Psalms 103:3 — Word Study
WLCהַסֹּלֵ֥חַ לְכָל־ עֲוֹנֵ֑כִי הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א לְכָל־ תַּחֲלֻאָֽיְכִי׃
BSAHe who forgivesçâlach [pardoningly covers, sets free from guilt] allkôl your iniquitiesʻâvôn [moral evil, sin, wrongdoing] and healsrâphâʼ [restores to wholeness, mends completely] allkôl your diseasestachălûwʼ [sicknesses, infirmities, bodily afflictions]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| הַסֹּלֵ֥חַ | who forgives | Particle, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| לְכָל־ | all | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| עֲוֹנֵ֑כִי | iniquity your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א | who heals | Particle, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| לְכָל־ | all | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct |
| תַּחֲלֻאָֽיְכִי׃ | diseases your | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, |
| KJV | Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; |
| ASV | Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; |
| YLT | Who is forgiving all thine iniquities, Who is healing all thy diseases, |
| WEB | who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, |
| BBE | He has forgiveness for all your sins; he takes away all your diseases; |
The translations agree on the key concepts of forgiveness and healing, with slight variations in the terms used.
The sentence consists of two main clauses connected by 'and', each detailing God's actions of forgiveness and healing.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 103:3
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Praise for God's Mercy and Healinggenerated
Psalm 103:3 expresses gratitude for God's forgiveness and healing, emphasizing His role in restoring both spiritual and physical well-being. The psalmist encourages his soul to remember and bless the Lord for His countless mercies, which include the pardon of sins and the healing of diseases, as seen in the surrounding verses that highlight God's loving kindness and compassion.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 32:1–5 | Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. |
| 2 | Psalm 51:1–3 | Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. |
| 3 | Psalm 130:8 | And He will redeem Israel from all iniquity. |
| 4 | 2 Samuel 12:13 | Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die. |
| 5 | Isaiah 43:25 | I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 21 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — סָלַח, ha.so.Le.achgenerated
The Hebrew verb סָלַח (sa.lach) means to forgive or pardon. It is a primitive root commonly associated with God's mercy towards humanity, indicating a release from guilt and the act of letting go of anger. This word is used in various contexts, including legal and ritual settings, emphasizing the importance of forgiveness in relationships.
The parsing as a qal participle shows that it is an active form, meaning the subject (God) is performing the action of forgiving. This highlights God's ongoing role in providing mercy and grace to those who seek it.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The finite verbs סֹּלֵ֥חַ (who forgives) and רֹפֵ֗א (who heals) govern the main clauses of the verse, indicating two key actions of God. The structure emphasizes both forgiveness and healing as simultaneous acts of divine mercy.
The sentence is built around these two actions, with the phrases that follow elaborating on what is being forgiven and healed, thus creating a parallel structure that highlights the completeness of God's restorative work.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates סָלַח as εὐιλατεύοντα, which carries the connotation of being gracious or merciful. This choice emphasizes the compassionate nature of God's forgiveness, aligning with the Hebrew meaning while possibly widening its interpretative scope.
For רָפָא, the Greek word ἰώμενον also indicates healing, maintaining the focus on restoration, but it may suggest a more active involvement in the healing process compared to the Hebrew.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 103:3 tells us that God forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases. This verse reminds us of God's mercy and His power to restore us, both spiritually and physically, highlighting His kindness and compassion towards us.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that God removes the guilt and punishment associated with our sins, offering us a fresh start and a restored relationship with Him, as seen in Psalm 32:1-5.
God has the power to heal physical ailments and emotional wounds, restoring us to wholeness, as demonstrated in various healing accounts throughout the Bible, such as in Isaiah 53:5.
Remembering God's forgiveness and healing encourages us to trust in His mercy and to share that hope with others, reinforcing our faith and gratitude for His blessings.
The verse connects forgiveness and healing, suggesting that spiritual restoration and physical well-being are intertwined in God's care for us.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- How can I actively remember and appreciate God's forgiveness in my life?
- In what ways have I experienced God's healing, both physically and spiritually?
- How can I share the message of God's mercy and healing with others?
- What steps can I take to foster a deeper relationship with God, recognizing His role as my healer and forgiver?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early church fathers, such as Augustine, reference this verse to highlight God's rewards of forgiveness and healing, emphasizing His grace and mercy.
Hear ye all His rewards. "Who forgives all your sin: who heals all your infirmities" [Psalms 103:3]. Behold His rewards.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 103 →
If you did not wish to be contentious, I think you would now see how correctly we understand what you are trying to explain differently.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 103 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 103:3 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleWho forgiveth all thine iniquities,.... The psalmist explains here what he means by benefits, and gives a particular enumeration of them; and begins with the blessing of pardon, which is a special
Read John Gill on Psalms 103 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryWho forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who forgiveth all thine iniquities - according to David's prayer, trusting in God's gracious character (Psalms 25:11; Psalms 51:9; Psalms 86:5).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 103 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleEither, 1. Spiritual diseases, lusts or corruptions, which he subdues and purgeth out by his grace; as this phrase is used, 53:5. Or, 2. Corporal diseases or miseries, of which this word is used, ,19 Jeremiah 14:18 16:4.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 103 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;Ver. 3. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities] David not only taketh upon him with a holy imperiousness, laying God’ s charge upon his soul to be thankful; but intending to show himself good cause why to be so, he worthily beginneth with remission of sin, as a complexive mercy, and such as comprehendeth all the rest. He had a crown of pure gold set upon his head, Psalms 21:3; but here he blesseth God for a better crown; Psalms 103:4, "Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness," &c. And how was this crown set on his head but by forgiving all his iniquities? Who healeth all thy diseases] Corporal and spiritual. Quod…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 103 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(3) Forgiveth.—The first “benefit” to one who aims at the higher life is the knowledge of the Divine readiness to forgive and renew, and this, as Augustine remarks, implies a quick moral sense: “God’s benefits will not be before our eyes unless our sins are also before our eyes.” Diseases.—Here chiefly in a moral sense, as the parallelism “iniquity” shows, even if the next verse, taken literally, implies an allusion to physical suffering as well.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Psalms 103 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 3. Who forgiveth] The benefits are the following, 1. Forgiveness of sin. 2. Restoration of health: "Who healeth all thy diseases."
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 103 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges3. The Psalmist may have had in mind Exodus 15:26, “I am Jehovah that healeth thee”; and Deuteronomy 29:22, where the somewhat rare word for ‘diseases’ is used of the judgements with which the land is to be punished for Israel’s sins. The word need not be limited to bodily sickness, but may include all suffering. The removal of the punishment of sin is the proof of its forgiveness. Cp. Psalms 85:1-3; Psalms 147:3.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 103 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleWho forgiveth all thine iniquities - Pardoning all thy sins. That is, It is a characteristic of God to pardon sin, and I have evidence that he has done it in my own case, and this is a ground for praise.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 103 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,
who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases,
He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,
He is the one who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases,
Tyndale line
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Who forgiveth all thy iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
Which forgiueth all thine iniquitie, and healeth all thine infirmities.
Strictly literal
Who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases;
Who is forgiving all thine iniquities, Who is healing all thy diseases,
Who is forgiving all your iniquities, || Who is healing all your diseases,
Who forgiveth all thy iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;
He forgives all your sins; he heals all your diseases.
From the Latin
Who coverest the higher rooms thereof with water. Who makest the clouds thy chariot: who walkest upon the wings of the winds.
Simplified
He forgives my sins, and he heals all my diseases.
He has forgiveness for all your sins; he takes away all your diseases;
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text (MT) of Psalms 103:3 reads, "הַסֹּלֵ֥חַ לְכָל־ עֲוֹנֵ֑כִי הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א לְכָל־ תַּחֲלֻאָֽיְכִי׃" which translates to "He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases." The Septuagint (LXX) aligns closely with the MT, matching five out of six words, though the exact phrasing and word order differ due to the nature of Greek syntax. The Dead Sea Scrolls (2Q14) also reflect the MT with a similar text, although some words are supplied by an editor, while 4Q84 presents a complete text that is consistent with the MT. Overall, the MT, LXX, and both versions of the Dead Sea Scrolls agree on the essential content of the verse, affirming the themes of forgiveness and healing.
הַסֹּלֵ֥חַ לְכָל־ עֲוֹנֵ֑כִי הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א לְכָל־ תַּחֲלֻאָֽיְכִי׃
5 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[הסולח] [לכול] [עונ׳ך] [הרופא] [לכול] [תחלואי׳ך]
nothing on the leather here — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
הסולח לכל עונ׳ך ורפא לכל תחלואי׳ך
6 words on the leather.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 103:3
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
סָלַח (sa.lach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to forgive or pardon. It is a primitive root with forms in both the Qal and Niphal stems, indicating the act of forgiving and the state of being forgiven, respectively. The term appears in contexts related to forgiveness, including legal or ritual settings.
[סָלַח] vb. forgive, pardon
Qal forgive, pardon
Niph. term.techn. in code of P, it shall be forgiven him
base
H5545 סָלַח forgive, pardon
5545 calach saw-lakh'
a primitive root; to forgive:--forgive, pardon, spare.
סָלַח (sa.lach) — to forgive.
1) to forgive, pardon
1a) (Qal) to forgive, pardon
1b) (Niphal) to be forgiven
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHTd/Vqrmsa
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
עָוֹן (avon) refers to iniquity, guilt, or the punishment associated with iniquity. It encompasses concepts of moral evil, such as perversity and depravity, and includes the consequences or punishment for these actions. The term appears in contexts like 2 Kings 7:9 and Psalm 51:5, highlighting its significance in discussions of sin and guilt.
עָוֹן n.m. iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity
base
H5771 עָוֹן iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity
5771 `avon aw-vone'
or oavown (2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 51:5 (7)) {aw-vone'}; from
5753; perversity, i.e. (moral) evil:--fault, iniquity,
mischeif, punishment (of iniquity), sin.
see HEBREW for 07
see HEBREW for 05753
עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: crime.
: crime
1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
1a) iniquity
1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)
1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: guilt.
: guilt
1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
1a) iniquity
1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)
1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
עָוֺן (a.van) — iniquity: punishment.
: punishment
1) perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity
1a) iniquity
1b) guilt of iniquity, guilt (as great), guilt (of condition)
1c) consequence of or punishment for iniquity
N-cs | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2fs
רָפָא (rapha') is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to heal' or 'to mend.' It covers various forms, including healing by God, physicians, and figurative healing of nations or individuals. The verb has different stems indicating active healing, being healed, and healing in order to be healed. The entries do not present any significant disagreement.
רָפָא vb. heal
Qal heal
Niph. be healed
Pi. have healed, heal
Hithp. in order to get healed
base
H7495 רָפָא heal
7495 rapha' raw-faw'
or raphah {raw-faw'}; a primitive root; properly, to mend (by
stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure:--cure, (cause to)
heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole. See 7503.
see HEBREW for 07503
רָפָא (ra.pah) — to heal.
1) to heal, make healthful
1a) (Qal) to heal
1a1) of God
1a2) healer, physician (of men)
1a3) of hurts of nations involving restored favour (fig)
1a4) of individual distresses (fig)
1b) (Niphal) to be healed
1b1) literal (of persons)
1b2) of water, pottery
1b3) of national hurts (fig)
1b4) of personal distress (fig)
1c) (Piel) to heal
1c1) literal
1c2) of national defects or hurts (fig)
1d) (Hithpael) in order to get healed (infinitive)
Art | V-Qal — Particle · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHTd/Vqrmsa
כֹּל (kol) means 'all' or 'the whole.' It can refer to totality, including every person or thing, and is often used with a following genitive to specify what is included. The term can also denote a broader sense of everything in existence or all circumstances of life. The lexicons do not show significant disagreement on its meanings.
כֹּל once כּוֹל n.m. the whole, all
with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
Absolutely:
without the art., all things, all
with the art. הַכֹּל
where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
base
H3605 כֹּל once כּוֹל the whole, all . with foll. gen. (as usually) the whole of, to be rendered, however, often in our idiom, to avoid stiffness, any or every
. Absolutely: . without the art., all things, all
. with the art. הַכֹּל . where the sense is limited by the context to things (or persons) just mentioned
. in a wider sense, all, whether of all mankind or of all living things, the universe, or of all the circumstances of life (chiefly late)
3605 kol kole
or (Jer. 33:8) kowl {kole}; from 3634; properly, the whole;
hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a
plural sense):--(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any
(manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as
many as, (no-)thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole,
whoso(-ever).
see HEBREW for 03634
כֹּל (kol) — all.
1) all, the whole
1a) all, the whole of
1b) any, each, every, anything
1c) totality, everything
Aramaic equivalent: kol (כֹּל "all" H3606)
Prep | N-ms — Preposition · noun common masculine singular constructHR/Ncmsc
ol: Used in various combinations, and with different meanings.
(1) All along, "Weeping all along as he went" (Jer 41:6), i.e. throughout the whole way he went, feigning equal concern with the men from Shiloh, etc., for the destruction of the Temple, so as to put them off their guard.
(2) All in all, "That God may be all in all" (1Co 15:28, Greek: panta en pasin, "all things in all (persons and) things"). "The universe, with all it comprises, will wholly answer to God's will and reflect His mind" (Dummelow).
תַּחֲלֻאִים (tachaluw' ) refers to diseases or maladies, derived from a root meaning to be sick. The entries consistently define it as plural, indicating various types of illnesses. There are no notable disagreements among the lexicons regarding its meaning.
תַּחֲלֻאִים n.pl.m. diseases
base
H8463 תַּחֲלֻאִים diseases
8463 tachaluw' takh-al-oo'
or tachalui {takh-al-oo'}; from 2456; a malady:--disease, X
grievous, (that are) sick(-ness).
see HEBREW for 02456
תַּחֲלֻאִים (ta.cha.lu) — disease.
diseases
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp2fs