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Text -- Psalms 103:4 (NET)

Strongs On/Off
Context
103:4 who delivers your life from the Pit, who crowns you with his loyal love and compassion,
Parallel   Cross Reference (TSK)   ITL  

Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics

Names, People and Places:
 · Pit the place of the dead
 · pit the place of the dead


Dictionary Themes and Topics: Worship | SONG OF THE THREE CHILDREN | Praise | PSALMS, BOOK OF | PROVIDENCE, 1 | Kinsman | God | FORGIVENESS | CROWN | Blessing | more
Table of Contents

Word/Phrase Notes
JFB , Clarke , Calvin , TSK

Word/Phrase Notes
Barnes , Poole , Haydock , Gill

Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes , Geneva Bible

Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis , MHCC , Matthew Henry , Keil-Delitzsch , Constable

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

JFB: Psa 103:4 - -- Cost is implied.

Cost is implied.

JFB: Psa 103:4 - -- Literally, "pit of corruption" (Psa 16:10).

Literally, "pit of corruption" (Psa 16:10).

JFB: Psa 103:4 - -- Or, "adorneth" (Psa 65:11).

Or, "adorneth" (Psa 65:11).

JFB: Psa 103:4 - -- Compassions (compare Psa 25:6; Psa 40:11).

Compassions (compare Psa 25:6; Psa 40:11).

Clarke: Psa 103:4 - -- Who redeemeth - 3. Preservation from destruction. הגואל haggoel , properly, redemption of life by the kinsman; possibly looking forward, in th...

Who redeemeth -

3. Preservation from destruction. הגואל haggoel , properly, redemption of life by the kinsman; possibly looking forward, in the spirit of prophecy, to him who became partaker of our flesh and blood, that he might have the right to redeem our souls from death by dying in our stead

4. Changing and ennobling his state; weaving a crown for him out of loving-kindness and tender mercies.

Calvin: Psa 103:4 - -- 4.Who redeemeth thy life from the grave The Psalmist expresses more plainly what our condition is previous to God’s curing our maladies — that we...

4.Who redeemeth thy life from the grave The Psalmist expresses more plainly what our condition is previous to God’s curing our maladies — that we are dead and adjudged to the grave. The consideration that the mercy of God delivers us from death and destruction ought, therefore, to lead us to prize it the more highly. If the resurrection of the soul from the grave is the first step of spiritual life, what room for self-gloriation is left to man? The prophet next teaches us that the incomparable grace of God shines forth in the very commencement of our salvation, as well as in its whole progress; and the more to enhance the commendation of this grace, he adds the word compassions in the plural number. He asserts that we are surrounded with them; as if he had said, Before, behind, on all sides, above and beneath, the grace of God presents itself to us in immeasurable abundance; so that there is no place devoid of it. The same truth he afterwards amplifies in these words, thy mouth is satisfied, by which metaphor he alludes to the free indulgence of the palate, to which we surrender ourselves when we have a well-furnished table; for those who have scanty fare dare scarcely eat till they are half satisfied. 165 Not that he approves of gluttony in greedily devouring God’s benefits, as men give loose reins to intemperance whenever they have great abundance; but he borrowed this phraseology from the common custom of men, to teach us that whatever good things our hearts can wish flow to us from God’s bounty, even to perfect satisfaction. Those who take the Hebrew word עדי , adi, for ornament, 166 mar the passage by a mere conceit of their own; and I am surprised how so groundless an imagination should have come into their minds, unless it may be accounted for from the circumstance that it is usual for men of a prying or inquisitive turn of mind, when they would show their ingenuity, to bring forward mere puerilities. The Psalmist next adds, that God was constantly infusing into him new vigor, so that his strength continued unimpaired, even as the Prophet Isaiah, (Isa 65:20) in discoursing on the restoration of the Church, says that a man of a hundred years old shall be like a child. By this mode of expression, he intimates that God, along with a very abundant supply of all good things, communicates to him also inward rigor, that he may enjoy them; and thus his strength was as it were continually renewed. From the comparison of the eagle, the Jews have taken occasion to invent, for the purpose of explanation, a fabulous story. Although they know not even the first elements of any science, yet so presumptuous are they, that whatever may be the matter treated of, they never hesitate to attempt to explain it, and whenever they meet with any thing which they do not understand, there is no figment so foolish that they do not bring forward, as if it were an oracle of God. Thus, for expounding the present passage, they give out that eagles, every tenth year, ascend to the elemental fire, that their feathers may be burnt, 167 and that then they plunge themselves into the sea, and immediately new feathers grow upon them. But we may easily gather the simple meaning of the Prophet from the nature of the eagle, as described by philosophers, and which is well-known from observation. That bird continues fresh and vigorous, even to extreme old age, unenfeebled by years, and exempt from disease, until it finally dies of hunger. That it is long-lived is certain; but at last, its beak or bill grows so great that it cannot any longer take food, and, consequently, is forced to suck blood, or to nourish itself by drinking. Hence the ancient proverb in reference to old men who are addicted to drinking, The eagle’s old age; for necessity then constrains eagles to drink much. But as drink alone is insufficient to maintain life, they die rather through hunger, than fail by the natural decay of strength. 168 Now we perceive, without the help of any invented story, the genuine meaning of the Prophet to be, that as eagles always retain their rigor, and even in their old age are still youthful, so the godly are sustained by a secret influence derived from God, by which they continue in the possession of unimpaired strength. They are not always, it is true, full of bodily vigor while in this world, but rather painfully drag on their lives in continual weakness; still what is here said applies to them in a certain sense. This unquestionably is common to all in general, that they have been brought out of the grave, and have experienced God to be bountiful to them in innumerable ways. Were each of them duly to reflect how much he is indebted to God, he would say with good reason that his mouth is filled with good things; just as David, in Psa 40:5, and Psa 139:18, confesses that he was unable to reckon up the Divine benefits, because “they are more in number than the sands of the sea.” Did not our own perverseness blind our understandings, we would see that, even in famine, we are furnished with food in such a manner, as that God shows us the manifold riches of his goodness. With regard to the renovation of our strength, the meaning is, that since, when our outward man decays, we are renewed to a better life, we have no reason to be troubled at the giving way of our strength, especially when he sustains us by his Spirit under the weakness and languishing of our mortal frames.

TSK: Psa 103:4 - -- redeemeth : Psa 34:22, Psa 56:13, Psa 71:23; Gen 48:16; Job 33:19-30; Rev 5:9 crowneth : Psa 103:12 *marg. Psa 8:5, Psa 21:3, Psa 65:11; Jam 1:12; 1Pe...

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Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: Psa 103:4 - -- Who redeemeth thy life from destruction - That is, who saves it from death when exposed to danger, or when attacked by disease. The word "destr...

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction - That is, who saves it from death when exposed to danger, or when attacked by disease. The word "destruction"or "corruption"here is equivalent to the grave, since it is there that the body returns to corruption. Compare the notes at Psa 16:10.

Who crowneth thee - The idea here is not merely that God is the source of these blessings, but that there is something of beauty, of dignity, of honor, as in the conferring of a crown or garland on anyone. Compare the notes at Psa 65:11.

With loving-kindness and tender mercies - mercy and compassions. God showed mercy to him - evinced compassion - and these were so abundant that they might be said to be the crown or ornament of his life.

Poole: Psa 103:4 - -- From destruction both temporal and eternal; from deadly dangers and miseries. Crowneth thee i.e. encompasseth and adorneth thee, as a crown doth.

From destruction both temporal and eternal; from deadly dangers and miseries.

Crowneth thee i.e. encompasseth and adorneth thee, as a crown doth.

Haydock: Psa 103:4 - -- Fire. The elements execute his will, (Calmet) or rather, as the apostle, and Chaldean, &c., intimate, the angels do this (Berthier) with zeal and ...

Fire. The elements execute his will, (Calmet) or rather, as the apostle, and Chaldean, &c., intimate, the angels do this (Berthier) with zeal and activity, (Hebrews i. 7.; Haydock) and ease. (Worthington) ---

Some would attribute to the angels some sort of light bodies, and Grotius attempted to revive this opinion, which never could prevail over the contrary one, which is universally received. (Calmet)

Gill: Psa 103:4 - -- Who redeemeth thy life from destruction,.... Not from temporal destruction, to which the natural life is subject, through diseases, dangerous occurren...

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction,.... Not from temporal destruction, to which the natural life is subject, through diseases, dangerous occurrences, and the malice of enemies; to be delivered from which is a blessing, and for which God is to be praised; but from eternal destruction, the destruction of the body and soul in hell; and so the Targum,

"who redeemest thy life from hell;''

to which destruction all men are liable through sin; their ways lead unto it, and grace only prevents it: the people of God are redeemed from sin, the cause of it; and from the curse of the law, in the execution of which it lies; and from Satan, the executor of it; and all this by Christ, who is the Redeemer appointed and sent, and who being mighty, and so equal to the work, has obtained eternal redemption; through which the saints are secure from going down to the pit of destruction, or from wrath to come; and this is a blessing they can never be enough thankful for; see Luk 1:68,

who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; with all other blessings which flow from the lovingkindness and tender mercy of God, even all the blessings of the everlasting covenant, the sure mercies of David; all the spiritual blessings with which the saints are blessed in Christ, the grace given them in him, and the mercy kept with him for evermore; all things pertaining to life and godliness given in regeneration; the fruits of great love and abundant mercy, with all the other supplies of grace between that and eternal glory: "crowning" with these denotes an application and enjoyment of them, the great plenty and abundance of them, a being surrounded and loaded with them; as also the honour that goes along with them, which makes those that have them great and glorious, rich and honourable; as well as preservation and protection by them; these encompassing about as a crown the head, and as a shield the body; see Psa 5:12, where the same word is used as here.

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Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 103:4 The Hebrew term שַׁחַת (shakhat, “pit”) is often used as a title for Sheol (see Pss 16:10; 30:9; 49:9;...

Geneva Bible: Psa 103:4 Who redeemeth thy life from ( c ) destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; ( c ) For before we have remission of our si...

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Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: Psa 103:1-22 - --1 An exhortation to bless God for his mercy,15 and for the constancy thereof.

MHCC: Psa 103:1-5 - --By the pardon of sin, that is taken away which kept good things from us, and we are restored to the favor of God, who bestows good things on us. Think...

Matthew Henry: Psa 103:1-5 - -- David is here communing with his own heart, and he is no fool that thus talks to himself and excites his own soul to that which is good. Observe, I....

Keil-Delitzsch: Psa 103:1-5 - -- In the strophe Psa 103:1 the poet calls upon his soul to arise to praiseful gratitude for God's justifying, redeeming, and renewing grace. In such s...

Constable: Psa 90:1--106:48 - --IV. Book 4: chs. 90--106 Moses composed one of the psalms in this section of the Psalter (Ps. 90). David wrote t...

Constable: Psa 103:1-22 - --Psalm 103 This popular Davidic psalm reviews God's mercies and expresses confident hope in His covenant ...

Constable: Psa 103:1-5 - --1. Praise for God's mercy to individuals 103:1-5 103:1-2 David called on himself to bless the Lord wholeheartedly because of all His many blessings. ...

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Introduction / Outline

JFB: Psalms (Book Introduction) The Hebrew title of this book is Tehilim ("praises" or "hymns"), for a leading feature in its contents is praise, though the word occurs in the title ...

JFB: Psalms (Outline) ALEPH. (Psa 119:1-8). This celebrated Psalm has several peculiarities. It is divided into twenty-two parts or stanzas, denoted by the twenty-two let...

TSK: Psalms (Book Introduction) The Psalms have been the general song of the universal Church; and in their praise, all the Fathers have been unanimously eloquent. Men of all nation...

TSK: Psalms 103 (Chapter Introduction) Overview Psa 103:1, An exhortation to bless God for his mercy, Psa 103:15, and for the constancy thereof.

Poole: Psalms (Book Introduction) OF PSALMS THE ARGUMENT The divine authority of this Book of PSALMS is so certain and evident, that it was never questioned in the church; which b...

Poole: Psalms 103 (Chapter Introduction) THE ARGUMENT This Psalm contains a thankful commemoration and celebration of God’ s mercies to the psalmist himself, and to the people of Isra...

MHCC: Psalms (Book Introduction) David was the penman of most of the psalms, but some evidently were composed by other writers, and the writers of some are doubtful. But all were writ...

MHCC: Psalms 103 (Chapter Introduction) (Psa 103:1-5) An exhortation to bless God for his mercy. (Psa 103:6-14) And to the church and to all men. (Psa 103:15-18) For the constancy of his m...

Matthew Henry: Psalms (Book Introduction) An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The Book of Psalms We have now before us one of the choicest and most excellent parts of all the Old Te...

Matthew Henry: Psalms 103 (Chapter Introduction) This psalm calls more for devotion than exposition; it is a most excellent psalm of praise, and of general use. The psalmist, I. Stirs up himself ...

Constable: Psalms (Book Introduction) Introduction Title The title of this book in the Hebrew Bible is Tehillim, which means...

Constable: Psalms (Outline) Outline I. Book 1: chs. 1-41 II. Book 2: chs. 42-72 III. Book 3: chs. 73...

Constable: Psalms Psalms Bibliography Allen, Ronald B. "Evidence from Psalm 89." In A Case for Premillennialism: A New Consensus,...

Haydock: Psalms (Book Introduction) THE BOOK OF PSALMS. INTRODUCTION. The Psalms are called by the Hebrew, Tehillim; that is, hymns of praise. The author, of a great part of ...

Gill: Psalms (Book Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO PSALMS The title of this book may be rendered "the Book of Praises", or "Hymns"; the psalm which our Lord sung at the passover is c...

Gill: Psalms 103 (Chapter Introduction) INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 103 A Psalm of David. The Targum adds, "spoken in prophecy,'' as doubtless it was, under the inspiration of the Holy Sp...

Advanced Commentary (Dictionaries, Hymns, Arts, Sermon Illustration, Question and Answers, etc)


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