Psalms 103:13

King James Version

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

Parallel Translations

Legacy Standard Bible
As a father has compassion on his children,So Yahweh has compassion on those who fear Him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Yea lyke as a father pitieth [his owne] children: euen so is God mercifull vnto them that feare hym.

Darby Translation
As a father pitieth [his] children, so Jehovah pitieth them that fear him.

New King James Version
As a father pities his children, So the LORD pities those who fear Him.

Literal Translation
As the pity of a father over his sons, so Jehovah pities those who fear Him.

Easy-to-Read Version
The Lord is as kind to his followers as a father is to his children.

World English Bible
Like a father has compassion on his children, So Yahweh has compassion on those who fear him.

King James Version (1611)
Like as a father pitieth his children: so the Lord pitieth them that feare him.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yee like as a father pitieth his owne children, euen so is the LORDE mercifull vnto the that feare him.

Amplified Bible
Just as a father loves his children, So the LORD loves those who fear and worship Him [with awe-filled respect and deepest reverence].

American Standard Version
Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him.

Bible in Basic English
As a father has pity on his children, so the Lord has pity on his worshippers.

Update Bible Version
Like a father pities his sons, So Yahweh pities those that fear him.

Webster's Bible Translation
Like as a father pitieth [his] children, [so] the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

New English Translation
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers.

Contemporary English Version
Just as parents are kind to their children, the Lord is kind to all who worship him,

Complete Jewish Bible
Just as a father has compassion on his children, Adonai has compassion on those who fear him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him.

George Lamsa Translation
As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who worship him.

Hebrew Names Version
Like a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Like as a father hath compassion upon his children, so hath the LORD compassion upon them that fear Him.

New Living Translation
The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

New Life Bible
The Lord has loving-pity on those who fear Him, as a father has loving-pity on his children.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
As a father pities his children, the Lord pities them that fear him.

English Revised Version
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

Berean Standard Bible
As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

New Revised Standard
As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Like the compassion of a father for his children, Is, the compassion of Yahweh, for them who revere him;

Douay-Rheims Bible
(102-13) As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him:

Lexham English Bible
As a father pities his children, so Yahweh pities those who fear him.

English Standard Version
As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

New American Standard Bible
Just as a father has compassion on his children, So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

New Century Version
The Lord has mercy on those who respect him, as a father has mercy on his children.

Good News Translation
As a father is kind to his children, so the Lord is kind to those who honor him.

Christian Standard Bible®
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
As a fadir hath merci on sones, the Lord hadde merci on men dredynge him;

Young's Literal Translation
As a father hath mercy on sons, Jehovah hath mercy on those fearing Him.

Revised Standard Version
As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear him.

Contextual Overview

⁶ The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. ⁷ He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel. ⁸ The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. ⁹ He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. ¹⁰ He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. ¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. ¹⁴ For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. ¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Like: Numbers 11:12, Deuteronomy 3:5, Proverbs 3:12, Isaiah 63:15, Isaiah 63:16, Jeremiah 31:9, Jeremiah 31:20, Matthew 6:9, Matthew 6:32, Luke 11:11, Luke 11:12, Luke 15:21, Luke 15:22, John 20:17, Hebrews 12:5-11

them: Psalms 103:11, Psalms 103:17, Psalms 147:11, Malachi 3:16, Malachi 3:17, Malachi 4:2, Acts 13:26

Reciprocal: Genesis 19:16 - the Lord Deuteronomy 28:54 - his children Judges 6:36 - If thou wilt 2 Samuel 18:5 - Deal gently 2 Samuel 18:33 - would God 1 Kings 19:7 - because the journey Psalms 6:2 - for I Psalms 119:38 - who is devoted Psalms 128:1 - every one Isaiah 42:3 - bruised Isaiah 49:15 - a woman Joel 2:18 - and pity Mark 2:21 - seweth Mark 8:2 - compassion Luke 7:13 - he John 20:27 - Reach hither thy finger Colossians 3:21 - General James 5:11 - the Lord is 1 Peter 3:8 - pitiful

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Like as a father pitieth his children,.... When in any affliction, disorder, or distress: the Lord stands in the relation of a Father to his people; they are his children by adopting grace, through the covenant of grace with them; by a sovereign act of his own will he puts them among the children, predestinates them to the adoption of children; and sends his Son to redeem them, that they might receive it, and his Spirit to bear witness to their spirits, that they are his children; and towards these he has all the affections of a tender parent.

So the Lord pitieth them that fear him; not with a servile fear, which is unsuitable to the relation of children; but with reverence and godly fear, with a fear of him and his goodness, and on account of that; a filial fear, such a reverence as children should have of a father: and this character belongs to all the saints of all nations, Jews or Gentiles; and seems to be here given an purpose to include all; and that the divine pity and compassion might not be thought to be restrained to any particular nation. And, as the fruit of his tender mercy, he looks upon his children in their lost estate, and brings them out of it; he succours them under all their temptations; he sympathizes with them under all their afflictions: being full of compassion, he forgives their iniquities; and in the most tender manner receives them when they have backslidden, and heals their backslidings. The Targum in the king of Spain's Bible is,

"so the Word of the Lord pities,''

&c. See Hebrews 4:15.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Like as a father pitieth his children - Hebrew, “Like the compassion of a father for his children.” See the notes at Matthew 7:7-11. God often compares himself with a father, and it is by carrying out our ideas of what enters into the parental character that we get our best conceptions of the character of God. See the notes at Matthew 6:9. That which is referred to here, is the natural affection of the parent for the child; the tender love which is borne by the parent for his offspring; the disposition to care for its needs; the readiness to forgive when an offence has been committed. Compare Luke 15:22-24. Such, in an infinitely higher degree, is the compassion - the kindness - which God has for those that love him.

So the Lord pitieth them that fear him - He has compassion on them. He exercises toward them the paternal feeling.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 103:13. Like as a father pitieth his children — This is a very emphatic verse, and may be thus translated: "As the tender compassions of a father towards his children; so the tender compassions of Jehovah towards them that fear him." Nothing can place the tenderness and concern of God for his creatures in a stronger light than this. What yearnings of bowels does a father feel toward the disobedient child, who, sensible of his ingratitude and disobedience, falls at his parent's feet, covered with confusion and melted into tears, with, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy son!" The same in kind, but infinitely more exquisite, does God feel when the penitent falls at his feet, and implores his mercy through Christ crucified.