Psalm 103
Psalm 103, Bless the LORD, O My Soul
Psalm 103 is titled, “A Psalm of David.” The exact historical setting is not given, but the heart of the psalm fits David well. David was a man who knew sin, chastening, forgiveness, danger, deliverance, mercy, restoration, and worship. He had been rescued from enemies, corrected by the Lord, restored after grievous failure, and sustained by divine compassion. This psalm is therefore not shallow praise, it is praise that has been forged through experience.
The psalm begins and ends with the same command, “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” David is not merely calling other people to worship. He is commanding his own inner man to rise up and give God the honor due to His name. This is important because true worship is not passive. A man must sometimes preach to his own soul. He must stir up his heart, correct his forgetfulness, discipline his affections, and direct his mind toward the goodness of God.
Psalm 103 is one of the clearest psalms of praise in Scripture. It blesses God for forgiveness, healing, redemption, lovingkindness, tender mercies, satisfaction, justice, revelation, patience, covenant mercy, fatherly compassion, sovereign rule, angelic obedience, and universal dominion. It moves from David’s own soul, to the people of God, to the angels, and finally to all creation. The psalm begins personally, but it ends universally.
A. Reasons to Bless and Honor God
Psalm 103:1 to Psalm 103:2, Blessing God for All His Benefits
Psalm 103:1, “Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.”
Psalm 103:2, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:”
David begins with the command, “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” The word “bless” does not mean that man gives something to God that God lacks. God is infinite, self existent, holy, and complete in Himself. Man does not improve God by worshiping Him. Rather, to bless the LORD is to speak well of Him, praise Him, honor Him, thank Him, and recognize Him as worthy of all worship.
David speaks to his own soul because worship must begin inwardly. It is possible for the mouth to sing while the heart is cold. It is possible to attend public worship while the mind wanders and the affections are dull. David will not allow his soul to remain sluggish. He commands the deepest part of himself to bless the LORD.
When David says, “and all that is within me,” he is calling for whole person worship. His mind, will, emotions, memory, conscience, affections, and strength are all summoned to praise God. This is not surface religion. David does not want divided worship, distracted worship, or formal worship without heart. He wants everything within him to bless the holy name of the LORD.
The phrase “his holy name” reminds us that God is not to be worshiped casually or irreverently. His name represents His character, His nature, His reputation, and His revealed glory. God’s name is holy because God Himself is holy. Worship must therefore be reverent, grateful, and morally serious.
David repeats the command in verse 2, “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” Repetition in Hebrew poetry gives emphasis. David knows that the soul must be reminded more than once. The heart of man is prone to forget, drift, complain, and grow dull. Therefore, David adds, “and forget not all his benefits.”
Forgetfulness is one of the great enemies of worship. Many believers forget what God has done because they are consumed with what they do not yet have, what they are currently suffering, or what they fear may happen. David refuses to live that way. He commands his soul to remember the benefits of God. True praise is not built on emotional excitement alone, it is built on remembrance, doctrine, testimony, and gratitude.
Scripture warns about forgetting God’s benefits. Hezekiah is an example of a man who received mercy, yet failed to respond rightly for a season.
2 Chronicles 32:25, “But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.”
The danger is plain. A man may receive mercy and still become proud. He may be helped by God and still fail to honor God. David guards against that by commanding his soul to remember. Gratitude must be cultivated. Praise must be intentional. Worship must be rooted in the benefits God has truly given.
Psalm 103:3 to Psalm 103:5, Blessing God Who Redeems
Psalm 103:3, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases;”
Psalm 103:4, “Who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;”
Psalm 103:5, “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.”
David begins listing the benefits of God, and the first benefit is forgiveness, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.” This is first because forgiveness is man’s greatest need. Before a man needs comfort, prosperity, health, or long life, he needs his sins forgiven. The greatest problem in the universe is not poverty, sickness, politics, oppression, or death itself, but sin against a holy God. Every other misery is downstream from the fall and man’s rebellion against God.
David knew the weight of sin. He knew what it was to be guilty before God. He also knew what it was to be forgiven. Therefore, he blesses the LORD because God forgives “all” iniquities. The word “all” is precious. God does not partially forgive the repentant believer. He does not forgive only the respectable sins and leave the worst sins unpaid. His forgiveness is full, complete, and grounded in His mercy.
From a full biblical perspective, this forgiveness is ultimately secured by the finished work of Christ. David looked forward through promise and sacrifice. The believer today looks back to the cross, where the Lord Jesus Christ bore sin in the place of His people.
Isaiah 53:5, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:6, “All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Ephesians 1:7, “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”
David then says, “who healeth all thy diseases.” God is the healer of the body as well as the forgiver of the soul. This does not mean every believer is immediately healed of every disease in this life. Scripture and experience both show that godly people suffer sickness, aging, weakness, and death. Yet every true healing comes from God, whether through the body’s natural processes, ordinary means, physicians, medicine, or direct divine intervention. All healing belongs to Him.
There is also an ultimate sense in which all disease will be healed for God’s people. In the resurrection, the believer will no longer suffer decay, sickness, pain, or death. The final healing of the body is guaranteed by the resurrection of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:52, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
1 Corinthians 15:53, “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
1 Corinthians 15:54, “So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.”
David continues, “who redeemeth thy life from destruction.” Redemption means rescue by payment or deliverance by one who has the right and power to redeem. David had been delivered from destruction many times, from Saul, from enemies, from judgment, from despair, and from death. God had preserved his life when destruction seemed certain.
For the believer, this redemption reaches its highest fulfillment in Christ, our kinsman redeemer, who took upon Himself true humanity in order to redeem His people from sin and death.
Hebrews 2:14, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil,”
Hebrews 2:15, “And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
God not only rescues, He also crowns. David says, “who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” The Lord does not merely pull His people out of a pit and leave them bare. He crowns them with covenant kindness and compassion. This is royal language. The believer is not treated according to his shame, but according to God’s mercy.
“Lovingkindness” speaks of God’s loyal covenant mercy. “Tender mercies” speaks of His deep compassion. God’s mercy is not cold legality. It is personal, tender, faithful, and generous.
David then says, “who satisfieth thy mouth with good things.” God gives true satisfaction. The world may offer pleasure, entertainment, distraction, appetite, and ambition, but it cannot satisfy the soul. A man may be full and still empty. He may be entertained and still restless. He may be successful and still unsatisfied. God alone satisfies His people with good things.
The result is, “so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” The eagle pictures strength, freedom, elevation, and vigor. God renews His people. He gives fresh strength for obedience, worship, endurance, and service. This connects with Isaiah’s promise.
Isaiah 40:29, “He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”
Isaiah 40:30, “Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:”
Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.”
The sequence of Psalm 103:3 to Psalm 103:5 is powerful. God forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, satisfies, and renews. David’s praise is not vague. He blesses the LORD because God has acted with mercy toward His people in specific, personal, and covenantal ways.
Psalm 103:6 to Psalm 103:7, Blessing God Who Is Righteous
Psalm 103:6, “The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.”
Psalm 103:7, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.”
David now moves from personal benefits to God’s righteous government. “The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.” God is not indifferent to injustice. He is not blind to oppression. He sees wrong, weighs men rightly, and acts according to perfect righteousness.
This matters because human justice is often delayed, corrupted, weak, or selective. Men with power often oppress the weak. Governments often fail. Courts can be unjust. Rulers can be wicked. But the LORD executes righteousness and judgment. His justice is not theoretical. He brings it to pass according to His timing and wisdom.
This is especially clear in the history of Israel. God saw His people oppressed in Egypt and delivered them by His mighty hand.
Exodus 3:7, “And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows;”
Exodus 3:8, “And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.”
David then says, “He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.” God’s greatness is shown not only in what He does, but in what He reveals. He made His ways known to Moses, and His acts known to Israel. Moses was given deep revelation of God’s character, law, covenant, and purposes. Israel saw God’s mighty acts in Egypt, the wilderness, Sinai, provision, judgment, and deliverance.
There is a distinction between knowing God’s acts and knowing God’s ways. Many people may see what God does, but only those who walk closely with Him begin to understand His ways. Israel often saw the acts of God but still complained and rebelled. Moses communed with God and learned more deeply the character of the Lord.
Exodus 33:13, “Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight, and consider that this nation is thy people.”
God is therefore to be praised as both righteous Judge and gracious Revealer. He acts in history, and He makes Himself known to His people.
Psalm 103:8 to Psalm 103:10, Blessing God Who Is Gracious
Psalm 103:8, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”
Psalm 103:9, “He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.”
Psalm 103:10, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”
David now declares the character of God in language that echoes the Lord’s revelation to Moses in Exodus 34. This is one of the foundational descriptions of God’s covenant character in the Old Testament.
Exodus 34:6, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,”
Exodus 34:7, “Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”
Psalm 103:8 says, “The LORD is merciful and gracious.” Mercy means God shows compassion to the miserable and withholds deserved judgment. Grace means God gives favor that is not earned. David does not deny God’s righteousness and judgment. He has just affirmed them. But he now rejoices that the righteous God is also merciful and gracious.
God is “slow to anger.” This does not mean God never becomes angry. It means His anger is controlled, righteous, patient, and never rash. Men often become angry quickly because of pride, insecurity, selfishness, or wounded ego. God’s anger is holy and measured. He gives space for repentance. He warns before He judges. He is patient beyond what men deserve.
He is also “plenteous in mercy.” God does not have a small supply of mercy. His mercy is abundant. David knew this personally. After his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah, David deserved severe judgment. Yet when he repented, God forgave him, though consequences remained.
Psalm 51:1, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness, according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.”
Psalm 51:2, “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”
Psalm 103:9 says, “He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.” God does chide. He corrects, rebukes, chastens, and confronts sin. But He does not keep His anger against His covenant people forever. His discipline has purpose. His correction is not endless bitterness. He is not like sinful men who nurse grudges and refuse reconciliation.
Verse 10 is one of the great mercy statements in Scripture, “He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” If God dealt with men strictly according to what their sins deserve, no one could stand. Every man deserves judgment. Every sinner deserves condemnation. But God has shown mercy.
This does not mean sin is ignored. Biblically, sin is either punished in the sinner, or it is punished in the substitute. For the believer, God has not dealt with us according to our sins because Christ was dealt with according to our sins at the cross.
2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
1 Peter 2:24, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by whose stripes ye were healed.”
David blesses the LORD because God’s mercy is not sentimental weakness. It is holy mercy, covenant mercy, and in the fullness of revelation, blood bought mercy.
Psalm 103:11 to Psalm 103:12, The Greatness of God’s Gracious Forgiveness
Psalm 103:11, “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.”
Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.”
David now uses vast images to describe the mercy and forgiveness of God. First, “as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.” The height of the heavens above the earth gives the mind an immeasurable picture. God’s mercy is not small, reluctant, or barely sufficient. It is immense.
The mercy described here is “toward them that fear him.” This phrase is important. The fear of the LORD is not unbelieving terror, but reverent awe, submission, worship, and covenant faithfulness. God’s mercy is not promised to those who despise Him, mock Him, and remain hardened in rebellion. It is promised to those who fear Him.
Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.”
Psalm 25:14, “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him, and he will shew them his covenant.”
Verse 12 then says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” This is one of the strongest pictures of forgiveness in Scripture. East and west do not meet. If a man travels north, he eventually passes the pole and begins traveling south. But if he travels east, he continues east. The image communicates complete removal.
God does not merely cover the believer’s sins temporarily in a shallow way. He removes transgressions from His people. The guilt is taken away. The charge is removed. The debt is paid. The forgiven man does not need to live as though his sins are still chained to him.
This truth is consistent with the New Covenant promise.
Micah 7:19, “He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us, he will subdue our iniquities, and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
Hebrews 10:16, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them,”
Hebrews 10:17, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”
God’s forgiveness is not weak emotionalism. It is judicially grounded, covenantally faithful, and personally comforting. The believer’s transgressions are removed as far as the east is from the west.
Psalm 103:13 to Psalm 103:14, Blessing God Who Shows Great Sympathy
Psalm 103:13, “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”
Psalm 103:14, “For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust.”
David now moves from the courtroom image of forgiveness to the household image of fatherly compassion. “Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.” This is tender language. God is not only Judge, King, Creator, and Redeemer. He is also Father to His people.
A good father understands the weakness of his children. He does not treat a tired child the same way he treats a hardened rebel. He knows when a child is weak, afraid, confused, or overwhelmed. He corrects, but he also comforts. He leads, protects, teaches, disciplines, and pities.
This does not mean God is indulgent toward sin. A faithful father does not excuse rebellion. But he knows the difference between weakness and defiance. He knows the frailty of His children and deals with them according to perfect wisdom.
The compassion of God toward His children is seen throughout Scripture.
Isaiah 63:9, “In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them, in his love and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.”
Malachi 3:17, “And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.”
Verse 14 explains the basis of this pity, “For he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are dust.” God remembers what man often forgets. Man is dust. He is created, dependent, fragile, temporary, and weak. The word “frame” points back to man’s formation by God.
Genesis 2:7, “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul.”
God knows how man was made because God made him. He knows human limitations better than man knows himself. He knows the pressure of temptation, the frailty of the body, the weakness of the mind, the sorrow of life, and the brevity of days.
In the incarnation, the Son of God took on true humanity. He did not cease to be God, but He added to Himself a true human nature. Therefore, the compassion of God is not distant. Christ entered into human weakness without sin.
Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
The Lord remembers that His people are dust. That truth humbles man, but it also comforts him. God is not surprised by weakness. He is not ignorant of frailty. He pities those who fear Him.
B. Contrasts That Display the Greatness of God
Psalm 103:15 to Psalm 103:18, The Contrast Between Man’s Moment and God’s Permanence
Psalm 103:15, “As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.”
Psalm 103:16, “For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more.”
Psalm 103:17, “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;”
Psalm 103:18, “To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.”
David now expands the truth that man is dust. “As for man, his days are as grass.” Man flourishes for a time, like a flower of the field, but he does not remain. The field flower may appear beautiful, strong, and full of life, but one wind can pass over it and it is gone.
This is a sober view of human life. Man often lives as though he is permanent. He builds, boasts, plans, accumulates, and speaks proudly. But his life is brief. One sickness, one accident, one judgment, one breath withheld by God, and he is gone. Even the place that once knew him eventually remembers him no more.
Scripture repeatedly teaches this truth.
James 4:14, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow, for what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
1 Peter 1:24, “For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass: The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:”
1 Peter 1:25, “But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.”
David then gives the great contrast, “But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him.” Man is temporary, but God’s mercy is eternal. Man’s strength fades, but God’s covenant love does not. Man’s place may forget him, but God does not forget His people.
This mercy is “from everlasting to everlasting.” There was never a time when God was not merciful in His nature. There will never be a time when His covenant mercy fails. His mercy does not expire with one generation. It extends to “children's children.”
This generational note matters. God’s covenant faithfulness should encourage fathers and mothers to teach their children the fear of the LORD. The blessing does not belong automatically to bloodline without faith, but God delights to work generationally through covenant instruction, household faithfulness, and obedience.
Verse 18 gives the covenant conditions, “To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.” This is not salvation by works. Rather, obedience is the evidence of genuine covenant relationship. Those who truly fear the LORD do not merely admire His commandments, they remember them to do them.
Deuteronomy 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”
Deuteronomy 6:5, “And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
Deuteronomy 6:6, “And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:”
Deuteronomy 6:7, “And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.”
David’s contrast is plain. Man’s life is brief, but God’s mercy is everlasting. Man’s beauty fades, but God’s righteousness reaches to children’s children. The faithful response is to fear Him, keep His covenant, and obey His commandments.
Psalm 103:19, The Contrast Between Yahweh and All Creation
Psalm 103:19, “The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom ruleth over all.”
David now rises from God’s mercy toward man to God’s sovereign rule over everything. “The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens.” God’s throne is established. It is not temporary, contested, unstable, or subject to election, rebellion, military force, or human approval. The Lord reigns from heaven.
This truth is a necessary anchor for faith. Earth is full of confusion, corruption, wicked rulers, fragile governments, collapsing empires, and human pride. But above all earthly thrones is the throne of the LORD. His throne is fixed in the heavens, beyond the reach of human rebellion.
“And his kingdom ruleth over all.” This is absolute sovereignty. There is no corner of creation outside His dominion. Angels, nations, rulers, seas, stars, demons, men, beasts, history, and the future are all under His rule. God’s kingdom is not fragile. It rules over all.
This does not mean every creature willingly obeys God in the moral sense. Rebels still rebel. Sinners still sin. Satan still opposes. But none of them operate outside the sovereign rule of God. Even evil is restrained, judged, and ultimately overruled by the Lord.
Daniel 4:35, “And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?”
Psalm 115:3, “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”
This verse is a needed correction to anxiety and pride. Man is not governor of the world. God is. The believer does not need to carry the burden of controlling history. The LORD has prepared His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.
Psalm 103:20 to Psalm 103:22, The Contrast Between God and His Angels, and the Universal Call to Praise
Psalm 103:20, “Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”
Psalm 103:21, “Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.”
Psalm 103:22, “Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.”
David began by commanding his own soul to bless the LORD. Now he calls upon the angels to bless Him. “Bless the LORD, ye his angels.” The praise of God must not stop with one man, or even with redeemed humanity. It extends into heaven itself.
The angels “excel in strength.” They are mighty beings, far stronger than men. Scripture presents angels as servants, messengers, warriors, and ministers of God. Yet their strength does not make them independent. Their greatness is seen in obedience. They “do his commandments” and “hearken unto the voice of his word.”
This is a rebuke to human pride. Angels are greater in power than men, yet holy angels obey instantly. Man, made lower than the angels, often argues, delays, resists, and excuses himself. The angels bless the LORD by obeying His word. True worship is never separated from obedience.
Hebrews 1:13, “But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?”
Hebrews 1:14, “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?”
David continues, “Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts, ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.” The heavenly hosts are God’s armies and servants. They do His pleasure, not their own. Their existence is ordered around the will of God.
Then David expands the call beyond angels, “Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion.” Since His kingdom rules over all, all His works in all places of His dominion should bless Him. Creation itself exists to display His glory.
Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handywork.”
Psalm 19:2, “Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.”
Psalm 19:3, “There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.”
The psalm ends where it began, “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” After calling on angels, hosts, and all creation, David returns to his own soul. He does not lose personal responsibility in the greatness of universal praise. Even if angels worship, even if creation declares God’s glory, David’s own soul must still bless the LORD.
This ending is powerful. David has given his soul many reasons to praise. God forgives all iniquities. God heals. God redeems. God crowns with lovingkindness and tender mercies. God satisfies. God renews. God executes righteousness and judgment. God reveals His ways. God is merciful and gracious. God removes transgressions. God pities His children. God remembers that man is dust. God’s mercy is everlasting. God’s throne is established. God’s kingdom rules over all. His angels obey Him. His hosts serve Him. All His works belong under His dominion.
Therefore, the only fitting conclusion is, “Bless the LORD, O my soul.”
Psalm 103 teaches the believer to command his own soul toward worship, to remember the benefits of God, to praise Him for forgiveness first, to honor Him for bodily and spiritual mercies, to rest in His fatherly compassion, to fear Him rightly, to obey His commandments, to trust His sovereign throne, and to join all creation in blessing His holy name.
