Psalms 103:3 (KJV)

What does Psalms 103:3 mean?

Psalms 103:3 describes God as the one who deals with both the speaker’s wrongs and his illnesses. The speaker praises God for forgiveness and healing, treating both as reasons to remember God’s care.

After calling himself to remember God’s benefits in verse 2, the speaker begins to name them. The words “thine” and “thy” address his own soul, or himself. The repeated “who” keeps the attention on God as the one responsible for these benefits.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 103:3

• “iniquities” — עָוֹן (ʿavon): This word can refer to wrongdoing and the guilt associated with it. Here, it gives a fuller sense to what God forgives than simply an error or mistake.
• “healeth” — רָפָא (raphaʾ): This word means to heal or restore to health. In the Hebrew Bible, it can describe physical healing and, in other settings, the repair of a damaged condition.

Why Psalms 103:3 matters

• The verse places forgiveness and healing side by side. The speaker’s praise covers both “iniquities” and “diseases,” rather than only one kind of trouble.
• The word “all” gives each line its breadth: “all thine iniquities” and “all thy diseases.” The verse expresses the speaker’s praise in sweeping terms.
• The lines that follow extend the picture of God’s care. Verse 4 speaks of a life rescued from destruction and crowned with “lovingkindness and tender mercies,” continuing the list begun in verse 3.