Psalms 103:1-8

1 By David. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah, And all my inward parts -- His Holy Name.

2 Bless, O my soul, Jehovah, And forget not all His benefits,

3 Who is forgiving all thine iniquities, Who is healing all thy diseases,

4 Who is redeeming from destruction thy life, Who is crowning thee -- kindness and mercies,

5 Who is satisfying with good thy desire, Renew itself as an eagle doth thy youth.

6 Jehovah is doing righteousness and judgments For all the oppressed.

7 He maketh known His ways to Moses, To the sons of Israel His acts.

8 Merciful and gracious [is] Jehovah, Slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

Psalms 103:1-8 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.