Bible Strands

Psalms 103:17

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—

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — David (or the psalmist) addresses the worshipper, pivoting from the brevity of human life in verse 16 to the permanence of God's character. The moment is a deliberate contrast: grass dies, but what God does does not.

The words — חֶסֶד (chesed) is the hinge word: covenant loyalty, not mere affection. It names a binding obligation God assumes toward those within the covenant.

The thread — The same pairing of chesed with "forever" appears in Psalm 100:5, and the extension to "children's children" echoes the covenant language of Exodus 34:7.

Why it lands — The verse is conditional on its own terms: it extends to "those who fear Him," not to all indiscriminately. The reader is asked to place themselves in relation to that condition and to recognize that God's loyalty, once given, outlasts a single generation.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְחֶ֤סֶדve./Che.sedand/ [the] covenant loyalty ofיְהוָ֨ה׀Yah.wehYahwehמֵעוֹלָ֣םme./'o.Lamfrom/ antiquityוְעַד־ve./'ad-and/ untilע֭וֹלָםo.lomperpetuityעַל־'al-[is] towardsיְרֵאָ֑יוye.re.'A/v[those] fearing/ himוְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹve./tzid.ka.T/oand/ righteousness/ hisלִבְנֵ֥יli/v.Nei[is] to/ [the] children ofבָנִֽים׃va.Nimchildren

King James Version

But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;

Cross-references