The Meaning of Psalms 103:21 Explained

Psalms 103:21

KJV: Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

YLT: Bless Jehovah, all ye His hosts, His ministers -- doing His pleasure.

Darby: Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his that do his will.

ASV: Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Bless  ye the LORD,  all [ye] his hosts;  [ye] ministers  of his, that do  his pleasure. 

What does Psalms 103:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 103:13-22 - Everlasting Loving-Kindness
The psalmist comes from the far-reaching sky to the homely image of a father's pity. God is a great King, the mighty Creator, but the Spirit witnesses that we are His children and teaches us to say, Abba, Father. The idea of dust is that of frailty. Made of dust and fragile as an earthen vessel, man by his weakness appeals to Jehovah's compassion. The thought of frailty and helplessness is still further impressed by the figure of the fading flower, scorched by the hot desert wind. But, by force of contrast, the psalmist passes from man's brief span of life to God's eternal years. And God's love is as His life. Because God is eternal, His love is eternal. When once He loves, He loves always; He never wearies, never cools, and never lets go. A parent who fears God may leave a legacy of priceless worth to his children's children. See Psalms 103:17.
From Psalms 103:19 to the end, the psalmist pulls out all the stops in the great organ of existence. Angels and hosts of other intelligent beings who perform the Lord's will, all his works animate and inanimate, all saints, all souls, stars and suns, oceans, and mountains-all must join the "Hallelujah Chorus." [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 103

1  An exhortation to bless God for his mercy
5  And for the constancy thereof

What do the individual words in Psalms 103:21 mean?

Bless Yahweh all [you] His hosts [You] ministers of His who do His pleasure
בָּרֲכ֣וּ יְ֭הוָה כָּל־ צְבָאָ֑יו מְ֝שָׁרְתָ֗יו עֹשֵׂ֥י רְצוֹנֽוֹ

בָּרֲכ֣וּ  Bless 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
יְ֭הוָה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
צְבָאָ֑יו  [you]  His  hosts 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
מְ֝שָׁרְתָ֗יו  [You]  ministers  of  His 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁרַת  
Sense: (Piel) to minister, serve, minister to.
עֹשֵׂ֥י  who  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
רְצוֹנֽוֹ  His  pleasure 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רָצֹון  
Sense: pleasure, delight, favour, goodwill, acceptance, will.