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Psalms 103:1 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 {[A Psalm] of David.} Bless Jehovah, O my soul; and all that is within me, [bless] his holy name!

Cross Reference

Psalms 146:1-2 DARBY

Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah, O my soul. As long as I live will I praise Jehovah; I will sing psalms unto my God while I have my being.

Psalms 57:7-11 DARBY

My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing, yea, I will sing psalms. Awake, my glory; awake, lute and harp: I will wake the dawn. I will give thee thanks among the peoples, O Lord; of thee will I sing psalms among the nations: For thy loving-kindness is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let thy glory be above all the earth!

Psalms 86:12-13 DARBY

I will praise thee, O Lord my God, with my whole heart; and I will glorify thy name for evermore. For great is thy loving-kindness toward me, and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest Sheol.

Luke 1:46-47 DARBY

And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.

Mark 12:30-33 DARBY

and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding, and with all thy strength. This is [the] first commandment. And a second like it [is] this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is not another commandment greater than these. And the scribe said to him, Right, teacher; thou hast spoken according to [the] truth. For he is one, and there is none other besides him; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the intelligence, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbour as one's self, is more than all the burnt-offerings and sacrifices.

Commentary on Psalms 103 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


PSALM 103

Ps 103:1-22. A Psalm of joyous praise, in which the writer rises from a thankful acknowledgment of personal blessings to a lively celebration of God's gracious attributes, as not only intrinsically worthy of praise, but as specially suited to man's frailty. He concludes by invoking all creatures to unite in his song.

1. Bless, &c.—when God is the object, praise.

my soul—myself (Ps 3:3; 25:1), with allusion to the act, as one of intelligence.

all … within me—(De 6:5).

his holy name—(Ps 5:11), His complete moral perfections.

2. forget not all—not any, none of His benefits.

3. diseases—as penal inflictions (De 29:22; 2Ch 21:19).

4. redeemeth—Cost is implied.

destruction—literally, "pit of corruption" (Ps 16:10).

crowneth—or, "adorneth" (Ps 65:11).

tender mercies—compassions (compare Ps 25:6; 40:11).

5. By God's provision, the saint retains a youthful vigor like the eagles (Ps 92:14; compare Isa 40:31).

6. Literally, "righteousness and judgments," denoting various acts of God's government.

7. ways—of providence, &c., as usual (Ps 25:4; 67:2).

acts—literally, "wonders" (Ps 7:11; 78:17).

8-10. God's benevolence implies no merit. He shows it to sinners, who also are chastened for a time (Ex 34:6).

keep (anger)—in Le 19:18, bear a grudge (Jer 3:5, 12).

11. great—efficient.

12. removed … from us—so as no longer to affect our relations to Him.

13. pitieth—literally, "has compassion on."

14. he—"who formed," Ps 94:9.

knoweth our frame—literally, "our form."

we are dust—made of and tending to it (Ge 2:7).

15, 16. So short and frail is life that a breath may destroy it.

it is gone—literally, "it is not."

know it no more—no more recognize him (Ps 90:6; Isa 40:6-8).

17, 18. For similar contrast compare Ps 90:2-6; 102:27, 28.

18. such … covenant—limits the general terms preceding.

righteousness—as usual (Ps 7:17; 31:1).

19. God's firm and universal dominion is a pledge that He will keep His promises (Ps 11:4; 47:8).

20-22. do his commandments … word—or, literally, "so as to hearken," &c., that is, their acts of obedience are prompt, so that they are ever ready to hear, and know, and follow implicitly His declared will (compare De 26:17; Lu 1:19).

21. ye his hosts—myriads, or armies, as corresponding to angels of great power [Ps 103:20], denoting multitudes also.

22. all his works—creatures of every sort, everywhere.