The Meaning of Psalms 103:4 Explained

Psalms 103:4

KJV: Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

YLT: Who is redeeming from destruction thy life, Who is crowning thee -- kindness and mercies,

Darby: Who redeemeth thy life from the pit, who crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies;

ASV: Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who redeemeth  thy life  from destruction;  who crowneth  thee with lovingkindness  and tender mercies; 

What does Psalms 103:4 Mean?

Study Notes

redeemeth
Heb. "goel," Redemp. (Kinsman type).
Redeemer
Redemption: Kinsman type, summary. The goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer, is a beautiful type of Christ.
(1) The kinsman redemption was of persons, and an inheritance Leviticus 25:48 ; Leviticus 25:25 ; Galatians 4:5 ; Ephesians 1:7 ; Ephesians 1:11 ; Ephesians 1:14
(2) The Redeemer must be a kinsman Leviticus 25:48 ; Leviticus 25:49 ; Ruth 3:12 ; Ruth 3:13 ; Galatians 4:4 ; Hebrews 2:14 ; Hebrews 2:15 .
(3) The Redeemer must be able to redeem Ruth 4:4-6 ; Jeremiah 50:34 ; John 10:11 ; John 10:18
(4) Redemption is effected by the goel paying the just demand in full Leviticus 25:27 ; 1 Peter 1:18 ; 1 Peter 1:19 ; Galatians 3:13 . (See Scofield " Exodus 14:30 ") See Scofield " Romans 3:24 "
come to Zion
The time when the "Redeemer shall come to Zion" is fixed, relatively, by Romans 11:23-29 as following the completion of the Gentile Church. That is also the order of the great dispensational passage, Acts 15:14-17 .
In both, the return of the Lord to Zion follows the outcalling of the Church.
come to Zion
The time when the "Redeemer shall come to Zion" is fixed, relatively, by Romans 11:23-29 as following the completion of the Gentile Church. That is also the order of the great dispensational passage, Acts 15:14-17 .
In both, the return of the Lord to Zion follows the outcalling of the Church.

Context Summary

Psalms 103:1-12 - The Lord's Abundant Mercies
David's name heads this peerless psalm, which expresses, as none other, the soul of the universal Church and of the individual Christian. Notice the present tenses throughout these verses. God's tender dealings run parallel with our lives. He is never weary nor exhausted. When once He begins, He keeps on. Let us enumerate the blessings that He gives in such unbroken abundance, and as the fingers tell the successive beads, praise Him: forgiveness; healing, Exodus 15:26; redemption from perils and accidents, seen and unseen; the crowns that He places on our unworthy heads; entire satisfaction, Psalms 36:8; Isaiah 58:11; perennial youth.
It was a proverb among Orientals that the eagle literally grows younger. This is the psalmist's reference in Psalms 103:5. For us it means that the life which is fed from the eternal springs is eagle-like in royal strength and sunward flight. Ways or plans are revealed to the inner circle; the ordinary congregation knows only acts. The Father does chide, but only till we put sin away. Conceive the infinite spaces of East and West-such is the distance of forgiven sin from us. It is impossible that the blame or curse of it should ever return upon the redeemed soul. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 103

1  An exhortation to bless God for his mercy
5  And for the constancy thereof

What do the individual words in Psalms 103:4 mean?

who redeems from destruction your life who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies
הַגּוֹאֵ֣ל מִשַּׁ֣חַת חַיָּ֑יְכִי הַֽ֝מְעַטְּרֵ֗כִי חֶ֣סֶד וְרַחֲמִֽים

הַגּוֹאֵ֣ל  who  redeems 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: גְּאוּלִים 
Sense: to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman.
מִשַּׁ֣חַת  from  destruction 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שַׁחַת  
Sense: pit, destruction, grave.
חַיָּ֑יְכִי  your  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person feminine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
הַֽ֝מְעַטְּרֵ֗כִי  who  crowns  you 
Parse: Article, Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: עָטַר 
Sense: to surround.
חֶ֣סֶד  with  lovingkindness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֶסֶד 
Sense: goodness, kindness, faithfulness.
וְרַחֲמִֽים  and  tender  mercies 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.