Psalms 103:8 (YLT)

Passage

Merciful and gracious <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah, Slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

Nearby Context

Psalms 103:6 Jehovah is doing righteousness and judgments For all the oppressed.

Psalms 103:7 He maketh known His ways to Moses, To the sons of Israel His acts.

Psalms 103:8 Merciful and gracious <FI>is<Fi> Jehovah, Slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

Psalms 103:9 Not for ever doth He strive, Nor to the age doth He watch.

Psalms 103:10 Not according to our sins hath He done to us, Nor according to our iniquities Hath He conferred benefits upon us.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "mercy", "merciful", "gracious", "jehovah", "slow", "anger", and "abundant". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "mercy" and "merciful", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "He maketh known His ways to Moses..." into verse 9's "Not for ever doth He strive Nor...", so "mercy" and "merciful" 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 "mercy" and "merciful" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.