Psalms 103 · Verse 1

Psalms 103:1

A Psalm of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Psalms 103:1, King James Version

Psalms 103:1 in other translations

BSBOf David. Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name.
WEBBy David. Praise the LORD, my soul! All that is within me, praise his holy name!
ASVA Psalm of David. Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
YLTBy David. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah, And all my inward parts--His Holy Name.
DARBYA Psalm of David. Bless Jehovah, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
BBEGive praise to the Lord, O my soul; let everything in me give praise to his holy name.
WebsterA Psalm of David. Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

What does Psalms 103:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

Psa 103:1-22. A Psalm of joyous praise, in which the writer rises from a thankful acknowledgment of personal blessings to a lively celebration of God's gracious attributes, as not only intrinsically worthy of praise, but as specially suited to man's frailty. He concludes by invoking all creatures to unite in his song.

1. Bless, &c.--when God is the object, praise. my soul--myself (Psa 3:3; 25:1), with allusion to the act, as one of intelligence. all ... within me--(De 6:5). his holy name--(Psa 5:11), His complete moral perfections.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

God is praised for his benefits to his people, Psa 103:1, Psa 103:2; he forgives their iniquities, and heals their diseases, Psa 103:3; redeems their lives, crowns them with loving-kindness, Psa 103:4; satisfies them with good things, renews their youth, Psa 103:5; he helps the oppressed, makes his ways known, is merciful and gracious, and keeps not his anger for ever, Psa 103:6-9; his forbearance, and pardoning mercy, Psa 103:10-12; he is a tender and considerate Father, Psa 103:13, Psa 103:14; the frail state of man, Psa 103:15, Psa 103:16; God's everlasting mercy, and universal dominion, Psa 103:17-19; all his angels, his hosts, and his works, are invited to praise him, Psa 103:20-22. The inscription in the Hebrew, and in all the Versions, gives this Psalm to David; and yet many of the ancients believed it to refer to the times of the captivity, or rather to its conclusion, in which the redeemed Jews give thanks to God for their restoration. It is a Psalm of inimitable sweetness and excellence; contains the most affectionate sentiments of gratitude to God for his mercies; and the most consoling motives to continue to trust in God, and be obedient to him. Verse 1 Bless the Lord - He calls on his soul, and all its faculties and powers, to magnify God for his mercies. Under such a weight of obligation the lips can do little; the soul and all its powers must be engaged.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 103:1-5
By 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 provocations, yet all pardoned! God is still forgiving, as we are still sinning and repenting. The body finds the melancholy consequences of Adam's offence, it is subject to many infirmities, and the soul also. Christ alone forgives all our sins; it is he alone who heals all our infirmities. And the person who finds his sin cured, has a well-grounded assurance that it is forgiven. When God, by the graces and comforts of his Spirit, recovers his people from their decays, and fills them with new life and joy, which is to them an earnest of eternal life and joy, they may then be said to return to the days of their youth, Job 33:25.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Psalms 103:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בָּרֲכִ֣יba.ra.KhiblessH1288
נַ֭פְשִׁיNaf.shiO soul myH5315
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וְכָל\־ve.kholand O allH3605
קְ֝רָבַ֗יke.ra.Vaiinward parts myH7130
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שֵׁ֥םshem[the] name ofH8034
קָדְשֽׁוֹ\׃ka.de.Shoholiness hisH6944

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 103:1

  • Psalms 146:1-2

    Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

  • Psalms 57:7-11

    My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds. …

  • 1 Corinthians 14:15

    What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.

  • John 4:24

    God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

  • Psalms 111:1

    Praise ye the Lord. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation.

  • Psalms 103:22-104:1

    Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

  • Colossians 3:16

    Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

  • Psalms 99:3

    Let them praise thy great and terrible name; for it is holy.

  • Mark 12:30-33

    And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

  • Luke 1:46-47

    And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

  • Psalms 63:5

    My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

  • Psalms 47:7

    For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 An exhortation to bless God for his mercy,
15 and for the constancy thereof.

A.M. 2970. B.C. 1034. Bless.
22; 104:1; 146:1,2; Lu 1:46,47
all that.
47:7; 57:7-11; 63:5; 86:12,13; 111:1; 138:1; Mr 12:30-33; Joh 4:24
1Co 14:15; Php 1:9; Col 3:16
holy name.
99:3; Isa 6:3; Re 4:8

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 103:1

    A Psalm of David. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

  • Psalms 103:2

    Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Read all of Psalms 103

Psalms 103:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Salmo de David. BENDICE, alma mía, á Jehová; y bendigan todas mis entrañas su santo nombre.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*De David. Mon âme, bénis l’ Éternel! Et que tout ce qui est au-dedans de moi, bénisse son saint nom!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Preise Jehova, meine Seele, und all mein Inneres seinen heiligen Namen!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ipsi David. Benedic, anima mea, Domino: Domine Deus meus, magnificatus es vehementer. Confessionem et decorem induisti,