Psalm 103:3-5
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
4
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
5
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Charles Spurgeon
“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.” Here David begins his list of blessings received, which he rehearses as themes and arguments for praise. He selects a few of the choicest pearls from the casket of divine love, threads them on the string of memory, and hangs them about the neck of gratitude. Pardoned sin is, in our experience, one of the choicest boons of grace, one of the earliest gifts of mercy,—in fact, the needful preparation for enjoying all that follows it. Till iniquity is forgiven, healing, redemption, and satisfaction are unknown blessings. Forgiveness is first in the order of our spiritual experience, and in some respects first in value. The pardon granted is a present one—forgiveth; it is continual, for he still forgiveth; it is divine, for God gives it; it is far-reaching, for it removes all our sins; it takes in omissions as well as commissions, for both these are in-equities; and it is most effectual, for it is as real as the healing, and the rest of the mercies with which it is placed.
“Who healeth all thy diseases.” When the cause is gone, namely, iniquity, the effect ceases. Sicknesses of body and soul came into the world by sin, and as sin is eradicated, diseases bodily, mental, and spiritual will vanish, till “the inhabitant shall no more say, I am sick.” Many-sided is the character of our heavenly Father, for, having forgiven as a judge, he then cures as a physician. He is all things to us, as our needs call for him, and our infirmities do but reveal him in new characters.
“Who redeemeth thy life from destruction.” By purchase and by power the Lord redeems us from the spiritual death into which we had fallen, and from the eternal death which would have been its consequence. Had not the death penalty of sin been removed, our forgiveness and healing would have been incomplete portions of salvation, fragments only, and but of small value, but the removal of the guilt and power of sin is fitly attended by the reversal of the sentence of death which had been passed upon us. Glory be to our great Substitute, who delivered us from going down into the pit, by giving himself to be our ransom. Redemption will ever constitute one of the sweetest notes in the believer’s grateful song.
“Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies.” Our Lord does nothing by halves, he will not stay his hand till he has gone to the uttermost with his people. Cleansing, healing, redemption, are not enough, he must needs make them kings and crown them, and the crown must be far more precious than if it were made of corruptible things, such as silver and gold; it is studded with gems of grace and lined with the velvet of lovingkindness; it is decked with the jewels of mercy, but made soft for the head to wear by a lining of tenderness. Who is like unto thee, O Lord! God himself crowns the princes of his family, for their best things come from him directly and distinctly; they do not earn the crown, for it is of mercy not of merit; they feel their own unworthiness of it, therefore he deals with tenderness, but lie is resolved to bless them, and, therefore, he is ever crowning them, always surrounding their brows with coronets of mercy and compassion.
“Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things,” or rather “filling with good thy soul.” No man is ever filled to satisfaction but a believer, and only God himself can satisfy even him. Many a worldling is satiated, but not one is satisfied. God satisfies the very soul of man, his noblest part, his ornament and glory; and of consequence, he satisfies his mouth, however hungry and craving it might otherwise be. Soul-satisfaction loudly calls for soul-praise, and when the mouth is filled with good it is bound to speak good of him who filled it. Our good Lord bestows really good things, not vain toys and idle pleasures; and these he is always giving, so that from moment to moment he is satisfying our soul with good: shall we not be still praising him? If we never cease to bless him till he ceases to bless us, our employment will be eternal.
“So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Renewal of strength, amounting to a grant of a new lease of life, was granted to the Psalmist; he was so restored to his former self that he grew young again, and looked as vigorous as an eagle, whose eye can gaze upon the sun, and whose wing can mount above the storm. Our version refers to the annual moulting of the eagle, after which it looks fresh and young; but the original does not appear to allude to any such fact of natural history, but simply to describe the diseased one as so healed and strengthened, that he became as full of energy as the bird which is strongest of the feathered race, most fearless, most majestic, and most soaring.
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Enduring Word
Who forgives all your iniquities: One of the great benefits mentioned in Psalm 103:3 is the forgiveness of all our sins. When the magnitude of our sin and the righteousness of God are understood, this forgiveness is a staggering reason for praising and honoring God.
i. Significantly, this is the benefit listed first. In David’s mind, the most important thing was to have sins forgiven, even more important than physical healing. (Guzik)
ii. “The profound consciousness of sin, which it was one aim of the Law to evoke, underlies the psalmist’s praise.” (Maclaren)
Who heals all your diseases: Another great benefit is God’s care for our bodies. He brings healing to us in this life through both natural and miraculous ways. He promises ultimate healing for all His people in the age to come.
i. Many commentators understand these diseases as spiritual in nature. Horne described this thinking: “What is pride, but lunacy? What is lust, but a leprosy? What is sloth, but a dead palsy? Perhaps there are spiritual maladies similar to all [bodily] ones.” While it is true that sin leads to spiritual illness, here David seems to refer to physical diseases. (Guzik)
ii. “Some suggest that David is speaking about spiritual illness, such as the burdens of sin. But that is not it. I think he really is speaking of diseases. He is saying that when we are healed, as we often are, it is God who has done it. He is the healer of the body as well as of the soul. Therefore, such health as we have been given is a sure gift from God. God should be praised for it.” (Boice)
Who redeems your life from destruction: Many know the powerful blessing of God’s rescue from sure destruction. Many calamities are spared the child of God, whether he knows it or not. (Guzik)
i. Who redeems: “Preservation from destruction, haggoel, properly, redemption of life by the kinsman; possibly looking forward, in the spirit of prophecy, to him who became partaker of our flesh and blood, that he might have the right to redeem our souls from death by dying in our stead.” (Clarke)
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies: God’s greatness extends beyond sparing us from sin, disease, or trouble. Through God’s blessing, we are crowned with His great love and mercy.(Guzik)
Who satisfies your mouth with good things: The result of God’s work, both in what He saves us from and what He saves us unto, is to bring true satisfaction to our lives. This is different from mere pleasure or entertainment; God wants to bring true satisfaction to our lives from good things. This satisfaction becomes a source of strength and energy to His people (your youth is renewed like the eagle’s). (Guzik)
i. “It is God who gives us the ‘good things’ of this world, and who giveth us likewise an appetite and a taste to enjoy them.” (Horne)
ii. Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s: “The second line is not implying…that eagles have the power of self-renewal; only that God renews us to…the very picture of buoyant, tireless strength which Isaiah 40:30f. takes up.” (Kidner)
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Barnes
Verse 3
Who healeth all thy diseases – Perhaps, in the case of the psalmist, referring to some particular instance in which he had been recovered from dangerous sickness. The word rendered “diseases” – תחלואים tachălû’iym – occurs only in the plural form. It is translated “sicknesses,” in Deuteronomy 29:22; “diseases,” as here, in 2 Chronicles 21:19; “them that are sick,” in Jeremiah 14:18; and “grievous (deaths)” in Jeremiah 16:4. It does not elsewhere occur. It is applicable to all forms of sickness; or in this place it may refer to some particular diseases with which David had been afflicted. We have several allusions in the Psalms to times when the authors of the Psalms were afflicted with sickness. So in the Psalms of David. Compare Psalms 6:2; Psalms 38:7; Psalms 41:8. The thought here is, that it is a proper ground of praise to God that he has the power of healing disease. All instances of restoration to health are illustrations of this, for whatever may be the skill of physicians, or the wise adaptation of means, healing virtue comes from God alone.
Verse 4
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction – That is, who saves it from death when exposed to danger, or when attacked by disease. The word “destruction” or “corruption” here is equivalent to the grave, since it is there that the body returns to corruption. Compare the notes at Psalms 16:10.
Who crowneth thee – The idea here is not merely that God is the source of these blessings, but that there is something of beauty, of dignity, of honor, as in the conferring of a crown or garland on anyone. Compare the notes at Psalms 65:11.
With loving-kindness and tender mercies – mercy and compassions. God showed mercy to him – evinced compassion – and these were so abundant that they might be said to be the crown or ornament of his life.
Verse 5
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things – The word translated “thy mouth” here is rendered in the Chaldee “thy age;” in the Arabic, the Septuagint, and the Latin Vulgate, “thy desire;” in the Syriac, “thy body;” DeWette renders it, “thy age.” So also Tholuck. The Hebrew word – עדי ‛ădı̂y – is rendered “ornaments” in Exodus 33:4-6; 2 Samuel 1:24; Isaiah 49:18; Jeremiah 2:32; Jeremiah 4:30; Ezekiel 7:20; Ezekiel 16:11, Ezekiel 16:17 (margin,); Ezekiel 23:40; and “mouth” in Psalms 32:9, as here. These are the only places in which it occurs. Gesenius renders it here “age,” and supposes that it stands in contrast with the word “youth” in the other part of the verse. The connection would seem to demand this, though it is difficult to make it out from any usage of the Hebrew word. Professor Alexander renders it “thy soul” – from the supposition that the Hebrew word “ornament” is used as if in reference to the idea that the “soul” is the chief glory or ornament of man. This seems, however, to be a very forced explanation. I confess myself unable to determine the meaning.
So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s – Compare Isaiah 40:31. The allusion, to which there is supposed to be a reference here, is explained in the notes at that passage. Whatever may be true in regard to the supposed fact pertaining to the eagle, about its renewing its strength and vigor in old age, the meaning here is simply that the strength of the psalmist in old age became like the strength of the eagle. Sustained by the bounty of God in his old age he became, as it were, young again.
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John Gill
who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; with all other blessings which flow from the lovingkindness and tender mercy of God, even all the blessings of the everlasting covenant, the sure mercies of David; all the spiritual blessings with which the saints are blessed in Christ, the grace given them in him, and the mercy kept with him for evermore; all things pertaining to life and godliness given in regeneration; the fruits of great love and abundant mercy, with all the other supplies of grace between that and eternal glory: “crowning” with these denotes an application and enjoyment of them, the great plenty and abundance of them, a being surrounded and loaded with them; as also the honor that goes along with them, which makes those that have them great and glorious, rich and honorable; as well as preservation and protection by them; these encompassing about as a crown the head, and as a shield the body; see Psalm 5:12, where the same word is used as here.
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Matthew Henry
“He has rescued thee from danger.” A man may be in peril of life, not only by his crimes, or his diseases but by the power of his enemies; and therefore here also we experience the divine goodness: Who redeemed thy life from destruction (v. 4), from the destroyer, from hell (so the Chaldee), from the second death. The redemption of the soul is precious; we cannot compass it, and therefore are the more indebted to divine grace that has wrought it out, to him who has obtained eternal redemption for us. See Job 33:24, 28.
“He has given thee true pleasure: He satisfies thy mouth with good things“ (v. 5); it is only the favor and grace of God that can give satisfaction to a soul, can suit its capacities, supply its needs, and answer to its desires. Nothing but divine wisdom can undertake to fill its treasures (Prov. 8:21); other things will surfeit, but not satiate, Eccl. 6:7; Isa. 55:2.
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Benson
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction — Both temporal and eternal; from deadly dangers and miseries. Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness — That is, encompasseth and adorneth thee therewith, as with a crown. Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things — Satisfieth all thy just desires and necessities. So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s — That is, as some interpret the words, As the eagle appears to renew her youth with her plumage, when she casts off all her old feathers and gets new ones, whereby she seems to grow young again. But, as this is common to all birds, it is hardly to be supposed that the psalmist would have alluded to it here as if it were peculiar to the eagle. This circumstance, however, is most observable in hawks, vultures, and especially in eagles, which, when they are near a hundred years old, cast their feathers and become bald, like young ones, and then new feathers sprout out. But the psalmist seems chiefly to refer to the long lives of eagles, and their great strength and vigour at a very advanced age. Hence the old age of an eagle is used proverbially for a lively and vigorous old age.
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Geneva Bible 1560
Psalm 103:3-5
3 Which b forgiveth all thine iniquitie, and healeth all thine infirmities.
4 Which redemeth thy life from the c grave, and crowneth thee with mercie and compassions.
5 Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things: and thy d youth is renued like the egles.
b This is the beginning and chiefest of all benefits, remission of sin. c For before that we have remission of our sins, we are as dead men in the grave. d As the eagle, when her beak overgrows, sucks blood, and so is renewed in strength, even so God miraculously gives strength to his Church above all man’s expectation.
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“The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 NKJV
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