Psalms 103:13 (GNV)

Passage

As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him.

Nearby Context

Psalms 103:11 For as high as the heauen is aboue ye earth, so great is his mercie toward them that feare him.

Psalms 103:12 As farre as the East is from the West: so farre hath he remooued our sinnes from vs.

Psalms 103:13 As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him.

Psalms 103:14 For he knoweth whereof we be made: he remembreth that we are but dust.

Psalms 103:15 The dayes of man are as grasse: as a flowre of the fielde, so florisheth he.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "father", "hath", "compassion", "children", "lord", and "feare". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "father" and "hath", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 12's "As farre as the East is from..." into verse 14's "For he knoweth whereof we be made...", so "father" and "hath" 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 "father" and "hath" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.