Psalm 103:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word!

NIV: Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.

NASB: Bless the Lord, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word!

CSB: Bless the Lord, all his angels of great strength, who do his word, obedient to his command.

NLT: Praise the Lord, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands.

KJV: Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

NKJV: Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word.

In this verse David calls on angels to bless, which in this context means to praise, their God. He describes the angels as mighty and obedient to God's Word. They listen for the faintest disclosure of His will.

The adjective "mighty" means powerful in strength and valor, and it is applied to warriors or conquerors or men of great ability (Judges 6:12; 11:1; 1 Chronicles 26:6). The account of the Assyrian forces that laid siege to Jerusalem in the time of King Hezekiah shows how mighty the angels are. The angel of the Lord—a single being—descended on the Assyrians during the night and killed 185,00 of them (2 Kings 19:35). While some think that might have been a pre-incarnate Jesus, any being described as an "angel" in the Bible bears immense power.

When Jesus returns to earth, He will be accompanied by His mighty angels and will judge those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:7–8). In the tribulation period a mighty angel with a loud voice, like a lion roaring, will stand with his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the earth (Revelation 10:2–3).

Psalm 103:20–22 contains the closing verses of this passage. David calls upon the Lord's angels and all His created beings to join in blessing the Lord, which in this context means to praise Him with strong affection. Psalm 150 concludes the book of Psalms with a similar call to praise the Lord. Praise to the Lord is appropriate because of His blessings (Psalm 103:1–13), His eternal love and righteousness (Psalm 103:17–18), and His sovereign rule over heaven and earth (Psalm 103:19).

Psalm 103 praises God for what He has done. This includes celebration of His personal influence, as well as the way God has blessed the nation of Israel. David encourages praises from himself, from the people in general, and even from the angels and hosts of heaven.

Psalm 103 is one of four psalms which complete the fourth division of the book of Psalms (Psalms 90—106). These four psalms ascribe praise to the Lord. Psalm 103 was written by David and expresses his gratitude to the Lord for all His benefits. First Thessalonians 5:18 conveys the same theme of thanksgiving by exhorting believers to ''give thanks in all circumstances.''

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.