The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1-5

The Pulpit Commentary · Joseph S. Exell and contributors · Public domain

Gratitude for unbounded mercies.

I. THE SOUL URGENTLY SUMMONED TO PRAISE GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS. Inward praise, not the praise of the lips, is here called for—spiritual, not bodily worship.

II. THE WHOLE INWARD MAN IS TO RECOUNT TO ITSELF THE MERCIES OF GOD.

1. Every power he has—memory, heart, and reason—is to assist in recognizing the Divine benefits he has received.

2. Our temptation and danger are to forget. And we are to resist and conquer forgetfulness and ingratitude.

Especially apt to forget the mercies:

1. That we receive in common with others.

2. The mercies that are uninterrupted by constraint.

3. Mercies of a spiritual nature.

III. A THANKFUL SURVEY OF THE FATHERLY MERCIES OF GOD. "The poet calls upon his soul to arise to praiseful gratitude for God's justifying, redeeming, and renewing grace."

1. The forgiveness of all his sins.

2. Recovery from bodily sickness and infirmity. Sin, the sickness of the soul; disease, the sickness of the body; and God is the Physician of both.

3. Deliverance from threatened death. The pit—a name of Hades—the abode of the departed.

4. Loving kindness and tender mercies make him rich and royal. Like a king, they crown him.

5. No real want of the soul is left unsatisfied. "Shall not want any good thing;" "Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it."

6. His strength is thus constantly renewed. (Isaiah 40:31.) "They that wait upon the Lord," etc.—S.

More for Psalms 103:1-5

Continue with other commentaries and DiscipleDeck content connected to this verse, chapter, or topic.

Other commentaries

Matthew Henry on Psalms 103:1-5Psalms 103:1-5 · Matthew Henry Concise CommentaryBy 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 of the provocation; it was sin, and yet pardoned: how many the provo…The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1-22Psalms 103:1-22 · The Pulpit CommentaryEXPOSITION A PSALM of joy and thanksgiving for God's manifold mercies, especially for his loving kindness in forgiving sin and transgression (Psalms 103:3, Psalms 103:8-12, Psalms 103:17) passing into adoration of him u…The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1Psalms 103:1 · The Pulpit CommentaryBless the Lord, O my soul. Repeated in Psalms 103:2; also at the end of the psalm; and again in Psalms 104:1, Psalms 104:35. To "bless" is more than to praise; it is to praise with affection and gratitude. The psalmist…The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1-5Psalms 103:1-5 · The Pulpit CommentaryGod's goodness to ourselves. The psalmist begins by addressing himself; he has before him his own personal experience during a long (or lengthening) life; and he finds ample reason for full, heartfelt gratitude. Of the…The Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1-5Psalms 103:1-5 · The Pulpit CommentaryA pattern of praise. This psalm is all praise; there is no supplication in it. It has helped myriads to praise God, and the secret of such help is that the psalmist was himself filled with the spirit of praise, and it i…

commentaryMatthew Henry on Psalms 103:1-5By 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 of the provocation; it was sin, and yet pardoned: how many the provo…Matthew Henry commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1-5God's goodness to ourselves. The psalmist begins by addressing himself; he has before him his own personal experience during a long (or lengthening) life; and he finds ample reason for full, heartfelt gratitude. Of the…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1-22EXPOSITION A PSALM of joy and thanksgiving for God's manifold mercies, especially for his loving kindness in forgiving sin and transgression (Psalms 103:3, Psalms 103:8-12, Psalms 103:17) passing into adoration of him u…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1Bless the Lord, O my soul. Repeated in Psalms 103:2; also at the end of the psalm; and again in Psalms 104:1, Psalms 104:35. To "bless" is more than to praise; it is to praise with affection and gratitude. The psalmist…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:1-5A pattern of praise. This psalm is all praise; there is no supplication in it. It has helped myriads to praise God, and the secret of such help is that the psalmist was himself filled with the spirit of praise, and it i…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:2Bless the Lord, O my soul. Repetition, in Holy Scripture, is almost always for the sake of emphasis. It is not "vain repetition." Our Lord often uses it: "Verily, verily, I say unto you;" "My God, my God, why hast thou…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:3God the Healer of disease. Though this psalm is one of the most familiar, both its authorship and its particular occasion are quite unknown. Early in the psalm this text comes. It is part of a review of God's personal m…Joseph S. Exell and contributors commentaryThe Pulpit Commentary on Psalms 103:3Who forgiveth all thine iniquities. This is the first and greatest of "benefits," and is therefore placed first, as that for which we ought, above all else, to bless God. God's forgiveness of sin is a frequent topic wit…Joseph S. Exell and contributors