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Psalms 103:17–18

The steadfast love of YHWH is from everlasting to everlasting

17But the loyal love of YHWH is from eternity to eternity upon those who fear him, and his righteousness to the sons of sons,

18to those who keep his covenant, and to those who remember his precepts to do them.

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In its context

15A mortal, like grass are his days; like a flower of the field, so he flourishes;

16for a wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place no longer recognizes it.

…

19YHWH in the heavens has established his throne, and his kingdom over all rules.

20Bless YHWH, his angels, mighty ones in strength, who do his word, listening to the voice of his word.

Read all of Psalms 103

Its words in the original

  • חֶסֶדchesed· loyal love

    "Chesed": love that stays faithful to a commitment. It is kindness that does not remain a feeling: it acts in favor of the other and does not abandon him. The Bible says it above all of God's love for his people.

  • יְהוָהyehva· YHWH

    The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

  • עוֹלָםolam· forever, eternal

    A very long time whose end cannot be seen: looking forward, "forever"; looking back, "of old", "ancient".

  • יְרֵאָיyereay· fearing, God-fearing

    Fearing; above all, one who reveres God and therefore obeys him.

  • צִדְקָתtsidkat· righteousness

    Righteousness: being right with God and acting rightly with others; justice.

  • בְנֵיvene· son

    Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).

  • שֹׁמְרֵיshomre· keep, guard

    Keep: watch over, guard, protect; also keep a command or a covenant, observe.

  • בְרִיתverit· covenant

    Covenant: a solemn commitment between two parties, with promises and obligations. When God makes it, he is the one who offers it and guarantees it.

  • זֹכְרֵיzochre· remember

    Remember, call to mind; also mention. When God "remembers" someone, it is not that he had forgotten: it means he acts in his favor.

  • פִקֻּדָיfikuday· precepts

    Precepts: what God has charged people to keep. It is used only in the plural and almost only in the Psalms.

  • עֲשׂוֹתָasota· do, make

    Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.

Faithfulness