Psalm 103


Psalm 103 is the 103rd psalm of the Book of Psalms, generally known in English by its first verse, in the King James Version, "Bless the, O my soul". The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and in its Latin translation in the Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 102 in a slightly different numbering system. In Latin, it is known as "Benedic anima mea Domino". The psalm is a hymn psalm.
The first verse attributes the psalm to King David. The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies. The psalm has been paraphrased in hymns, and has been set to music often.

Background and themes

Baptist preacher and biblical commentator Charles Spurgeon suggests that the psalm was written in David's later life, as seen by the psalmist’s focus on the frailty of life and his "higher sense of the preciousness of pardon, because a keener sense of sin". Spurgeon divides the psalm into three sections:
Lutheran minister Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg notes that the number of verses in the psalm parallels the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and that the concluding words repeat the opening words, "finishing" and "rounding off" the psalm into a complete whole. Nonconformist minister Matthew Henry also notes this circular form, stating: "Blessing God and giving him glory must be the alpha and the omega of all our services".
The Midrash Tehillim offers several explanations of the first verse, among them:
Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Hama: A sculptor makes a statue; the sculptor dies, but his sculpture endures. It is not thus with the Holy One, blessed be He. The Holy One made man, and man dies, but the Holy One lives and endures. … Another comment: A sculptor makes a statue, but cannot make a soul or vital organs. But the Holy One made a statue, man, and within him made a soul and vital organs. Therefore, David offered praise, "Bless the, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name".

The opening words, "Bless the, O my soul", appear again at the beginning of Psalm 104, reinforcing the thematic connection between these psalms. But Patrick D. Miller also sees Psalm 103 as a logical extension of Psalm 102, pointing out that "one may see 102 as opening issues and questions to which 103 offers the solution or answer". For example, in Psalm 102 the psalmist blames his illness and pain on God's "indignation and anger", while Psalm 103 makes it clear that divine anger is not the final word, nor will it last forever.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

King James Version

  1. Bless the, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
  2. Bless the, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
  3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
  4. Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
  5. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
  6. The 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 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 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.
  16. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
  17. But the mercy of the is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;
  18. To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
  19. The hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
  20. Bless the, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.
  21. Bless ye the, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
  22. Bless the, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the, O my soul.

    Uses

Judaism

Verse 1 is the final verse of Nishmat.
Verses 2, 10, and 13 are recited during Selichot.
Verses 10, 13, and 14 are part of the Tachanun prayer. Verse 14 is also recited during a burial service.
Verse 17 is recited during the blessings before the Shema on the second day of Rosh Hashanah.
Verse 19 is part of the Yehi kevod prayer recited during Pesukei Dezimra.

New Testament

Verse 17 is quoted in Luke

Catholic Church

In the Western church, this psalm was traditionally performed during the celebration of Matins of Saturday by the order of St. Benedict, probably since its founding to 530.
In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 103 is sung or recited today to the Office of Sunday readings deuxième week. It is also very present among the Mass readings. It is the psalm read the Sacred Heart party. For ordinary times, we find the 7th and the 24th Sunday of the year A7 and the eighth Sunday of the year B. Lent, it is played the 3rd and 7th Sunday. Finally, it is the 7th Psalm on Easter Sunday.

Orthodox Church

In the Eastern Orthodox Church this psalm is one of the six psalms of Orthros read every morning outside of Bright Week. It is also the first of the "Typical Psalms" of the Typica, which is read in place of the Divine Liturgy when the latter is not celebrated on days it is permitted to be. It is frequently sung as the first antiphon of the Divine Liturgy, but there it is often replaced by another antiphon on great feasts and on many weekdays, and is always thus replaced in Greek practice.

Protestant

Thesman found the psalm a declaration that God never betrays us, never abandons us, and never forgets..... His mercy covers our mistakes and our human tendencies while Coke, calls it an exquisite performance, very applicable to every deliverance: it may properly be said to describe the wonders of grace,
This Psalm is one continued hymn of praise, and includes a comprehensive view of the goodness of Jehovah, in all the great works of creation and redemption while Barnes called it exceedingly regular in its structure and composition; beautiful in its language and conceptions; adapted to all times and ages; suited to express the feelings of gratitude to God for deliverance from trouble, and for the manifestation of his mercy; suited to elevate the soul, and to fill it with cheerful views.
The Old Testament scholar Bernhard Duhm considers the Psalm a "compilation of all sorts of beautiful sentences from a fairly extensive reading."

Musical settings

Psalm 103 is the basis of several hymns. A paraphrase of Psalm 103 in German is "Nun lob, mein Seel, den Herren", written by Johann Gramann in 1525, which was translated by Catherine Winkworth as "My Soul, now Praise thy Maker!" and published in 1863. English hymns include "Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven", written in the nineteenth century by Henry Francis Lyte, and "Sing to the Lord and praise him".
In the 16th century, Claudin de Sermisy set the psalm.
In contemporary music, the song "Bless the Lord" in the musical Godspell is based on this psalm. "10,000 Reasons " by Matt Redman and Jonas Myrin takes lyrics from this psalm, as does "The Lord is Gracious and Compassionate" by Vineyard Worship.