Psalm 103:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits,

NIV: Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits--

NASB: Bless the Lord, my soul, And do not forget any of His benefits;

CSB: My soul, bless the Lord, and do not forget all his benefits.

NLT: Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.

KJV: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

NKJV: Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:

In this verse David calls upon his soul to praise the Lord wholeheartedly because of the benefits He bestows. David is cautious not to be thankless or casual about everything God has done for him. He cautions his soul to "forget not all [God's] benefits." The word "benefits" suggests gracious dealings. David did not want to forget how graciously the Lord had treated him. Perhaps he had in mind the time the Lord used him to defeat Goliath (1 Samuel 17). He might have recalled the many times the Lord delivered him from hateful Saul in the wilderness (1 Samuel 19; 1 Samuel 23). He may have remembered how the Lord established him as Israel's king (2 Samuel 5:1–5).

Moses rebuked the people of Israel for forgetting the Rock that carried them in their wilderness journey and the God who brought the nation of Israel into existence (Deuteronomy 1:31–33. The generation of Israelites that had entered Canaan eventually forgot the Lord. They "abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the people who were around them and bowed down to them" (Judges 2:12). Their failure to remember the Lord and His benefits incurred the Lord's judgment. He gave them into the hands of plunderers and enemies (Judges 2:14). Remembering to praise the Lord for His gracious dealings with us keeps us free from undue discipline and distress.

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 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.