Psalms 103:11 (DBY)

Passage

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving-kindness toward them that fear him.

Nearby Context

Psalms 103:9 He will not always chide, neither will he keep [his anger] for ever.

Psalms 103:10 He hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

Psalms 103:11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving-kindness toward them that fear him.

Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Psalms 103:13 As a father pitieth [his] children, so Jehovah pitieth them that fear him.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heavens", "high", "above", "earth", "great", "loving-kindness", "toward", and "fear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heavens" and "high", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "He hath not dealt with us according..." into verse 12's "As far as the east is from...", so "heavens" and "high" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "heavens" and "high" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.