Psalms 103:9-12

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.


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).

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

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

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

tn Heb “those who fear him.”

tn Heb “sunrise.”

tn Or “sunset.”

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