knows it no more.
17   But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
    and his righteousness to children’s children,
18   to those who keep his covenant
    and remember to do his commandments.
19   The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
    and his kingdom rules over all.
20   Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
    you mighty ones who do his word,
    obeying the voice of his word!
21   Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
    his ministers, who do his will!
22   Bless the LORD, all his works,
    in all places of his dominion.
  Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Footnotes

[1] 103:14 Or knows how we are formed

Commentary

Psalm of praise and thanksgiving for God's mercies.

v1-2: Introducing and summarising the psalm. Conscious desire to praise God; be quick to praise Him, and be frequent and habitual in praising Him, even when we do not feel like it. We must acknowledge that His blessings do continue.

v3-5: The abundant mercies of God; all these things are ours because of His mercy towards us, compare Deut 8.17.

He deals with our past, delivering from sin, disease, and death;

He fills our lives with love and compassion, our desires are satisfied, our youth renewed.

v6-10: His mercies towards us; consistent with His righteousness and justice.

God has revealed Himself; His ways to few (Is 6; Gen 18.17), but His works to many.

We discover from personal experience also, that the Lord is merciful and gracious, see Ex 34.6.

Recognition of personal guilt, and gratitude to God that He has not punished us as we deserve, Ezra 9.13.

v11-16: The depths of God's mercy;

dealing with our sins, putting them far away, Mic 7.19;
compassion upon us;
mercy considering our physical frailties.

Ps 90.10 refers also to our human frailty, and Job refers several times to the shortness of his own life.

v17-18: God's eternal nature gives us hope in our frailty. The revelation of a life beyond this life strengthens this hope also. God's mercy is poured out on His people; but He requires that we fear Him and depart from sins. We enjoy a relationship of faithfulness; God's covenant and our obedience.

v19: God's universal reign; this is the God who shows love and compassion to us.

v20-22: Praise to God; the special privilege of those who do His pleasure.