Lyrics
1 O BLESS the Lord, my soul!
Let all within me join,
And aid my tongue to bless his name
Whose favours are divine.
2 O bless the Lord, my soul,
Nor let his mercies lie
Forgotten in unthankfulness,
And without praises die.
3 'Tis he forgives thy sins,
'Tis he relieves thy pain,
'Tis he that heals thy sicknesses,
And makes thee young again.
4 He fills the poor with good,
He gives the sufferers rest;
The Lord hath judgements for the proud,
And justice for the opprest.
5 His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known;
But sent the world his truth and grace
By his beloved Son.
==S.M. SECOND PART
6 MY soul, repeat his praise,
Whose mercies are so great,
Whose anger is so slow to rise,
So ready to abate.
7 God will not always chide;
And when his strokes are felt,
His strokes are fewer than our crimes.
And lighter than our guilt.
8 High as the heavens are raised
Above the ground we tread
So far the riches of his grace
Our highest thoughts exceed.
9 The pity of the Lord
To those that fear his name
Is such as tender parents feel;
He knows our feeble frame.
10 Our days are as the grass,
Or like the morning flower;
If one sharp blast sweep o'er the field
It withers in an hour.
ll But thy compassions, Lord,
To endless years endure;
And children's children ever find
Thy words of promise sure.
Meaning & Inspiration
O Bless the Lord, My Soul! is closely shaped by Psalm 103, moving from personal praise to a broad celebration of God’s mercy. The hymn names forgiveness, healing, provision, and justice as reasons to remember divine goodness. Its call to the soul rejects ungrateful forgetfulness and treats praise as a thoughtful response to what God has done.
The later verses contrast human frailty with God’s enduring compassion. Human life is likened to grass and a short-lived flower, yet the Lord’s mercy extends across generations. The hymn also places God’s grace and truth within the story of Moses and the beloved Son. The final effect is a sober yet confident call to praise the One whose promises remain sure. By holding mortality and mercy together, the text grounds its worship in both humility and hope.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 103:1-5 The psalm calls the soul to bless God and remember his forgiveness, healing, and provision.
- Psalm 103:8-14 These verses describe God’s slow anger, mercy, and parental compassion.
- Psalm 103:15-18 The psalm contrasts human life, like grass, with God’s enduring mercy.