Psalm 103:3 kjv
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Psalm 103:3 nkjv
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
Psalm 103:3 niv
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
Psalm 103:3 esv
who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
Psalm 103:3 nlt
He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
Psalm 103 3 Cross References
Verse | Text | Reference |
---|---|---|
Exod 15:26 | "I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.” | God reveals Himself as the Healer. |
Exod 34:6-7 | "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious... forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin..." | God's character is forgiving. |
Num 14:18 | "The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression..." | Confirms God's forgiving nature. |
Deut 7:15 | "And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt..." | God's promise to remove sickness. |
Ps 32:1-2 | "Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man..." | The blessedness of forgiven sin. |
Ps 107:20 | "He sent out His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destruction." | God's word brings healing. |
Isa 33:24 | "And no inhabitant will say, 'I am sick'; the people who dwell in it will be forgiven their iniquity." | Links forgiveness and absence of sickness. |
Isa 43:25 | "I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins." | God's complete act of blotting out sin. |
Isa 53:4-5 | "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows... by His stripes we are healed." | Prophecy of Christ's suffering for our ills. |
Isa 55:7 | "Let him return to the Lord, and He will have compassion on him... for He will abundantly pardon." | Invitation to seek God's abundant pardon. |
Jer 31:34 | "For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” | Forgiveness under the New Covenant. |
Mic 7:18-19 | "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression... He will again have compassion." | God's unique power to pardon and compassion. |
Matt 8:16-17 | "He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick... This was to fulfill what was spoken by Isaiah the prophet." | Jesus fulfills Isa 53 by healing all sick. |
Matt 9:2-6 | "Son, take heart; your sins are forgiven... Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'?" | Jesus connects forgiveness and healing, showing His authority. |
Luke 5:20-24 | (Parallel to Matt 9:2-6) Jesus asserts His authority to forgive sins. | Emphasizes Christ's power over sin. |
Acts 10:43 | "To Him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name." | Forgiveness through belief in Jesus Christ. |
Rom 4:7-8 | "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man..." | Paul quotes Ps 32 to emphasize salvation by grace through faith. |
Eph 1:7 | "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." | Forgiveness achieved through Christ's sacrifice. |
Col 1:13-14 | "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." | Complete deliverance and forgiveness in Christ. |
James 5:14-15 | "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders... and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." | Links prayer for healing with forgiveness of sins. |
1 Pet 2:24 | "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; by His wounds you have been healed." | Christ's atonement for sin and spiritual/physical healing. |
3 John 1:2 | "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." | Desires for holistic well-being. |
Psalm 103 verses
Psalm 103 3 Meaning
Psalm 103:3 declares two profound benefits that the Lord bestows upon His people: the complete forgiveness of all their iniquity and the thorough healing of all their diseases. This verse highlights God's holistic mercy and power, demonstrating His sovereign ability to address both the spiritual alienation caused by sin and the physical afflictions that plague humanity, restoring wellness and wholeness. It expresses an individual's confident praise for God's restorative acts.
Psalm 103 3 Context
Psalm 103 is a fervent psalm of praise by David, written to bless the Lord and remember all His benefits. The psalm moves from personal adoration ("Bless the Lord, O my soul") to enumerating God's specific acts of grace and mercy towards the psalmist, His people, and all creation. Verse 3 is the first explicit declaration of God's blessings listed after the initial call to praise in verses 1 and 2. It sets the tone for the benefits that follow, such as redemption from the pit, crowning with steadfast love, satisfying with good things, and renewal. Historically and culturally, iniquity (sin) and disease were often interconnected concepts, with sickness sometimes seen as a consequence of sin. David's proclamation celebrates God as the ultimate provider of both spiritual pardon and physical restoration, which was a core expectation of a righteous and covenant-keeping God in ancient Israel. It subtly underscores YHWH's power as supreme, implicitly challenging any pagan beliefs in other gods who could not offer such complete reconciliation or healing.
Psalm 103 3 Word analysis
He forgives (הַסֹּלֵחַ - has-so-le-ach):
- This is a Hebrew participle, indicating an ongoing action or characteristic. It's not just that God has forgiven, but He is the one who habitually, continually forgives.
- The root salach (סָלַח) means to pardon, to send away, to let go. It denotes an act of divine grace, remitting the penalty or guilt of sin completely, removing the barrier between God and humanity.
all (כָּל - kol):
- This Hebrew word emphasizes totality, comprehensiveness. It means "every" or "the whole of."
- It assures the completeness of God's action—no iniquity is too great or too small for Him to pardon, no disease is beyond His power to heal.
your iniquity (עֲוֹנֵ֑כִי - avo-ne-khi):
- Avon (עָוֹן) signifies more than just an outward act of sin; it conveys the idea of moral guilt, perversion, or crookedness—the twisted nature of sin that goes against God's straight path.
- It encompasses guilt, punishment for iniquity, and even the result of iniquity. It speaks to the deep spiritual condition needing divine intervention.
and heals (וְהָרֹפֵא - ve-ha-ro-fe):
- Like "forgives," this is also a participle, indicating God's character as the one who is healing.
- The root rapha (רָפָא) means to mend, restore, repair, or cause to heal. It speaks of divine intervention that restores soundness and well-being.
- In the Bible, healing (rapha) extends beyond just physical recovery to include national, spiritual, and emotional restoration. God is YHWH Rapha, "the Lord who heals you."
all (כָּל - kol):
- Again, this word stresses completeness. Just as all iniquity is forgiven, all diseases are capable of being healed by God.
- This affirms God's unlimited power and willingness to act against every form of suffering.
your diseases (תַּחֲלֻאָ֑יְכִי - tach-lu-ah-yi-khi):
- Tachalua (תַּחֲלֻאֹות) refers to sickness, ailments, or affliction. It literally means "disease" or "illness."
- While primarily referring to physical maladies, in a holistic biblical worldview, it can encompass any affliction or breakdown in personal wholeness (shalom) that God restores.
Words-group analysis:
- "He forgives all your iniquity and heals all your diseases": This phrase portrays God as the comprehensive Deliverer. He does not just forgive some sins or heal some sicknesses; His restorative work is complete and absolute. It highlights His divine power and immense compassion that covers both the spiritual and physical realms. This reflects a fundamental aspect of God's covenant relationship with His people—that He is deeply involved in every aspect of their well-being. The pairing underscores a holistic understanding of salvation and blessedness in the Old Testament, where spiritual health, moral integrity, and physical vitality were seen as interconnected divine blessings.
Psalm 103 3 Bonus section
The consistent use of "kol" (all/every) throughout Psalm 103 (e.g., Ps 103:2, 3, 4, 6, 19, 21, 22) signifies the all-encompassing nature of God's goodness and power. He is fully capable and willing to save and sustain in every dimension. The participles used for "forgives" and "heals" ('has-soleach' and 'ha-rofe') emphasize God's habitual nature; He is characterized by forgiving and healing. This is not just what He does occasionally, but who He is. This verse is also intimately tied to the theme of God's "hesed" (steadfast love, mercy) and "rachamim" (compassion, womb-like tenderness) found throughout Psalm 103, suggesting that these acts of forgiveness and healing flow directly from His unchanging, merciful character. This is God's response to fallen humanity, rooted in His divine goodness rather than human merit.
Psalm 103 3 Commentary
Psalm 103:3 stands as a beautiful testament to God's character as a gracious Giver of benefits. The psalmist specifically points out that God actively "forgives" and "heals"—these are ongoing attributes and actions, not mere one-time events. The repetition of "all" underscores the absolute and comprehensive nature of God's work. He purges the very essence of moral failing (iniquity) and remedies every physical affliction (diseases). This divine power reaches into the deepest spiritual brokenness and extends to the most tangible bodily sufferings. The ultimate fulfillment of this verse is seen in Jesus Christ, who, by His life, death, and resurrection, provided complete forgiveness of sins and conquered the power of sickness and death, ultimately promising a future free from both. For believers, this verse offers immense comfort and a foundation for praise, recognizing God's unchanging readiness to forgive and His sovereign power to heal, inviting trust in His comprehensive provision for salvation and restoration in this life and the next.