Psalms 103:14

Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. LIKE AS A FATHER PITIETH (HIS) CHILDREN, (SO) THE LORD PITIETH ... FOR HE KNOWETH OUR FRAME. The misery of our state, which might seem to shut us out from One so infinitely perfect, is the very inducement to God to show fatherly pity toward us (Psalms 78:38-19; Psalms 89:47). OUR FRAME - our natural constitution. The same Hebrew ( yitsreenuw (H3336)) is used here as in Genesis 2:7; therefore the allusion is to that passage, 'The Lord God, framed (English version, formed) man of the dust.' He, as...

14._For he knoweth _David here annihilates all the worth which men would arrogate to themselves, and asserts that it is the consideration of our misery, and that alone, which moves God to exercise patience towards us. This again we ought carefully to mark, not only for the purpose of subduing the pride of our flesh, but also that a sense of our unworthiness may not prevent us from trusting in God. The more wretched and despicable our condition is, the more inclined is God to show mercy, for the remembrance that we are clay and dust is enough to incite him to do us good....

6-14 Truly God is good to all: he is in a special manner good to Israel. He has revealed himself and his grace to them. By his ways we may understand his precepts, the ways he requires us to walk in; and his promises and purposes. He always has been full of compassion. How unlike are those to God, who take every occasion to chide, and never know when to cease! What would become of us, if God should deal so with us? The Scripture says a great deal of the mercy of God, and we all have experienced it. The father pities his children that are weak in knowledge, and teaches them; pities them when they are froward, and bears with them; pities them when they are sick, and comforts them; pities them when they are fallen, and helps them to rise; pities them when they have offended, and, upon their submission, forgives them; pities them when wronged, and rights them: thus the Lord pities those tha...

Verse Psalms 103:14. _FOR HE KNOWETH OUR FRAME_] יצרנו _yitsrenu_, "our formation;" the _manner_ in which we are constructed, and the _materials_ of which we are made. He knows we cannot contend with him, and if he uses his power against us, we must be crushed to destruction. In all his conduct towards us he considers the frailty of our nature, the untowardness of our circumstances, the strength and subtlety of temptation, and the sure party (till the heart is renewed) that the tempter has within us. Though all these things are against us, yet it must ever be said, whatever use we make of it, "the grace of God is sufficient for us." But alas! alas! who makes use of that sufficient grace? Here, then, is cause for condemnation. But, O amazing mercy! if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And like as a father pitieth his children...

FOR HE KNOWETH OUR FRAME - Our formation; of what we are made; how we are made. That is, he knows that we are made of dust; that we are frail; that we are subject to decay; that we soon sink under a heavy load. This is given as a reason why he pities us - that we are so frail and feeble, and that we are so easily broken down by a pressure of trial. HE REMEMBERETH THAT WE ARE DUST - Made of the earth. Genesis 2:7; Genesis 3:19. In his dealings with us he does not forget of what frail materials he made us, and how little our frames can bear. He tempers his dealings to the weakness and frailty of our nature, and his compassion interposes when the weight of sorrows would crush us. Remembering, too, our weakness, he interposes by his power to sus

EXPOSITION 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, Psalms 103:17) passing into adoration of him upon his heavenly throne (Psalms 103:19), and a call on all creation to praise him (Psalms 103:20-19). The "title" assigns the psalm to David, and this view of its authorship is taken by Hengstenberg and Professor Alexander. But other critics see in "certain Aramaic terminations" indications o

FOR HE KNOWETH OUR FRAME,.... The outward frame of their bodies, what brittle ware, what earthen vessels, they be; he being the potter, they the clay, he knows what they are able to bear, and what not; that if he lays his hand too heavy, or strikes too hard, or repeats his strokes too often, they will fall in pieces: he knows the inward frame of their minds, the corruption of their nature, how prone they are to sin; and therefore does not expect perfect services from them: how impotent they are to that which is good; that they can do nothing of themselves; nor think a good thought, nor do a good action; and that their best frames are very uncertain ones; and that, though the spirit may be willing, the flesh is weak. The word used is the same that is rendered "imagination", Genesis 6:5, and by which the Jews generally express the depravity and corruption of nature; and so the Targum here...

Let us read, dear friends, the one hundred and third Psalm, not because we do not know it, but because I trust that we know it by heart, and feel that it is a fit expression for our heart's thankfulness on this last Sabbath evening of another year. Psalms 103:1. _Bless the LORD, O my soul:_ He has been blessing thee; now begin thou to bless him. If, during the week, thou hast been busy about the things of the world now leave these unimportant matters, and come to the grandest exercise in which an intelligent spirit can be engaged. «Bless the Lord, O my soul.» Let there be no sleeping now, no coldness, no indifference; let it be real soul-work. His blessings have been real, let thy praises be real, too. Psalms 103:1. _And all that is within me, bless his holy name._

Psalms 103 The Praise of Israel _ 1. The benefits of full salvation (Psalms 103:1)_ 2. Merciful and gracious (Psalms 103:8) 3. His throne and His kingdom (Psalms 103:19) This is the well-beloved Psalm, because God's people love it for its precious and beautiful expressions, telling out the full salvation of our Saviour Lord and the gracious compassion which He manifests towards His own. But we must not overlook the prophetic aspect, which but few believers have recognized. It is really the hymn of Praise which will be sung by redeemed and restored Israel. Theirs will be a whole-souled praise. The

CIII. A HYMN OF THANKSGIVING FOR YAHWEH'S PARDONING LOVE. The main theme is stated in Psalms 103:6. Yahweh is just, He rights the oppressed, but above all He is considerate and ready to pardon sin. He acts like a father to His children. PSALMS 103:1. The poet speaks from his own experience. He calls on his own soul to bless Yahweh. Here the singular is used: not so in Psalms 103:6 (see above). Psalms 103:15. A man's life is short, but Yahweh continues His kindness to a pious man's descendants. Psalms 103: