Psalms 103:7-17

7 He ¹made known His ways to Moses, His ²acts to the sons of Israel.

8 The LORD is ³compassionate and gracious, ⁴Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

9 He ⁵will not always strive with us, Nor will He ⁶keep His anger forever.

10 He has ⁷not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high ⁸as the heavens are above the earth, So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He ⁹removed our transgressions from us.

13 Just ¹⁰as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

14 For ¹¹He Himself knows our frame; He ¹²is mindful that we are but ¹³dust.

15 As for man, his days are ¹⁴like grass; As a ¹⁵flower of the field, so he flourishes.

16 When the ¹⁶wind has passed over it, it is no more, And its ¹⁷place acknowledges it no longer.

17 But the ¹⁸lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, And His righteousness ¹⁹to children's children,

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Psalms 103:7-17 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 103

\\<>\\. The Targum adds, ``spoken in prophecy,'' as doubtless it was, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Some think it was written by David, after a fit of illness, and his recovery from it, since he speaks of his diseases being healed, and his youth renewed; for which reason the Syriac interpreter suggests it was written in his old age; for he makes the subject of the psalm to be, ``concerning coldness which prevailed upon him in old age;'' but rather he wrote it when his heart was warm with a sense of the love of God, and spiritual blessings of grace flowing from thence; and in it celebrates and sings the benefits of New Testament times; and it is a psalm suitable to be sung by every believer, under a quick sense of divine favours: wherefore the above interpreter better adds, ``also an instruction and thanksgiving by men of God;'' whom the psalmist may very well be thought to personate, even in Gospel times; and much rather than the Jews in captivity, as Kimchi thinks.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 19

1. Exodus 33:13; Psalms 99:7; Psalms 147:19
2. Psalms 78:11; Psalms 106:22
3. Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalms 86:15; Jonah 4:2; James 5:11
4. Psalms 145:8; Joel 2:13; Nahum 1:3
5. Psalms 30:5; Isaiah 57:16
6. Jeremiah 3:5, 12; Micah 7:18
7. Ezra 9:13; Lamentations 3:22
8. Psalms 36:5; Psalms 57:10
9. 2 Samuel 12:13; Isaiah 38:17; Isaiah 43:25; Zechariah 3:9; Hebrews 9:26
10. Malachi 3:17
11. Isaiah 29:16
12. Psalms 78:39
13. Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 12:7
14. Psalms 90:5; Isaiah 40:6; 1 Peter 1:24
15. Job 14:2; James 1:10, 11
16. Isaiah 40:7
17. Job 7:10; Job 8:18; Job 20:9
18. Psalms 25:6
19. Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10; Psalms 105:8

Footnotes 5

[a]. Or "revere"
[b]. Or "revere"
[c]. I.e. what we are made of
[d]. Or "revere"
[e]. I.e. faithfulness to His gracious promises