King James Version

Psalm 103

Psalm 103 is a psalm of David that calls his own soul to bless the LORD and remember all his benefits. It praises God for forgiving sin, healing, redeeming and crowning with mercy, says he has removed our transgressions "as far as the east is from the west," and ends by calling angels and all creation to bless the LORD.

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Psalm 103 (KJV)

Bless the LORD, O my soul: forget not his benefits v. 1-5

¹Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

³Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

⁴Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

⁵Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Merciful and gracious, slow to anger v. 6-12

⁶The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

⁷He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

⁹He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

¹⁰He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Like a father: we are dust, his mercy is everlasting v. 13-18

¹³Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

¹⁴For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

¹⁶For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

¹⁷But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

¹⁸To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Bless the LORD, all his works v. 19-22

¹⁹The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

²⁰Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

²¹Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

²²Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

What Psalm 103 means

David begins by speaking to himself. "Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name." Then he gives his soul a reason, a list of benefits not to forget: God forgives all iniquities, heals all diseases, redeems life from destruction, crowns with lovingkindness and tender mercies, and satisfies the mouth with good things, so that youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Verses 6-12 move from one person to God's people. God made his ways known to Moses, and verse 8 echoes what God proclaimed to Moses on Sinai: "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." He has not dealt with us after our sins. His mercy is as high as the heaven above the earth, and he has removed our transgressions as far as the east is from the west, a distance with no end.

Verses 13-18 explain why he is so gentle. Like a father pitieth his children, the LORD pities them that fear him, "For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Human life is like grass and a flower of the field, gone when the wind passes over it. Against that short life stands the mercy of the LORD, from everlasting to everlasting, reaching to children's children.

The psalm closes by widening the circle. The LORD's throne is in the heavens and his kingdom rules over all, so David calls the angels, all his hosts and all his works everywhere to bless him, and then returns to where he began: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Background and context

The King James Version heads it A Psalm of David. It does not say when in David's life he wrote it.

It is a pure praise psalm, with no request in it. It begins and ends with the same line, and Psalm 104 that follows opens the same way, turning from God's mercy to God's creation.

Key verses

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Psalm 103:2 · KJV

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Psalm 103:8 · KJV

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:12 · KJV

Cross references

Exodus 34:6 God's self-description on Sinai that verse 8 echoes.And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
Psalm 104:1 The next psalm opens with the same call: "Bless the LORD, O my soul."Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
Micah 7:19 God will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.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.
Isaiah 40:31 They that wait upon the LORD mount up with wings as eagles.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.
Isaiah 40:6-8 All flesh is grass, but the word of our God shall stand for ever.The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Luke 1:50 Mary sings that his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation.

Quick quiz

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Common questions

What is Psalm 103 about?

It is David's song of thanks for God's mercy. He lists God's benefits, especially forgiveness, and praises God's patience with frail people whose days are as grass.

Who wrote Psalm 103?

Its title in the KJV is A Psalm of David.

What are the benefits listed in Psalm 103?

Verses 3-5 name them: he forgives all iniquities, heals all diseases, redeems life from destruction, crowns with lovingkindness and tender mercies, and satisfies the mouth with good things.

What does 'as far as the east is from the west' mean?

It is a picture of complete forgiveness. Many readers point out that you can travel east forever without ever arriving at the west, so the distance has no end.