What does Psalms Chapter 102 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

The soul is called to remember forgiveness, healing and redemption. Fatherly mercy toward fearers is contrasted with dust and short human days. Future renewal and commanded angelic praise remain attributed declarations.

Chapter breakdown

Benedic, anima is the incipit and the heading describes thanksgiving for mercies. For David, the psalm calls soul and all within to bless the holy name and not forget what God has done. It describes forgiveness of all iniquities, healing all diseases, redemption from destruction, crowning with mercy and compassion and satisfaction with good. Youth shall be renewed like an eagle's, a future comparison rather than a witnessed miraculous rejuvenation.

God does mercies and judgment for wronged people and made ways known to Moses and wills to Israel. Compassionate, merciful, longsuffering and plentiful in mercy, He will not always be angry or threaten forever and has not dealt with us according to sins. Mercy toward those fearing Him is strengthened as heaven's height and our iniquities removed from us as far as east from west. The text does not say every human's sins were removed from His presence.

Fatherly compassion toward those fearing Him follows because He knows our frame and remembers dust. Man's days are grass and he shall flourish like field flower; spirit shall pass in him and he shall not be and shall know his place no more. Spirit in him is not silently replaced by wind over a flower or a place remembering him. Mercy is eternal toward fearers, justice to children's children who keep covenant and remember to do commandments. God's throne is prepared in heaven and kingdom shall rule all. Angels of strength executing words and hearing orders, ministers doing will and all works in every dominion place are commanded to bless, ending with the soul. Commanded praise is not a narrated cosmic eruption.

The story inside

Opening: The soul is called to remember forgiveness, healing and redemption. Development: Fatherly mercy toward fearers is contrasted with dust and short human days. Conclusion: Future renewal and commanded angelic praise remain attributed declarations.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The soul is called to remember forgiveness, healing and redemption.
2
Fatherly mercy toward fearers is contrasted with dust and short human days.
3
Future renewal and commanded angelic praise remain attributed declarations.

Test your recall

Which images and requests does the speaker use, and what does the chapter leave unresolved?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 64140–64144
102:1. For David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and let all that is within me bless his holy name. 102:2. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he hath done for thee.
Lines 64167–64174
102:11. For according to the height of the heaven above the earth: he hath strengthened his mercy towards them that fear him. 102:12. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our iniquities from us. 102:13. As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that fear him:
Lines 64176–64188
102:14. For he knoweth our frame. He remembereth that we are dust: 102:15. Man’s days are as grass, as the flower of the field so shall he flourish. 102:16. For the spirit shall pass in him, and he shall not be: and he shall know his place no more. 102:17. But the mercy of the Lord is from eternity and unto eternity upon them that fear him: And his justice unto children’s children, 102:18. To such as keep his covenant, And are mindful of his commandments to do them.