Psalm 103
Psalm 103 is a soaring hymn of praise for God's benefits — forgiveness, healing, redemption, and steadfast love as high as the heavens and as far as east is from west.
The Book of Psalms · Old Testament · chapter 103 of 150.
Where this chapter sits
Marked simply 'of David' with no occasion given, this hymn of praise is built as self-address, the speaker instructing his own soul rather than an audience, a device few other psalms use so consistently. It moves from a private list of what God has done for one life outward to God's dealings with the whole line of the faithful, setting human life, compared to grass and wind, against a steadfast love it calls everlasting.
Key verses (KJV)
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” — Psalm 103:2 (KJV)
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” — Psalm 103:12 (KJV)
What to notice as you read
'Bless the LORD, O my soul' opens and closes the poem, framing everything between as a soul talking itself into gratitude. Midway, the psalm shifts from personal benefits to general character, a hinge worth marking at verse 8, which echoes the description of God given to Moses at Sinai.
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Read the full text of Psalm 103 in Quiethaven — choose your translation, read offline, and pick up where you left off. Pair it with a daily verse and a prayer timer.
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Frequently asked questions
Where does Psalm 103 come in Psalms?
It is chapter 103 of 150 in Psalms, a book of Wisdom in the Old Testament. The other widely-read chapters of Psalms are linked further down this page.
Where can I read Psalm 103?
Read the full text of Psalm 103 — and the whole Bible, offline, in your preferred translation — free in the Quiethaven app for iPhone.