Mazmur 103:11-18

103:11 For as the skies are high above the earth,

so his loyal love towers ¹  over his faithful followers. ² 

103:12 As far as the eastern horizon ³  is from the west, ⁴ 

so he removes the guilt of our rebellious actions ⁵  from us.

103:13 As a father has compassion on his children, ⁶ 

so the Lord has compassion on his faithful followers. ⁷ 

103:14 For he knows what we are made of; ⁸ 

he realizes ⁹  we are made of clay. ¹⁰ 

103:15 A person’s life is like grass. ¹¹ 

Like a flower in the field it flourishes,

103:16 but when the hot wind ¹²  blows by, it disappears,

and one can no longer even spot the place where it once grew.

103:17 But the Lord continually shows loyal love to his faithful followers, ¹³ 

and is faithful to their descendants, ¹⁴ 

103:18 to those who keep his covenant,

who are careful to obey his commands. ¹⁵ 

[103:11]  ¹ tn For this sense of the verb גָבַר (gavar), see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 17, 19.

[103:11]  ² tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[103:12]  ³ tn Heb “sunrise.”

[103:12]  ⁴ tn Or “sunset.”

[103:12]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew term פֶּשַׁע (pesha’, rebellious act”) is here used metonymically for the guilt such actions produce.

[103:13]  ⁶ tn Or “sons,” but the Hebrew term sometimes refers to children in general.

[103:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “those who fear him.”

[103:14]  ⁸ tn Heb “our form.”

[103:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “remembers.”

[103:14]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “we [are] clay.”

[103:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[as for] mankind, like grass [are] his days.” The Hebrew noun אֱנוֹשׁ (’enosh) is used here generically of human beings. What is said is true of all mankind.

[103:16]  ¹² tn Heb “[the] wind.” The word “hot” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[103:17]  ¹³ tn Heb “but the loyal love of the Lord [is] from everlasting to everlasting over those who fear him.”

[103:17]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and his righteousness to sons of sons.”

[103:18]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “to those who remember his precepts to do them.”