Psalms 103:15 (DRB)

Passage

And that wine may cheer the heart of man. That he may make the face cheerful with oil: and that bread may strengthen man's heart.

Nearby Context

Psalms 103:13 Thou waterest the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of thy works:

Psalms 103:14 Bringing forth grass for cattle, and herb for the service of men. That thou mayst bring bread out of the earth:

Psalms 103:15 And that wine may cheer the heart of man. That he may make the face cheerful with oil: and that bread may strengthen man's heart.

Psalms 103:16 The trees of the field shall be filled, and the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted:

Psalms 103:17 There the sparrows shall make their nests. The highest of them is the house of the heron.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "wine", "cheer", "heart", "make", "face", "cheerful", "bread", and "strengthen". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "wine" and "cheer", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 14's "Bringing forth grass for cattle and herb..." into verse 16's "The trees of the field shall be...", so "wine" and "cheer" 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 "wine" and "cheer" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.