When the psalmist says that he will barak (praise) Yahweh, the word barak suggests that he will kneel in homage to Yahweh as a demonstration of reverence and an expression of praise. If he were not compassionate, we would have no hope. and Kahane, Ahuvia, The Oxford English-Hebrew Dictionary (Oxford University Press, 1998), Fohrer, Georg, Hebrew & Aramaic Dictionary of the Old Testament (SCM Press, 2012), Freedman, David Noel (ed. Psalm 103:1-3. We may request cookies to be set on your device. For us today, the high heavens have shrunk by virtue of space travel. 108 p My heart is steadfast, O God! By proceeding, you consent to our cookie usage. But regardless of the grievous quality of our sins––and the depth of our guilt––Yahweh has not responded with the punishment warranted by our sins. Of David. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2007), Freedman, David Noel (Ed. Study the bible online using commentary on Psalm 103:4 and more! so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. This verse spells out the first two of several blessings (gemul––benefits) received from Yahweh––forgiveness of sins and healing from diseases––blessings both spiritual and physical. In Hebrew thought, forgiveness of sins and healing of diseases were closely related. I. 103 y Bless the L ord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Does it stretch from Israel’s eastern border to its western border? Enduring Word Bible Commentary Psalm 103 Psalm 103 – Bless the LORD, O My Soul This psalm is simply titled A Psalm of David. Yahweh’s compassion is like a father’s compassion for his children. ), which the WEB has updated. Ps. לדוד ledavid — This is one of the psalms of David, which it is supposed was written by him after his recovery from a great illness. The psalmist is calling himself to bless/praise the Lord from the depths of his being. To reverence Yahweh’s name is to reverence Yahweh. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. A sorrowful complaint of great afflictions. b. The word ‘awon means evil or guilt and the resultant punishment. in all places of his dominion. 12 As far as the east is from the west, Without righteousness, there can be no justice. A pitying God! A Psalm of David. c. To such as keep His covenant: These promises of everlasting love and mercy are given with conditions. Psalms 103:6 - The LORD performs righteous deeds And judgments for all who are oppressed. The first benefit is forgiveness. The word ‘aliylah (deeds) means deeds or actions. 4 For your steadfast love is great q above the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Forget not all his benefits — In order to our duty, praising God for his mercies, it is necessary we should have a grateful remembrance of them. The word hesed (loving kindness) means loving, kind, and merciful. The LORD has established His throne in heaven: David celebrated God’s secure reign from heaven. so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (v. 12). We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. In all places of His dominion. The word rahum (merciful) means compassionate or merciful or forgiving. c. Bless the LORD, all you His hosts: The angels also make up God’s hosts: His heavenly army under His command who do His pleasure. 5 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! 1 above] Bless the Lord, O my soul,and #Deut “Praise Yahweh, my soul, Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. The psalmist is not saying that Yahweh has established righteousness and justice for a particular situation, but rather that he broadcasts righteousness and justice widely––almost recklessly. “slow (Hebrew: ‘arek) to anger” (Hebrew: ‘ap) (v. 8b). -- Doubtless by David; it is in his own style when at its best, and we should attribute it to his later years when he had a higher sense of the preciousness of pardon, because a keener sense of sin, than in his younger days. Listen to the Bible. who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies; 5 who satisfies you with good things, Two common phrases come to mind that might provide a clue. “As far as the east is from the west.” How far is that? The first time we encountered the word tob (good) was in the creation account. Psalm 103 Commentary. The verb saba (satisfies) means to satisfy or to fill, and suggests filling to the brim so the person being filled needs nothing more. 1. Psalms 103. Bible > Bible Commentary; John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible; Psalm; Psalm 103; John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible << Psalm 102 | Psalm 103 | Psalm 104 >> (Read all of Psalm 103) A Psalm of David. In this verse, these words (ways and deeds) reinforce each other, but each brings its particular emphasis. so that your youth is renewed like f the eagle’s. The LORD has established His throne in heaven, As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 103 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible. People give him plenty of cause to impose punishment, but he often withholds his judgment to give them opportunity to repent––to turn––to return––to change. “Man is but little, yet, placing his hands upon the keys of the great organ of the universe, he wakes it to thunders of adoration! and justice (Hebrew: mispat) for all who are oppressed” (Hebrew: ‘asaq) (v. 6). ; and Briggs, Charles A., The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1906, 2004), Doniach, N.S. Click to enable/disable Google Analytics tracking. b. Click to enable/disable _ga - Google Analytics Cookie. Psalm 103:12 Parallel. That is sufficiently technical to be of little interest to most readers––but I mention it because that artistic detail is an example of the psalmist’s poetic skill. Also, many fathers are abusive to their children––so we should be careful when we compare Yahweh’s compassion to that of an earthly father. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2014), Kidner, Derek, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries: Psalms 73-150, Vol. Readers through the centuries have interpreted “A Psalm by David” to mean “A Psalm written by David,” but a number of scholars question that interpretation today. ~ Psalm 103:8 ESV. Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament . The name stands for the person. Yahweh redeemed Israel from Egyptian slavery (Exodus 6:6). You can also change some of your preferences. And His kingdom rules over all: An eternal contrast is made between the Ruler and the ruled. An exhortation to praise God for his mercy, and for the constancy thereof. Psalms 103. “Yahweh executes (Hebrew: ‘asah) righteous acts, (Hebrew: sedaqah) What do noses have to do with anger? 108 p My heart is steadfast, O God! The word sahat (destruction) means a pit or trap, and one of those words would be a better translation here. When plural, it means compassion or mercy. Upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus, and access maps, timelines, commentaries, and much more! You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. “He made known his ways (Hebrew: derek) to Moses, 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! English Standard Version (ESV) Bible Book List. by Hank Workman. Bless the LORD, all His works, Abundant is a good translation. John Trapp Complete Commentary. John Trapp Complete Commentary. 3 I will give thanks to you, O L ord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to you among the nations. Yahweh outlined his pathway in great detail in the Law and the Prophets. 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. Update. #Flowers. English Standard Version Update. so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. 103 y Bless the L ord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! A Psalm of David. Name (sem) is another word replete with meaning. That seems peculiar. Psalm 103 Bible Commentary. Psalm 103:1-13 English Standard Version (ESV) Bless the Lord, O My Soul Of David. Psalm 102 Psalm 104 Psalm 103:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV) Bless the Lord, O My Soul Of David. Because of those associations, it is more often translated bless than praise. Many people have not experienced a compassionate earthly father. (12-22) The unchangeableness of God. When the flower is gone, virtually nothing remains – its place remembers it no more. 2 y Bless the Lord, O my soul, and z forget not all his benefits, 3 who a forgives all your iniquity, who b heals all your diseases, 4 who c redeems your life from the pit, who d crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who e satisfies you with good Praise for the LORD's Benefits. 22; Ps. ), The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 6 vol. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! “Like (Hebrew: ke) a father has compassion (Hebrew: raham) on his children, nor repaid us for our iniquities. i. and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; # [See ver. Psalm 102 Psalm 104 Psalm 103:1-5 English Standard Version (ESV) Bless the Lord, O My Soul Of David. “He will not always accuse; (Hebrew: riyb) Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible. In the Bible, the eagle is a symbol of power and independence. And His righteousness to children’s children, The psalmist says that Yahweh renews our strength so that we can function with vitality. English Standard Version Update. - Verse-by-Verse Commentary A PSALM of joy and thanksgiving for God's manifold mercies, especially for his loving kindness in forgiving sin and transgression (Psalms 103:3, Psalms 103:8-12, Psalms 103:17) passing into adoration of him upon his heavenly throne (Psalms 103:19), and a call on all creation to praise him (Psalms 103:20-22). $3.99 a month puts a library of commentaries, study notes, and Greek & Hebrew language tools right in your pocket. When they sinned he punished them––not to destroy them but to redeem them. Readers through the centuries have interpreted “A Psalm by David” to mean “A Psalm written by David,” but a number of scholars question that interpretation today. 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! We don’t know the circumstances in which it was written, but since David was a man who knew the grace and deliverance of God many times, it could have been written at many different times of his life. “For (Hebrew: ki) he knows how we are made. 104:1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,and all that is within me,bless his holy name! Psalm 102 Psalm 104 Psalm 103 English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK) Bless the Lord, O My Soul Of David. Psalm 103:13: Mal. “Praise Yahweh, all you works of his, Psalm 103 Bible Commentary. The word qodes (holy) means holy or sacred––set apart for holy purposes. so that your youth is renewed like f the eagle’s. This Psalm is: (1) a monologue; (2) a psalm of recollection; (3) a psalm of thanksgiving. As for man, his days are like grass; The comment about dust alludes to the following verse from the creation account: “Yahweh God formed man from the dust of the ground, David begins by gathering together all the benefits by recollection, and now he has to arrange them, so that they can be sung by any soul exercising itself like his, and remembering the first benefit his soul has got. The verb ‘asah (executes) notes action with a purpose––action that drives toward the accomplishment of a goal or the fulfillment of an obligation. (1-11) Encouragement by expecting the performances of God's promises to his church. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. There is no aspect of the universe that is not under His reign. so that your youth is renewed like f the eagle’s. “We may lose ourselves amid the amplitudes of the lofty, wide-stretching sky, but this emblem of paternal love goes straight to our hearts. The word hete means sins or offenses, and is related to a series of words based on the same stem and having similar meanings. Psalms 131, 133 and 134 each have three verses. “God’s love does not alter with our alterings, or change with our changes. The Lord hath prepared, &c. — Having celebrated God’s mercy to his people, he now praises him for his excellent majesty and universal dominion; his throne in the heavens — Which expression denotes the eminence, glory, power, stability, and unchangeableness of God’s kingdom; and his kingdom ruleth over all — Over all creatures, both in heaven and earth. Psalm 103 is an individual song or hymn of praise. The psalmist, I. 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Reign from heaven Willem a and gracious ” ( Meyer ), Freedman, David Noel ( Ed from slavery... Opt in for other cookies to be set on your device because of associations. Remembers it no more this case, the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, 6 Vol on. 22 praise Yahweh, all you his hosts, you ministers of his in! Expanded the thought of man ’ s compassion is like a father shows compassion to those with whom is a! Adam, blooms anew in Christ, never to fade again. ” ( Horne ) in... He renews our youth like the eagles as today, the place of the chief characteristics of is!