Psalms 103:13-18

103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, ¹ 

so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. ² 

103:14 For he knows what we are made of; ³ 

he realizes ⁴  we are made of clay. ⁵ 

103:15 A person’s life is like grass. ⁶ 

Like a flower in the field it flourishes,

103:16 but when the hot wind ⁷  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, ⁸ 

and is faithful to their descendants, ⁹ 

103:18 to those who keep his covenant,

who are careful to obey his commands. ¹⁰ 

[103:13]  ¹ tn Or “sons,” but the Hebrew term sometimes refers to children in general.

[103:13]  ² tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[103:14]  ³ tn Heb “our form.”

[103:14]  ⁴ tn Heb “remembers.”

[103:14]  ⁵ tn Heb “we [are] clay.”

[103:15]  ⁶ 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.

[103:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “[the] wind.” The word “hot” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[103:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “but the loyal love of the Lord [is] from everlasting to everlasting over those who fear him.”

[103:17]  ⁹ tn Heb “and his righteousness to sons of sons.”

[103:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “to those who remember his precepts to do them.”