Psalm 103:1-14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 103:1-5

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. Observe, I. How he stirs up himself to the duty of praise, Ps. 103:1, 2. 1. It is the Lord that is to be blessed and spoken well of; for he is the fountain of all good, whatever are the channels or cisterns; it is to his name, his holy name, that we are to consecrate our praise, giving thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. 2. It is the soul that is to be... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 103:6-18

Hitherto the psalmist had only looked back upon his own experiences and thence fetched matter for praise; here he looks abroad and takes notice of his favour to others also; for in them we should rejoice and give thanks for them, all the saints being fed at a common table and sharing in the same blessings. I. Truly God is good to all (Ps. 103:6): He executes righteousness and judgment, not only for his own people, but for all that are oppressed; for even in common providence he is the patron... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 103:1

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 103:2

Bless the Lord, O my soul ,.... Which is repeated to show the importance of the service, and the vehement desire of the psalmist, that his soul should be engaged in it: and forget not all his benefits ; not any of them; the least of them are not to be forgotten, being such as men are altogether unworthy of; they flow not from the merit of men, but from the mercy of God; and they are many, even innumerable; they are new every morning, and continue all the day; and how great must the sum... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 103:3

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities ,.... The psalmist explains here what he means by benefits, and gives a particular enumeration of them; and begins with the blessing of pardon, which is a special and peculiar benefit; it is according to the riches of divine grace, and the multitude of tender mercies; without which all outward blessings signify nothing; and, without a sense of this, a man is not in a suitable and proper frame to bless the Lord; and this being the first benefit a soul... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 103:4

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction ,.... 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;' to which destruction all men are liable through sin; their ways lead unto it, and grace only... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 103:5

Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things ,.... With the good things in the heart of God, with his favour and lovingkindness, as with marrow and fatness; with the good things in the hands of Christ, with the fulness of grace in him, with pardon, righteousness, and salvation by him; with the good things of the Spirit of God, his gifts and graces; and with the provisions of the Lord's house, the goodness and fatness of it; these he shows unto his people, creates hungerings and thirstings in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 103:6

The Lord executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. Not only for the Israelites oppressed by the Egyptians, though the psalmist might have them in his view, by what follows; for whom the Lord did justice, by delivering them out of the hands of their oppressors, and by punishing Pharaoh and his people, and bringing down judgments upon them, both in Egypt and at the Red sea; but for all other oppressed ones in common, the poor, the widow, and the fatherless, who are often... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 103:7

He made known his ways unto Moses ,.... The ways in which he himself walks, the steps and methods which he has taken to show forth his glory; his way in creation, and the order of it, as in Genesis 1:1 , for though, by the light of nature, it might be known that God created all things; yet, without a revelation from him, it could never have been known in what manner he made them, and the peculiar work of each of the six days, in which they were made; this was made known to Moses; as also... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 103:8

The Lord is merciful and gracious ,.... So he made himself known to Moses, Exodus 34:6 , and so David found him to be, and therefore calls upon his soul to bless his name. God is "merciful" in the most tender and affectionate manner; he has bowels of mercy, which yearn towards his people, as those of a tender parent to its child, as the word signifies; his mercy is free, without any motive or merit in men to engage it; he delights in showing it; he constantly bestows it; it is the source... read more

Group of Brands