Thursday, March 5, 2009

A little structure from Ps 103, a great poetic Psalm

Bless the LORD, O my soul------vv1,2
(sentence)
Bless the LORD
(sentence)

Who pardons------------vv. 3-5
Who heals
Who redeems
Who crowns
Who satisfies

(my words, building from the words in the Psalm) He does all this because He is compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness. He has not dealt with us according to our sins. Then you see the height and the breadth of God's lovingkindness and compassion in vv. 11,12

Then listen to this: "As a father pities his children,
So the LORD pities those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
And its place remembers it no more.a]">[a]
17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them."

Then the Psalm ends with the same structure with which it begun:

Bless the LORD, you His angels
(explanatory sentence-2)
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
(explan. sentence)
Bless the LORD, all you works of His,
(explan. sentence)
Bless the LORD, O my soul!

a rich Psalm, part. vv. 13-18

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