Of David.
The only psalms in Book IV attributed to David are Psalm 101 and this one.
Psalm 103:1, Praise YHWH, from my inner being
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
David instructs his own inner being to praise YHWH. Alter says that this is an unusual exhortation, repeated in the next verse and then in the next psalm.
Psalm 103:2-5, Redeems us from the pit
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits--
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
YHWH is thanked for all His "benefits": forgiveness, healing, redemption, and then love, compassion, satisfaction. David is likely recounting pass traumas, sins and diseases, from which he has been saved. Alter claims that the eagle metaphor appears because the eagle molts after the breeding season and then grows new feathers.
Kidner argues that the first part of verse 4 ("who redeems your life from the pit ") is one of the rare verses in the Old Testament that addresses life after death. The pit is the grave, Sheol, and although one might argue that the passage talks about being saved from a premature death, Kidner points out that several psalms of David explicitly explore life after death. Other passages, cited by Kidner, are Psalm 49:7-9, 13-15 and Psalm 16:9-11.
Psalm 103:6-7, Made known to Moses and Israel
The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
YHWH's righteousness and justice go back at least to Moses. Indeed the descriptions of YHWH in the next lines come out of Exodus 34:6-7 when YHWH replaced the broken tablets of the Ten Commandments with new tablets.
Psalm 103:8-10, Slow to anger, abounding in love
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
"He does not treat us as our sins deserve." This is an emphasis on the grace of God. Amongst the emphasis on following the Law of Moses and meeting all the sacrifices, there are also places which hint at -- or clearly state, as this does -- the YHWH is interested in forgiving sin. Indeed, as this passage quotes from Exodus 34:6-7, it leaves off the end of verse 7, a line about punishing the guilty.
Psalm 103:11-12, From east to west!
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
High as the heavens, as far as east from west -- these are dramatic geometric descriptions of God's grace.
Psalm 103:13-16, Formed, like dust
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
Mortal man is equated with dust, temporary grass and flowers, quickly blown away. Yet God remembers this.
The Hebrew word in verse 14 translated "form" by the NIV is yetser. It can mean "purpose" or "inclination." As Alter points out, that Hebrew words appears in Genesis 8:21, there translated "inclination" when, after the flood, we read "[E]very inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. Similarly, identifying humans as "dust", is a reminder of Genesis 2:7.
Psalm 103:17-18, From all ages past to all ages future
But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children--
with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
God's love is for those in His Kingdom, in those who remember His covenant and teachings.
Psalm 103:19, Permanent throne
The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
This thematic verse summarizes the complete control of YHWH's kingdom. (A similar statement is in Psalm 90:2.)
Psalm 103:20-22, Praise Him, all His works
Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
The song ends with a chorus of praises. Even the angels and the heavenly hosts are instructed to praise YHWH. Indeed, all of Creation is to praise Him.
The hymn, Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven, by H. F. Lyte, is based on this psalm.
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