Text -- Psalms 103:8-22 (NET)

103:8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful; he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love. 103:9 He does not always accuse, and does not stay angry. 103:10 He does not deal with us as our sins deserve; he does not repay us as our misdeeds deserve. 103:11 For as the skies are high above the earth, so his loyal love towers over his faithful followers. 103:12 As far as the eastern horizon is from the west, so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions from us. 103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. 103:14 For he knows what we are made of; he realizes we are made of clay. 103:15 A person’s life is like grass. Like a flower in the field it flourishes, 103:16 but when the hot wind blows by, it disappears, and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew. 103:17 But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers, and is faithful to their descendants, 103:18 to those who keep his covenant, who are careful to obey his commands. 103:19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven; his kingdom extends over everything. 103:20 Praise the Lord, you angels of his, you powerful warriors who carry out his decrees and obey his orders! 103:21 Praise the Lord, all you warriors of his, you servants of his who carry out his desires! 103:22 Praise the Lord, all that he has made, in all the regions of his kingdom! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 103:8

¹ tn Heb “slow to anger” (see Ps 86:15).

² tn Heb “and great of loyal love” (see Ps 86:15).

NET Notes: Psa 103:9

¹ tn The Hebrew verb נָטַר (natar) is usually taken to mean “to keep; to guard,” with “anger” being understood by ellipsis. The idiom “to guard anger” is then understood to mean “to remain angry” (see Lev 19:18; Jer 3:5, 12; Nah 1:2). However, it is possible that this is a homonymic root meaning “to be angry” (see HALOT 695 s.v. נטר).

NET Notes: Psa 103:10

¹ tn Heb “not according to our sins does he do to us.”

² tn Heb “and not according to our misdeeds does he repay us.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:11

¹ tn For this sense of the verb גָבַר (gavar), see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.

² tn Heb “those who fear him.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:12

¹ tn Heb “sunrise.”

² tn Or “sunset.”

³ tn The Hebrew term פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, rebellious act”) is here used metonymically for the guilt such actions produce.

NET Notes: Psa 103:13

¹ tn Or “sons,” but the Hebrew term sometimes refers to children in general.

² tn Heb “those who fear him.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:14

¹ tn Heb “our form.”

² tn Heb “remembers.”

³ tn Heb “we [are] clay.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:15

¹ tn Heb “[as for] mankind, like grass [are] his days.” The Hebrew noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) is used here generically of human beings. What is said is true of all mankind.

NET Notes: Psa 103:16

¹ tn Heb “[the] wind.” The word “hot” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

NET Notes: Psa 103:17

¹ tn Heb “but the loyal love of the Lord [is] from everlasting to everlasting over those who fear him.”

² tn Heb “and his righteousness to sons of sons.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:18

¹ tn Heb “to those who remember his precepts to do them.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:19

¹ tn Heb “his kingdom rules over all.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:20

¹ tn Heb “[you] mighty ones of strength, doers of his word, by listening to the voice of his word.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:21

¹ tn Heb “all his hosts.”

² tn Heb “his attendants, doers of his desire.”

NET Notes: Psa 103:22

¹ tn Heb “all his works,” which includes mankind.

² tn Heb “places.”