Psalm 103:2

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his praises:

Psalm 103:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 103:2

Bless the Lord, O my soul
Which is repeated to show the importance of the service, and the vehement desire of the psalmist, that his soul should be engaged in it:

and forget not all his benefits;
not any of them; the least of them are not to be forgotten, being such as men are altogether unworthy of; they flow not from the merit of men, but from the mercy of God; and they are many, even innumerable; they are new every morning, and continue all the day; and how great must the sum of them be, and not one should be forgotten; and yet even good men are very apt to forget them; as the Israelites of old, who sung the praises of the Lord, and soon forgot his works: the Lord, knowing the weakness of his people's memories, has not only, under the Gospel dispensation, appointed an ordinance, to be continued to the end of the world, to commemorate a principal blessing and benefit of his, redemption by his Son; but has also promised his Spirit, to bring all things to their remembrance; and this they should be concerned for, that they do remember what God has done for them, in order both to show gratitude and thankfulness to him, and for the encouragement of their faith and hope in him.

Psalm 103:2 In-Context

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 praises:

3 who forgives all thy transgressions, who heals all thy diseases;

4 who redeems thy life from corruption; who crowns thee with mercy and compassion;

5 who satisfies thy desire with good things: so that thy youth shall be renewed like that of the eagle.

6 The Lord executes mercy and judgment for all that are injured.

7 He made known his ways to Moses, his will to the children of Israel.

8 The Lord is compassionate and pitiful, long-suffering, and full of mercy.

9 He will not be always angry; neither will he be wrathful for ever.

10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor recompensed us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, the Lord has so increased his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father pities his children, the Lord pities them that fear him.

14 For he knows our frame: remember that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so shall he flourish.

16 For the wind passes over it, and it shall not be; and it shall know its place no more.

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from generation to generation upon them that fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children;

18 to them that keep his covenant, and remember his commandments to do them.

19 The Lord has prepared his throne in the heaven; and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Bless the Lord, all ye his angels, mighty in strength, who perform his bidding, ready to hearken to the voice of his words.

21 Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his that do his will.

22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in every place of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.