Psalm 103 – A Psalm of David. This “is one of the most joyous and beautiful of the Psalms. It has been called the 'Highest Mountain Peak' of the various praise Psalms because it takes the soul to breath-taking spiritual heights. When our son was in his teens, I once read this Psalm aloud at the close of Sabbath. When I finished, he spoke with tears in his voice: 'That is BEAUTIFUL!’” (R. Lynn Sauls) “It is observable that no petition occurs throughout the entire compass of these twenty-two verses. Not a single word of supplication is in the whole Psalm addressed to the Most High. Prayer, fervent, heartfelt prayer, had doubtless been previously offered on the part of the Psalmist [in Psalm 102], and answered by his God. Innumerable blessings had been showered down from above in acknowledgment of David's supplications; and, therefore, an overflowing gratitude now bursts forth from their joyful recipient. He touches every chord of his harp and of his heart together, and pours forth a spontaneous melody of sweetest sound and purest praise” [John Stevenson, in ‘Gratitude: an Exposition of the Hundred and Third Psalm,’1856] 1 Bless Yahweh, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! 2 Bless Yahweh, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, 4 Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, 5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. “‘Bless Yahweh.. Bless Yahweh… Bless the Lord Psalms 103:1-2,…the thrice-repeated blessing from the soul to the Lord: answering to the thrice-repeated blessing from the Lord to the soul in the Mosaic formula, Numbers 6:24-26.... ’Bless Yahweh, O my soul’— myself— ‘all that is within me’— all your heart... soul and.. might— cp. Deut 6:5.” (Jamison, Fausset, Brown) “The idea is, that God is worthy of all the praise and adoration which the entire man can render. No one of his faculties or powers should be exempt from the duty and the privilege of praise.” (Albert Barnes) — ‘and forget not all His benefits.’ Call them into recollection; particularize the chief of them; and here record them for an everlasting memorial.” (Adam Clarke) “‘Who forgives all your iniquities,’ Three Hebrew words are ‘trans,’ forgive, forgiven: ‘kaphar,’ to cover; ‘nasa,’ to lift away; ‘salach,’ to send away (cf). Leviticus 16:21-22; the fundamental O.T. idea of forgiveness being not the remission of penalty, but the separation of the sinner from his sin.” (Scofield Reference Notes) He came to save us from our sins, not in them. David “was one of those honest men, who always connected his sufferings and his sins. Reason in a thousand cases is not able to trace this connection; yet a general acknowledgement of this kind is sanctifying, and sin is the first cause of misery and death. Hence the interior comforts of religion are never more welcome than in the day of affliction.” (Joseph Sutcliffe)—“‘Who heals all your diseases,’ I have no doubt that the medicine spoken of has a respect to the blotting out of guilt; and, secondly, to the curing us of the corruptions inherent in our nature, which is effected by the Spirit of regeneration.” (John Calvin)— “’Who redeemeth thy life’ Hebrews הגואל hagoel.’ — ‘from destruction.’” (Albert Barnes) “The word is elsewhere translated pit, grave, corruption; but it denotes a state of death in which the body returns to corruption. Here, also, in the idea of redemption from the grave, the germ of the doctrine of the resurrection is discovered...” (Daniel Whedon) which is by the hand of the ‘go’el’ or near kinsman, that is the Redeemer of Israel. “He who, forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, himself also took part of the same. Hebrews 2:14.” (Joseph Sutcliffe) They are redeemed- “Not from temporal destruction, to which the natural life is subject, through diseases, dangerous occurrences, and the malice of enemies; to be delivered from which is a blessing, and for which God is to be praised; but from eternal destruction, the destruction of the body and soul in hell; and so the Targum, ‘who redeemest thy life from hell;’” (John Gill)— “Who crowns you— i.e. encompasseth and adorneth thee, as a crown doth— with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” (Matthew Poole) —“’Who satisfies your mouth’— rendered in the Chaldee ‘thy age;’ in the Arabic, the Septuagint, and the Latin Vulgate, ‘thy desire;’— “‘with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.’ The allusion is to the fresh plumage of the eagle after moulting. The figure of Isaiah 40:31, is based on the eagle’s breadth and strength of wing... ‘They shall put forth new feathers like eagles.’” (Daniel Whedon) “It was a proverb among Orientals that the eagle literally grows younger. This is the psalmist’s reference… For us it means that the life which is fed from the eternal springs is eagle-like in royal strength and sunward flight.” (F. B. Meyers) 6 Yahweh executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. 8 Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. 9 He will not always strive with us, nor will He keep His anger forever. 10 He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who 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, so Yahweh pities those who fear Him.14 For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. 16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.17 But the mercy of Yahweh is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, 18 To such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them. “’Yahweh executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.’ David having recounted the Divine benefits bestowed upon himself, now passes from this personal consideration to take a wider view of the subject.” (Calvin) “‘He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.’ As to His chief minister, and next to His people.” (Geneva Study Bible) His methods in redemption “are revealed to the inner circle...” (F. B. Meyers), as to the apostles. “The allusion is to Exodus 33:13. It was not an objective revelation merely, but such a series of manifestations as well, as illustrated at once both the principles and the fact of His salvation.” (Daniel Whedon)— "‘Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.’ David quotes Exodus 34:6. “It restates [the] four great characteristics about God...” (Thomas B. Constable)— all manifest also in Jesus. “The confession drawn from Exodus 34:6. is become a formula of the Israelitish faith (Psalms 86:15; Psalms 145:8; Joel 2:13; Nehemiah 9:17, and frequently). In Psalms 103:9. the fourth attribute ( ורב־חסד ) is made the object of further praise. He is not only long ( ארך from ארך , like כּבד from כּבד ) in anger, i.e., waiting a long time before He lets His anger loose, but when He contends, i.e., interposes judicially, this too is not carried to the full extent (Psalms 78:38), He is not angry for ever ( נטר , to keep, viz., anger, Amos 1:11; cf. the parallels, both as to matter and words, Jeremiah 3:5; Isaiah 57:16). The procedure of His righteousness is regulated not according to our sins, but according to His purpose of mercy. The prefects in Psalms 103:10 state that which God has constantly not done, and the futures in Psalms 103:9 what He continually will not do.” (Keil & Delitzsch) He then illustrates “the shortness of man’s life without God. ‘He remembers that we are dust.’ etc. 'As for man, his days are like grass;’ etc. 'For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,' etc. 'But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him and His righteousness on the children’s children to such as keep His covenant and who remember His commandments to do them.’” (R. Lynn Sauls) 19 Yahweh has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless Yahweh, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.21 Bless Yahweh, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. 22 Bless Yahweh, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless Yahweh, O my soul!