Bible Commentaries
Psalms 103

Verses 1-22

CIII. A Hymn of Thanksgiving for Yahweh’ s Pardoning Love.— The main theme is stated in Psalms 103:6-14. Yahweh is just, He rights the oppressed, but above all He is considerate and ready to pardon sin. He acts like a father to His children.

Psalms 103:1-5 . The poet speaks from his own experience. He calls on his own soul to bless Yahweh. Here the singular is used: not so in Psalms 103:6-14 (see above).

Psalms 103:15-18. A man’ s life is short, but Yahweh continues His kindness to a pious man’ s descendants.

Psalms 103:19-22 . Thanksgiving, in which men and angels are to share, for Yahweh’ s almighty power.

Psalms 103:3 . diseases: to be taken literally. The cure of disease was the proof that Yahweh had forgiven sin.

Psalms 103:5 . mouth: meaning uncertain (see mg.). “ Thy desire” (LXX) makes good sense but has no linguistic justification.

Psalms 103:5 b also is of doubtful interpretation. It may refer to some forgotten myth about the eagle (or rather vulture). Otherwise we must accept the prosaic solution that the poet refers to moulting.

Psalms 103:13 . There is no real approach here to Matthew 5:48. Here God is compared to a kindly father who knows the weakness of His children and does not expect too much from them. There God as Father demands perfection itself from His children, and lays on them a task which will continue for ever.