Praise the Lord 

Psalm 103:1 – “Praise the Lord, my soul; [All my inmost being,] praise His Holy Name.”

 “All,” is kal and speaks of the complete whole, every part of the soul and inmost being.

Rabbi Solomon Hirsch, a nineteenth century linguist and master of Hebrew and Semitic languages, teaches that this word includes the idea of a bride completing her groom. They are fully joined together with one mind and purpose, a clear picture of our intended relationship with God. 

Kal conveys the idea of the deepest intimacy that a human can experience, never placing the love of another before the other except their shared love for Jesus Christ, because He took their love into the deepest intimacy experience that two humans can have.

“Inmost being” is from the root word qarav, which has its origins in an Akkadian word for the entrails of an animal, the hidden parts of the body. David desired that all of who he was, give full and undivided attention to praise His Holy Name.

Distractions in this world, the fiery darts of the wicked one filled with accusations, and our Flesh carrying about past hurts while entertaining present enticements—these are all used to diminish the praise of the saint of God from being completely “all in” with no wandering parts.

May the Holy Spirit help us, as He did David, to do battle through a praise that comes from all of our inmost being. So, listen up Soul, now is the time to praise His Holy Name.