Psalm 103:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!

NIV: Of David. Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

NASB: Bless the Lord, my soul, And all that is within me, bless His holy name.

CSB: My soul, bless the Lord, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

NLT: Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

KJV: {A Psalm of David.} Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

NKJV: {A Psalm of David.} Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!

David calls upon his soul and all that is in him to bless the Lord. The Lord blesses us, but how can we "bless" Him? In this context, the term "bless" means "to praise with strong affection." By calling upon his soul and all that is within him to praise the Lord, David summons his soul, mind, strength, and heart to praise Him (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 22:36–40).

David also gives a reason to praise the Lord: He is holy. He is completely separate from sin. When the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush and commissioned him to demand that Pharaoh release the Hebrews from captivity, He told Moses to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground (Exodus 3:5). The ground was holy only because God was present there. Isaiah received a revelation of the Lord's holiness in the temple. He heard the seraphim pronounce, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts" (Isaiah 6:3). Praising the Lord for His gracious gifts to us is appropriate, but it is also appropriate to praise Him because He is holy.

Psalm 103:1–5 records David commanding his entire inner being to praise the Lord and to remember all the Lord's benefits. He credits the Lord with forgiveness of sin and healing of diseases. He says the Lord redeems the believer's life from the realm of the dead and bestows on him steadfast love, mercy, satisfaction, and renewal.

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.

Accessed 5/5/2024 2:46:49 PM