Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
Psalm 103:1 (ESV)
What was David calling his own soul into when he petitioned it to “bless the Lord?”
In our own language, and even in Scripture, we see various forms of the word “bless” used in different ways. In context, the variances carry different meanings, imperatives, and emphases.
But when David speaks to his own soul in Psalm 103, saying, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me…,” he’s not handing out a casual religious phrase. He’s calling his innermost being into a posture of deep, reverent worship of God Almighty.
The Hebrew word translated bless (Hebrew: בָּרֲכִ֣י) is packed with much more intensity than is on the surface. David is using an imperative verb, a direct command, not a suggestion. He is in the driver’s seat of his soul, and he is steering it to worship. He is telling his innermost self where it needs to go, what it needs to do, and its proper posture before the Lord of all creation.
This is not just the simple verb form “bless” (Hebrew: בָרַךְ; barak). In this case, it is written with a stem that adds significant nuance to the command. In Biblical Hebrew, a stem shows how an action is done. The “piel” stem used here intensifies the action. So David urges his soul to really go hard after the heart of God. This form moves the verb from something spontaneous, casual, or emotional to something deliberate, intentional, and active. It is not passive admiration or quiet reflection. There is a time and a place for all these things in worship. But in this Psalm, David’s whole soul is being summoned into full participation in worship. David is not waiting to feel inspired. He is taking hold of his inner self and basically saying, “Praise God right now, with everything in you.”
Interestingly, the Hebrew root barak (translated “bless”) is also the root for the word “kneel.” To bless the Lord is to bow your soul, or even your body, in reverence. It’s an act of worship that flows not just from the lips, but from a spiritual posture of lowness before God. So when David says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul,” he’s essentially saying, “Soul, get on your knees. Make yourself low. Recognize his greatness. Worship him with everything you are.”
So kneel.
Bless his holy name today! Fall before the Lord, not out of ritual. If you get down on your knees in God’s presence, do it because that is the rightful and true position of your heart before a holy God.
In Philippians 2:10, Paul says that one day every knee will bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. But why wait? Jesus has already made himself low and is now exalted. The call to kneel, to bless, to bow in worship is the right response to the glory of Christ and his victory. To bless the Lord was the right position of the human soul in David’s day, and it is necessary now, and it will be no less necessary on the day we see his face shining like the sun.
Bee-Attitude
Blessed are you who lead your soul to worship God, for your hearts are in their rightful postures in his presence.
Grant Turner is the editor of the Barnesville Buzz and an educator, coach, and writer based in Barnesville, Georgia. He shares stories that bridge community, faith, and personal growth. In addition to teaching and coaching, Grant is Director of Musical Worship and a Sunday School teacher at New Hope Baptist Church in Zebulon, Georgia. He lives in Barnesville with his wife, Haley.
