Teks -- Psalms 103:14 (NET)

103:14 For he knows what we are made of; he realizes we are made of clay.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Wesley: Psa 103:14 - Knoweth

The weakness and mortality of our natures, and the frailty of our condition, so that if he should let loose his hand upon us, we should be irrecoverably destroyed.

JFB: Psa 103:14 - he

"who formed," Psa 94:9.

JFB: Psa 103:14 - knoweth our frame

Literally, "our form."

JFB: Psa 103:14 - we are dust

Made of and tending to it (Gen 2:7).

Clarke: Psa 103:14 - For he knoweth our frame

For he knoweth our frame - יצרנו yitsrenu , "our formation;"the manner in which we are constructed, and the materials of which we are made. He knows we cannot contend with him, and if he uses his power against us, we must be crushed to destruction. In all his conduct towards us he considers the frailty of our nature, the untowardness of our circumstances, the strength and subtlety of temptation, and the sure party (till the heart is renewed) that the tempter has within us. Though all these things are against us, yet it must ever be said, whatever use we make of it, "the grace of God is sufficient for us."But alas! alas! who makes use of that sufficient grace? Here, then, is cause for condemnation. But, O amazing mercy! if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him; for he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are but dust. The man who can say, in the face of these Scriptures, Let us sin that grace may abound, is a brute and demon, who has neither lot nor part in this thing.

Calvin: Psa 103:14 - For he knoweth

14.For he knoweth David here annihilates all the worth which men would arrogate to themselves, and asserts that it is the consideration of our misery, and that alone, which moves God to exercise patience towards us. This again we ought carefully to mark, not only for the purpose of subduing the pride of our flesh, but also that a sense of our unworthiness may not prevent us from trusting in God. The more wretched and despicable our condition is, the more inclined is God to show mercy, for the remembrance that we are clay and dust is enough to incite him to do us good.

TSK: Psa 103:14 - he knoweth // we are dust

he knoweth : Psa 78:38, Psa 78:39, Psa 89:47

we are dust : Gen 3:19; Job 7:5-7, Job 7:21, Job 10:9, Job 13:25; Ecc 12:7

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Psa 103:14 - Our frame

Our frame either,

1. The corruption of our natures; which God is pleased sometimes to make an argument to pity and spare men, as Gen 8:21 . So the sense is, He considereth that great and constant propension to evil which is naturally in all mankind, and that therefore if he should deal severely with us, he should immediately destroy us all. So this clause contains one motive of God’ s pity, and the next another. Or rather,

2. The weakness and mortality of our natures, and the frailty and misery of our condition, as it seems to be explained in the following clause, that we are but dust. So the sense is, He considereth that if he should let loose his hand upon us, and pour forth all his wrath, we should be suddenly and irrecoverably destroyed, and therefore he spareth us.

Haydock: Psa 103:14 - Service // Bring

Service. Cattle, or beasts of burden, are thus fed for man's service, though he may also eat legumes, &c. (Calmet) ---

Bring. God gives the increase, 1 Corinthians iii. 7. (Haydock)

Gill: Psa 103:14 - For he knoweth our frame // He remembereth that we are dust

For he knoweth our frame,.... The outward frame of their bodies, what brittle ware, what earthen vessels, they be; he being the potter, they the clay, he knows what they are able to bear, and what not; that if he lays his hand too heavy, or strikes too hard, or repeats his strokes too often, they will fall in pieces: he knows the inward frame of their minds, the corruption of their nature, how prone they are to sin; and therefore does not expect perfect services from them: how impotent they are to that which is good; that they can do nothing of themselves; nor think a good thought, nor do a good action; and that their best frames are very uncertain ones; and that, though the spirit may be willing, the flesh is weak. The word used is the same that is rendered "imagination", Gen 6:5, and by which the Jews generally express the depravity and corruption of nature; and so the Targum here paraphrases it,

"for he knows our evil concupiscence, which causes us to sin;''

and to this sense Kimchi.

He remembereth that we are dust ^b; are of the dust originally, and return to it again at death; and into which men soon crumble when he lays his hand upon them; this he considers, see Psa 78:38. The Targum is,

"it is remembered before him, that we are of the dust:''

the Septuagint version makes a petition of it, "remember that we are dust"; and so the Arabic version. And we should remember it ourselves, and be humble before God; and wonder at his grace and goodness to us, Gen 18:27.