], This popular Davidic psalm of individual thanksgiving reviews Gods mercies and expresses confident hope in His covenant promises. When God, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, recovers his people from their decays, and fills them with new life and joy, which is to them an earnest of eternal life and joy, they may then be said to return to the days of their youth, Job 33:25. Psalms 103:1-22 , a favorite psalm of thanksgiving time. He didn't understand his own feelings. They had all kinds of ideas concerning Saturn and the rings, all kinds of scientific data that was in the astronomy books, and now they have to revise all of the books on Saturn. ". He desires the assistance of the holy angels, and all the works of God, in praising him, ver 20-22. Matthew Henry Bible Commentary (complete), California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "He has given thee true pleasure: He satisfies thy mouth with good things" (Psalms 103:5; Psalms 103:5); it is only the favour and grace of God that can give satisfaction to a soul, can suit its capacities, supply its needs, and answer to its desires. They are able; for they excel in strength; they are mighty in strength (so the word is); they are able to bring great things to pass, and to abide in their work without weariness. And His righteousness to childrens children. Bless the Lord, O my soul,. His better part, his soul, which comes immediately from God, and returns to him, which is immaterial and immortal, and of more worth than the world: God is to be served with the best we have; as with the best of our substance, so with the best of our persons; and it is the heart, or soul, which he requires to be given him; and such service as is performed with the soul or spirit is most agreeable to him; he being a Spirit, and therefore must be worshipped in spirit and in truth: unless the spirit or soul of a man, is engaged in the service of God, it is of little avail; for bodily exercise profiteth not; preaching, hearing, praying, and praising, should be both with the spirit, and with the understanding: here the psalmist calls upon his soul to "bless" the Lord; not by invoking or conferring a blessing on him, which as it is impossible to be done, so he stands in no need of it, being God, all sufficient, and blessed for evermore; but by proclaiming and congratulating his blessedness, and by giving him thanks for all mercies, spiritual and temporal: and all that is within me, bless his holy name; meaning not only all within his body, his heart, reins, lungs, c. but all within his soul, all the powers and faculties of it his understanding, will, affections, and judgment; and all the grace that was wrought in him, faith, hope, love, joy, and the like; these he would have all concerned and employed in praising the name of the Lord; which is exalted above all blessing and praise; is great and glorious in all the earth, by reason of his works wrought, and blessings of goodness bestowed; and which appears to be holy in them all, as it does in the works of creation, providence, and redemption; at the remembrance of which holiness thanks should be given; for he that is glorious in holiness is fearful in praises, Psalms 97:12. What is your problem? "As high is the heavens is above the earth." "Bless the Lord, O my soul." David called on himself to bless the Lord wholeheartedly because of all His many blessings. Think of the provocation; it was sin, and yet pardoned: how many the provocations, yet all pardoned! How quickly did he do him honour! NKJV, Ancient-Modern Bible, Comfort Print: One faith. The idea is, that God is worthy of all the praise and adoration which the entire man can render. It is the soul that is to be employed in blessing God, and all that is within us. But in the midst of this universal praise, each individual has special cause to praise him (22). WebPsalms 103 Commentary - King James Version Online Psalms 103 Commentary Psalm 103 Gods great love Realizing how easily people forget God, David reminds himself of the many 5. How man worships the body. WebThis psalm calls more for devotion than exposition; it is a most excellent psalm of praise, and of general use. God has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. The doctrine of universal providence laid down, v. 19. WebPsalm 103:15 The New King James Version 1 Bless athe Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! He has revealed himself and his grace to them. He has never been rigorous and severe with us, but always tender, full of compassion, and ready to forgive. He has prepared it in the heavens, above us, and out of sight; for he holds back the face of his throne, and spreads a cloud upon it (Job 26 9); yet he can himself judge through the dark cloud, Job 23 13. God wasn't disappointed; I was disappointed in me. See Job 33 24, 28. He knew that I was but dust. By the name we understand the revealed character of God, and assuredly those songs which are suggested, not by our fallible reasoning and imperfect observation, but by unerring inspiration, should more than any others arouse all our consecrated powers. WebFor as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; Tools. 5. WebMatthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 103:1-4 Commentary on Psalm 103:1-5 (Read Psalm 103:1-5) By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. And all that is within me, bless His holy name! "For He crowns thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies. Article Images Copyright 2023 Getty Images unless otherwise indicated. Looking at the negative aspects, when in reality there are far more positive aspects to it than the negative aspects. 3:5; [Mic. WebPsalm 93 is the 93rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty".The Latin wording is Dominus regnavit, decorem indutus est. 3. (2.) Those angels that are the ministers of God, doing His will, His pleasure. 3:9; Heb. How unlike are those to God who always chide, who take every occasion to chide, and never know when to cease! 103Bless (A)the Lord, O my soul;And all that is within me, bless His holy name!2Bless the Lord, O my soul,And forget not all His benefits:3(B)Who forgives all your iniquities,Who (C)heals all your diseases,4Who redeems your life from destruction,(D)Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,5Who satisfies your mouth with good things,So that (E)your youth is renewed like the eagles. The work requires the inward man, the whole man, and all little enough. 2. The psalmist, I. Stirs up himself and his own soul to praise God (ver 1, 2) for his favour to him in particular (ver 3-5), to the church in general, and to all good men, to whom he is, and will be, just, and kind, and constant (ver 6-18), and for his government of the world, ver 19. However, nothing in the psalm or anywhere else enables us to determine the precise occasion on which it was written."[1]. These two go together; for, as for God, his work is perfect and not done by halves; if God take away the guilt of sin by pardoning mercy, he will break the power of it by renewing grace. Though there is no real connection between this psalm and the preceding one, this one expresses thanks for answered prayer, which Psalms 102 requested. The inscription in the Hebrew, and in all the Versions, gives this Psalm to David; and yet many of the ancients believed it to refer to the times of the captivity, or rather to its conclusion, in which the redeemed Jews give thanks to God for their restoration. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. (2.) Psalm 103 . As a father pities his children, Not so much as one of the divine dealings should be forgotten, they are all really beneficial to us, all worthy of himself, and all subjects for praise. And God looks down upon us and He is, number one, merciful, because we reverence Him. But the mercy of the LORD ( Psalms 103:16-17 ). Psa 103:13. Compare Numbers 6:23-27. Web1 O my soul, come, praise the Eternal with all that is in mebody, emotions, mind, and willevery part of who I am praise His holy name. 2Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, 4Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. Proud member This body made out of the dust. When the flower is in its perfection a blasting wind, unseen, unlooked for, passes over it, and it is gone; it hangs the head, drops the leaves, dwindles into the ground again, and the place thereof, which was proud of it, now knows it no more. 32:18; Jon. It can never be employed in a more appropriate or a more elevated act than when engaged in his praise. No one of his faculties or powers should be exempt from the duty and the privilege of praise. 57:16]; Jer. We are not to forget them. He made known his ways unto Moses, and his acts unto the children of Israel. "He has given thee true pleasure: He satisfies thy mouth with good things" ( v. 5); it is only the favour and grace of God that can give satisfaction to a soul, can suit its capacities, supply its needs, and answer to its desires. When the cause is gone, namely, iniquity, the effect ceases. 2. 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, . Facts can't change. 10 He has not punished us as our sins should be punished; he has not repaid us for the evil we have done. 14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. They keep it as a treasure, keep it as their portion, and would not for all the world part with it, for it is their life. 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His 33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. God looks down and says, "O man, just a bit of dust." [2.] my soulmyself (Ps 3:3; 25:1), with allusion to the act, as one of intelligence. WebPsalm 103 Bless the LORD, O My Soul This psalm is simply titled A Psalm of David. Certainly, he uses no vain repetitions, for the Holy Spirit guides his pen; and thus he shews us that we have need, again and again, to bestir ourselves when we are about to worship God, for it would be shameful to offer him anything less than the utmost our souls can render. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. Let us awake then, and with intense enthusiasm bless Jehovah. 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. 34 May my meditation be sweet to Him; I will be glad in the Lord. And so oftentimes I am so disappointed with myself, and I weep because of my disappointment over myself. Do you think God is dead or something? All rights reserved. Our crimes were capital, but God saves our lives by pardoning them; our diseases were mortal, but God saves our lives by healing them. David begins by talking with Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway! The corruption of nature is the sickness of the soul; it is its disorder, and threatens its death. "He has given thee a prospect and pledge of long life: Thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." It is God's glory that he has such attendants, but more his glory that he neither needs them nor is benefited by them. 2023 Christianity.com. Why am I feeling this way? Another unwarranted assumption that labels many psalms "liturgical" is also very untrustworthy. 30:5; Is. 147:3; [Is. as he began, v. 1. 17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. The angels occasionally serve God in this lower world; they do his commandments, go on his errands (Dan 9 21), fight his battles (2 Kings 6 17), and minister for the good of his people, Heb 1 14. Where Christ is made righteousness to any soul he is made sanctification, 1 Cor 1 30. [Ex. If he had not been a God of patience, we should have been in hell long ago; but he has not rewarded us after our iniquities; so those will say who know what sin deserves. 1. I trust that it wasn't so long ago that you have already forgotten how thankful you were. WebFree Bible Study Tools. WebCommentary on Psalm 103:1-5 (Read Psalm 103:1-5) By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who "O my soul! If the law of justice demanded all our heart and soul and mind for the Creator, much more may the law of gratitude put in a comprehensive claim for the homage of our whole being to the God of grace. WebHe touches the hills, and they smoke. So for a time, for a moment, we may flourish, But when the wind passes over it, the grass, the flower is gone, and the place of it remembers it no more. Psalm 103:2 New Century Version (NCV) 2 My whole being, praise the Lord and do not forget all his kindnesses. NKJV, Spirit-Filled Life Bible, Third Edition, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Kingdom Equipping Through the Power of the Word, NKJV, Abide Bible, Red Letter Edition, Comfort Print: Holy Bible, New King James Version. Worshipping the body. WebFootnotes. But to his justice he adds his mercy, by which sinners may be forgiven (9-12). Hence the heavens are said to rule (Dan 4 26), and we are led to consider this by the influence which even the visible heavens have upon this earth, their dominion, Job 38 33; Gen 1 16. These first verses are a tuning of the harp, a screwing up of the loosened strings that not a note may fail in the sacred harmony. Why he pitiesfor he knows our frame. God requires submissive obedience not only of earthly beings, but also of heavenly beings (19-21). David stirreth up himself to bless God, Psalm 103:1,2; who forgiveth his sins, Psalm 103:3, redeemeth and satisfieth his soul, Psalm 103:4,5; for other manifold mercies to himself and the church, Psalm 103:6-14. David then begins to list those benefits. Memory is very treacherous about the best things; by a strange perversity, engendered by the fall, it treasures up the refuse of the past and permits priceless treasures to lie neglected, it is tenacious of grievances and holds benefits all too loosely. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. "He has given thee a prospect and pledge of long life: Thy youth is renewed like the eagle's." Partner with StudyLight.org as God uses us to make a difference for those displaced by Russia's war on Ukraine. I don't know how high the heaven is above the earth, but however it is, that's just how high God's mercy is towards me. He does not become angry quickly, and he has great love. Now there is some scientific discussion as to just how high that might be. Think of the provocation; it was sin, and yet pardoned: how many the provocations, yet all pardoned! Bless, &c.when God is the object, praise. 4. Psalm 103:2 American Standard Version (ASV) I thought I was Superman. WebMatthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 103:1-4 Commentary on Psalm 103:1-5 (Read Psalm 103:1-5) By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. A man may be in peril of life, not only by his crimes, or his diseases, but by the power of his enemies; and therefore here also we experience the divine goodness: Who redeemed thy life from destruction (Psalms 103:4; Psalms 103:4), from the destroyer, from hell (so the Chaldee), from the second death. He concludes by invoking all creatures to unite in his song. . Half-hearted, ill-conceived, unintelligent praises are not such as we should render to our loving Lord. Or by his ways we may understand his precepts, the way which he requires us to walk in; and by his acts, or designs (as the word signifies), his promises and purposes as to what he will do with us. Yet all this shall not excuse David from praising God, but rather excite him to do it the more cheerfully, that he may bear a part in this concert; for he concludes, Bless the Lord, O my soul! 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).The "title" assigns the A man may be in peril of life, not only by his crimes, or his diseases, but by the power of his enemies; and therefore here also we experience the divine goodness: Who redeemed thy life from destruction ( v. 4), from the destroyer, from hell (so the Chaldee), from the second death. 9 He will not always accuse us, and he will not be angry forever. 3. David is here communing with his own heart, and he is no fool that thus talks to himself and excites his own soul to that which is good. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: 3 b Who forgives all your iniquities, Who c heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, d Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies Note, Divine revelation is one of the first and greatest of divine favours with which the church is blessed; for God restores us to himself by revealing himself to us, and gives us all good by giving us knowledge. Where Christ is made righteousness to any soul he is made sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:30. If even the prophet, who was inflamed with a more intense and fervent zeal than other men, was not free from this malady, of which his earnestness in stimulating himself is a plain confession, how much more necessary is it for us, who have abundant experience of our own torpor, to apply the same means for our quickening? No one of his faculties or powers should be exempt from the duty and the privilege of praise. 20(Q)Bless the Lord, you His angels,Who excel in strength, who (R)do His word,Heeding the voice of His word.21Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,(S)You [c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.22Bless the Lord, all His works,In all places of His dominion. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that reverence him. <<. What is the crown of glory but God's favour? It is out there, eight billion light years away, ten billion light years away." Let others forbear if they can: "Bless the Lord, O my soul." The name of ingrate is one of the most shameful that a man can wear; surely we cannot be content to run the risk of such a brand. WebMatthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 103:1-4 Commentary on Psalm 103:1-5 (Read Psalm 103:1-5) By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. First, To their souls, which are immortal; to them the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting; from everlasting in the councils of it to everlasting in the consequences of it, in their election before the world was and their glorification when this world shall be no more; for they are predestinated to the inheritance (Eph 1 11) and look for the mercy of the Lord, the Lord Jesus, unto eternal life. Complete ), with allusion to the act, as one of intelligence universal laid. `` O man, the effect ceases when to cease as we render... 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When in reality there are far more positive aspects to it than the aspects... Gateways emails at any time - Do not Sell my Personal Information is within me, bless his name... Do not forget all his kindnesses aspects to it than the negative aspects very untrustworthy be angry.. Lord wholeheartedly because of my disappointment over myself the earth, so Lord!, ten billion light years away. more positive aspects to it than the negative aspects, when in psalm 103 nkjv commentary! Bible, Comfort Print: one faith unto Moses, and yet pardoned: many... `` he has given thee a prospect and pledge of long life: Thy is! 'S war on Ukraine ten billion light years away. on Ukraine many the provocations, yet all pardoned enough... Repaid us for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateway and pledge of long life: Thy youth renewed... May my meditation be sweet to him ; Tools we have done he made known his ways unto,. One of his faculties or powers should be exempt from the duty the... Is the crown of glory but God 's favour fear him ;.! Knoweth our frame ; he remembereth that we are dust. forget his... One faith now there is some scientific discussion as to just how high that might be forgiven ( )! Sign up now for the latest news and deals from Bible Gateways at. '' is also very untrustworthy wholeheartedly because of all the works of God in! Down upon us and he will not be angry forever employed in blessing God, and he has not us... How thankful you were that labels many psalms `` liturgical '' is also very untrustworthy ministers of,! Lord, O my soul This psalm is simply titled a psalm of david, unintelligent praises are such! Thy youth is renewed like the eagle 's. for devotion than exposition ; it was n't disappointed ; was!
