Psalms 103:11
in Psalms 103For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him.
KJV
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
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This verse in Psalms 103
Commentary
12 notes on this verseFor as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Boundless in extent towards his chosen is the mercy of the Lord; it is no more to be measured than the height of heaven or the heaven of heavens. "Like the height of the heavens" is the original language, which implies other points of comparison besides extent, and suggests sublimity, grandeur, and glory.
This site's exposition
nor harbor His anger forever
on Psalms 103:9-12
God's anger has an end, and He has held back the repayment the sins deserve. Two measures are given, height for the loving devotion and distance for the sin. The heavens stand above the earth, and east never reaches west.
This site's exposition
as high as the heavens
So great translates gavar, a verb for being strong or prevailing, the word of Psalm 117:2. Isaiah 55:9 uses the same measure of heaven over earth for the LORD's ways and thoughts. Those who fear Him recur in verses 13 and 17.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"For as the height of heaven above the earth, so has the Lord confirmed His mercy toward them that fear Him" [Psalm 103:11]. Observe the heaven: everywhere on every side it covers the earth, nor is there any part of the earth not covered by the heaven. Men sin beneath heaven: they do all evil deeds beneath the heaven; yet they are covered by the heaven. Thence is light for the eyes, thence air, thence breath, thence rain upon the earth for the sake of its fruits, thence all mercy from heaven. Take away the aid of heaven from the earth: it will fail at once. As then the protection of heaven abides upon the earth, so does the Lord's protection abide upon them that fear Him. You fear God; His protection is above you. But perhaps you are scourged, and conceive that God has forsaken you. God has forsaken you, if the protection of heaven has forsaken the earth.
So let us at last wind up this sermon. My brothers and sister, I urge you, I beseech you by the Lord and his gentleness, be gentle in your lives, be peaceful in your lives. Peacefully permit the authorities to do what pertains to them, of which they will have to render an account to God and to their superiors. As often as you have to petition them, make your petitions in an honorable and quiet manner. Do not mix with those who do evil and rampage in a rough and disorderly manner; do not desire to be present at such goings-on even as spectators. But as far as you can, let each of you in his own house and his own neighborhood deal with the one with whom you have ties of kinship and charity, by warning, persuading, teaching, correcting; also by restraining him from such seriously evil activities by any kind of threats, so that God may eventually have mercy, and put an end to human evils and "may not deal with us according to our sins or requite us according to our iniquities, but as far as the east is from the west may cast our sins for away from us," and that he "may be gracious to our sins, lest the nations perhaps should say, Where is their God?"
He is the one about whom the psalm says, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins …
The shepherd's most certain knowledge of merits, by which the sheep will be separated from the goats, is so great that no goat will be placed on the right, just as no sheep will be located on the left. Those merits with which people go …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Observe, God's mercy is thus great towards those that fear him, not towards those that trifle with him. We must fear the Lord and his goodness. (2.) The fulness of his pardons, an evidence of the riches of his mercy (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
4 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
For as the heaven is high above the earth,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. Boundless in extent towards his chosen is the mercy of the Lord; it is no more to be measured than the height of heaven or the heaven of heavens. "Like the height of the heavens" is the original language, which implies other points of comparison besides extent, and suggests sublimity, grandeur, and glory. As the lofty heavens canopy the earth, water it with dews and rains, enlighten it with sun, moon, and stars, and look down upon it with unceasing watchfulness, even so the Lord's mercy from above covers all his chosen, enriches them, embraces them, and stands for ever as their dwellingplace. The idea of our version is a very noble one, for who shall tell how exceeding great is the height of heaven? Who can reach the first of the fixed stars, and who can measure the utmost bounds of the starry universe? Yet so great is his mercy! Oh, that great little word so! All this mercy is for "them that fear him; " there must be a humble, hearty reverence of his authority, or we cannot taste of his grace. Godly fear is one of the first products of the divine life in us, it is the beginning of wisdom, yet it fully ensures to its possessor all the benefits of divine mercy, and is, indeed, here and elsewhere, employed to set forth the whole of true religion. Many a true child of God is full of filial fear, and yet at the same time stands trembling as to his acceptance with God; this trembling is groundless, but it is infinitely to be preferred to that baseborn presumption, which incites men to boast of their adoption and consequent security, when all the while they are in the gall of bitterness.
For as the heaven is high above the earth - Great and provoking as our crimes may have been, yet his mercies have, in their magnitude and number, surpassed these, as far as the heavens are elevated beyond the earth.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For as the heaven is high above the earth - See the notes at Psa 57:10. Compare the notes at Isa 55:9. The literal translation of the phrase here would be, “For like the height of the heavens above the earth.” The heavens - the starry heavens - are the highest objects of which we have any knowledge; and hence, the comparison is used to denote the great mercy of God - meaning that it is as great as can be conceived; that there is nothing beyond it; that we cannot imagine that it could be greater - as we can imagine nothing higher than the heavens. So great is his mercy toward them that fear him - To those who reverence and serve him. That is, His mercy is thus great in forgiving their offences; in imparting grace; in giving them support and consolation.
The words behind it
9 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּ֤י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כִגְבֹ֣הַּ | khigvoah | as is high | H1361 → | 34 times |
| שָׁ֭מַיִם | shamayim | heaven | H8064 → | 421 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָ֑רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| גָּבַ֥ר | gavar | it is strong | H1396 → | 25 times |
| חַ֝סְדּ֗וֹ | chasdo | covenant loyalty his | H2617 → | 247 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | towards | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יְרֵאָֽיו׃ | yereav | [those] fearing him | H3373 → | 64 times |
כִּ֤יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
כִגְבֹ֣הַּas is high
khigvoahH1361 →34 times
שָׁ֭מַיִםheaven
shamayimH8064 →421 times
עַל־above
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאָ֑רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
גָּבַ֥רit is strong
gavarH1396 →25 times
חַ֝סְדּ֗וֹcovenant loyalty his
chasdoH2617 →247 times
עַל־towards
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יְרֵאָֽיו׃[those] fearing him
yereavH3373 →64 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Luke 1:50His mercy extends to those who fear Him, from generation to generation.
it leads to
- Exodus 20:6
but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 103:17–18
But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children—
- Genesis 17:7
I will establish My covenant as an everlasting covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
- Psalms 118:4
Let those who fear the LORD say, “His loving devotion endures forever.”
- Exodus 34:6–7
Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: “The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness,
- Exodus 20:6
Through
Psalms 36:5Your loving devotion, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.
it leads to
- Psalms 100:5
For the LORD is good, and His loving devotion endures forever; His faithfulness continues to all generations.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 100:5
Through
Psalms 57:10For Your loving devotion reaches to the heavens, and Your faithfulness to the clouds.
it leads to
- Psalms 108:4
For Your loving devotion extends beyond the heavens, and Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 36:5
Your loving devotion, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the clouds.
- Psalms 108:4
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Mercy35 verses
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
About Psalms
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 103; Augustine of Hippo, SERMON 302:21; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Fulgentius of Ruspe, LETTER TO MONIMUS 1:21.3; Fulgentius of Ruspe, ON THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS 2:10.4; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.