1An exhortation to bless God for his mercy, 15and for the constancy thereof.
0A Psalm of David.
1BLESS the LORD, O my soul: and 1all that is within me, bless his holy name.
1 That is, all my thoughts and inward motions, affections, desires and whatsoever lies in my abilities.
2Bless the LORD, O my soul, and 2forget not all his benefits:
2 Or, forget none of his benefits.
3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy 3diseases;
3 That is, all your miseries of soul and body. So likewise Exod. 15:26; Deut. 28:59, 61; Psalm 41:4; 147:3; Isa. 33:24. See the annotation Psalm 30 on verse 2.
4Who redeemeth thy life 4from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
4 That is, from death and the grave, or, from extremity of straits and trouble.
5Who satisfieth 5thy mouth with good things; so that 6thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
5 Richly providing for you all necessaries. Hebr. thy ornament. Thus the mouth is called here, as the tongue is called elsewhere an honor.
6 That is, God vouchsafes you even in your old age such vigor and liveliness, as the eagles have by nature, coming to a very great age (see Isa. 40:31) and die at last, not by decay of strength and vigor through old age, but by famine when their upper bill so overgrows and bars the lower that they cannot feed any longer.
6The LORD executeth 7righteousness 8and judgment for all that are oppressed.
7 Hebr. righteousnesses.
8 Hebr. and rights or judgments, that is, all manner of justice, or the most exact justice. So likewise Prov. 9:1 wisdom is put for the exact, highest wisdom.
7He made known 9his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
9 Namely, wherein he and the people of Israel were to walk, as Exod. 18:20; Psalm 25:4, 5.
8The LORD is mercifula and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
a Exod. 34:6; Num. 14:18; Deut. 5:10; Neh. 9:17; Psalm 86:15; 145:8; Jer. 32:18.
9Heb will not always chide:c neither will he keep 10his anger for ever.
b Isa. 57:16; Jer. 3:5.
c emphatically express anger or disappointment; complain
10 The similar incomplete phrases you find also somewhere else, as Psalm 109:21; Nahum 1:2. See the annotation on 2 Sam. 8:4.
10He 11hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 That is, punishes, or He does not deal with us according to our sins.
11For as the heaven is 12high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 Hebr. as the height of the heaven is above the earth, so strong is his mercy, etc.
12As far as 13the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Hebr. the rising from the going down, or, from the eventide.
13Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
14For 14he knoweth our frame;d he remembereth 15that we are dust.
14 Hebr. He knoweth our form. The prophet wants to say: The Lord knows how weak and feeble we are and how soon it is done with us. See Psalm 78:39.
d form*
15 That is, made of dust.
15As for man, his dayseare as 16grass: asf a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
e Psalm 90:5.
16 Or, hay.
f Job 14:1, 2; Psalm 90:5, 6; James 1:10, 11; 1 Peter 1:24.
16For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and 17the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 As if he said: The flower, being cut down and withered, does not know nor cannot show anymore where it stood and grew; and so there remains nothing of man; insomuch that one cannot even know that they ever stood or wherever they have stood. Job 7:10.
17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and 18his righteousness unto children's children;
18 That is, His truth and faithfulness, keeping and performing unto them that which He graciously promised. So likewise Psalm 31:1.
18To suchg as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.
g Deut. 7:9.
19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
20Bless the LORD, ye his angels, 19that excel in strength, that do his commandments, 20hearkening unto 21the voice of his word.
19 Hebr. ye mighty ones of strength.
20 That is, as soon as thou hearest and observest what He sayest and what is His will.
21 That is, the command.
21Bless ye the LORD, allhye his hosts; ye 22ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
h Gen. 32:2; 1 Kings 22:19; Eph. 3:10; Col. 1:16.
22 The angels are called God’s ministers, Psalm 104:4; Dan. 7:10. This title is likewise given to men, Isa. 61:6.
22Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.