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Psalm 103

Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness

Of David.

1

Bless the L ord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name.

2

Bless the L ord, O my soul,

and do not forget all his benefits—

3

who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

4

who redeems your life from the Pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5

who satisfies you with good as long as you live

so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

 

6

The L ord works vindication

and justice for all who are oppressed.

7

He made known his ways to Moses,

his acts to the people of Israel.

8

The L ord is merciful and gracious,

slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9

He will not always accuse,

nor will he keep his anger forever.

10

He does not deal with us according to our sins,

nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11

For as the heavens are high above the earth,

so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12

as far as the east is from the west,

so far he removes our transgressions from us.

13

As a father has compassion for his children,

so the L ord has compassion for those who fear him.

14

For he knows how we were made;

he remembers that we are dust.

 

15

As for mortals, their days are like grass;

they flourish like a flower of the field;

16

for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,

and its place knows it no more.

17

But the steadfast love of the L ord is from everlasting to everlasting

on those who fear him,

and his righteousness to children’s children,

18

to those who keep his covenant

and remember to do his commandments.

 

19

The L ord has established his throne in the heavens,

and his kingdom rules over all.

20

Bless the L ord, O you his angels,

you mighty ones who do his bidding,

obedient to his spoken word.

21

Bless the L ord, all his hosts,

his ministers that do his will.

22

Bless the L ord, all his works,

in all places of his dominion.

Bless the L ord, O my soul.


17. But the goodness of Jehovah, etc The Psalmist leaves nothing to men to rely upon but the mercy of God; for it would be egregious folly to seek a ground of confidence in themselves. After having shown the utter emptiness of men, he adds the seasonable consolation, that, although they have no intrinsic excellence, which does not vanish into smoke, yet God is an inexhaustible fountain of life, to supply their wants. This contrast is to be particularly observed; for whom does he thus divest of all excellence? The faithful who are regenerated by the Spirit of God, and who worship him with true devotion, these are the persons whom he leaves nothing on which their hope may rest but the mere goodness of God. As the Divine goodness is everlasting, the weakness and frailty of the faithful does not prevent them from boasting of eternal salvation to the close of life, and even in death itself. David does not confine their hope within the limits of time — he views it as commensurate in duration with the grace on which it is founded. To goodness is subjoined righteousness, a word, as we have had occasion frequently to observe before, denoting the protection by which God defends and preserves his own people. He is then called righteous, not because he rewards every man according to his desert, but because he deals faithfully with his saints, in spreading the hand of his protection over them. The Prophet has properly placed this righteousness after goodness, as being the effect of goodness. He also asserts that it extends to the children and children’s children, according to these words in Deuteronomy 7:9, “God keepeth mercy to a thousand generations.” It is a singular proof of his love that he not only receives each of us individually into his favor, but also herein associates with us our offspring, as it were by hereditary right, that they may be partakers of the same adoption. How shall He cast us off, who, in receiving our children and children’s children into his protection, shows to us in their persons how precious our salvation is in his sight?

Farther, as nothing is more easy than for hypocrites to flatter themselves under a false pretext, that they are in favor with God, or for degenerate children groundlessly to apply to themselves the promises made to their fathers, it is again stated, by way of exception, in the 18th verse, that God is merciful only to those who, on their part, keep his covenant, which the unbelieving make of none effect by their wickedness. The keeping, or observing of the covenant, which is here put instead of the fear of God, mentioned in the preceding verse, is worthy of notice; for thus David intimates that none are the true worshippers of God but those who reverently obey his Word. Very far from this are the Papists, who, thinking themselves equal to the angels in holiness, nevertheless shake off the yoke of God, like wild beasts, by trampling under foot his Holy Word. David, therefore, rightly judges of men’s godliness, by their submitting themselves to the Word of God, and following the rule which he has prescribed to them. As the covenant begins with a solemn article containing the promise of grace, faith and prayer are required, above all things, to the proper keeping of it. Nor is the additional clause superfluous — who remember his statutes; for, although God is continually putting us in mind of them, yet we soon slide away to worldly cares — are confused by a multiplicity of avocations, and are lulled asleep by many allurements. Thus forgetfulness extinguishes the light of truth, unless the faithful stir up themselves from time to time. David tells us that this remembrance of God’s statutes has an invigorating effect when men employ themselves in doing them. Many are sufficiently forward to discourse upon them with their tongues whose feet are very slow, and whose hands are well nigh dead, in regard to active service.


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