Psalms 103:8–14
David compares God to a father who knows what we are made of
Study it word by word8Merciful and gracious is YHWH, slow to anger and abounding in loyal love.
9He will not always contend, nor forever will he bear a grudge.
10Not according to our sins has he dealt with us, nor according to our iniquities has he repaid us.
11For as the height of the heavens above the earth, so strong is his loyal love over those who fear him.
12As far as the east is from the west, so far he has removed from us our transgressions.
13As a father has compassion on his sons, YHWH has compassion on those who fear him.
14For he knows our frame; he remembers that dust we are.
In its context
6YHWH works righteous deeds and judgments for all the oppressed.
7He made known his ways to Moses, to the sons of Israel his deeds.
…
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.
Its words in the original
- רַחוּםrachum· merciful
Merciful: who feels tenderness and compassion. Said almost always of God.
- חַנּוּןchanun· gracious
Gracious, merciful: who shows favor to one in need. Said almost always of God.
- 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.
- אֶרֶךְerech· long, slow
Long. "Long of nose" is the Hebrew way of saying "slow to anger", patient.
- אַפַּיִםapayim· anger, nose
Nose, nostrils. Since breathing grows hard in anger, the same word also means "anger"; sometimes "face".
- רַבrav· many, great
Many, much, abundant, great; also "elder" or "chief".
- חָסֶדchased· 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.
- נֶצַחnetsach· splendor, forever, victory
A word with several senses: brightness or splendor, what endures (hence "forever"), firmness, victory. In 1 Samuel 15:29 it is a title of God, "the Splendor of Israel."
- יָרִיבyariv· contend, quarrel
Contend in words, quarrel, dispute; bring a case; also defend someone's cause.
- עוֹלָםolam· forever, eternal
A very long time whose end cannot be seen: looking forward, "forever"; looking back, "of old", "ancient".
- יִטּוֹרyitor· keep, bear a grudge
Keep, take care of (a vineyard); keep anger, bear a grudge.
- חֲטָאֵיchatae· offense, sin
Offense, sin; its penalty.
- עָשָׂהasa· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- עֲוֺנֹתֵיavonote· iniquity
Iniquity: wickedness, a serious wrong. The same word covers the wrong, the guilt it leaves and the punishment it brings.
- גָּמַלgamal· wean, deal with
Wean: stop nursing a child, around two or three years of age. In other passages, deal well or ill with someone; ripen.
- גְבֹהַּgevoha· be high, be proud
To be high, to rise up; figuratively, to be exalted or to become proud.
- שָׁמַיִםshamayim· heavens, sky
The heavens: what is above, where the clouds, the sun and the stars are seen; also the dwelling of God. In Hebrew it is always plural. With birds, "the sky".
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- גָּבַרgavar· prevail
Be strong, prevail, win out.
- יְרֵאָיyereay· fearing, God-fearing
Fearing; above all, one who reveres God and therefore obeys him.
- רְחֹקrechok· be far
Be far, go far away; in the causative form, remove far away.
- מִזְרָחmizrach· east
Where the sun rises: the east.
- מַּעֲרָבmaarav· west
West: the side where the sun sets.
- פְּשָׁעֵיpeshae· transgression
A serious wrong against someone: rebellion, transgression.
- רַחֵםrachem· have compassion
Have compassion: feel tenderness for someone, as a mother for her child, and treat him with mercy.
- אָבav· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- בָּנִיםbanim· 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).
- יָדַעyada· know
Know. Not only having a fact: it is knowing by experience and closely; also recognize, care for, make known. So Hebrew also uses it for the intimate union of a man and his wife ("he knew his wife").
- יִצְרֵyitsre· inclination, intention
What a person forms inwardly: their inclination, intentions, purpose; also something formed.
- זָכוּרzachur· 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.
- עָפָרafar· dust
Dust, loose dry earth; also the plaster that covers walls. It recalls what the human being is made of: "you are dust, and to dust you will return" (Genesis 3:19).