“Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.”
The invocation 'Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word' calls the heavenly court to participate in the praise. The address to angels (malachim, messengers) and their characterization as 'mighty ones' (gibborim) emphasizes the power and majesty of the heavenly servants. The phrase 'who do his bidding' (oseh devaro, doing his word) emphasizes the perfect obedience of the heavenly creatures, their immediate execution of divine command. The specification 'obedient to his spoken word' (lekol devaro) suggests that the entire cosmos of celestial beings lives in perfect responsiveness to God's utterance. By calling the angels to join in blessing, the psalm invites the listener to join a cosmic liturgy; human praise participates in and echoes the ceaseless praise of the heavenly realms. This verse suggests that praise is the natural response of all creatures to God's majesty and mercy, from the humblest human to the mightiest angel.
Church Fathers on Psalms 103:20
1. ...“Bless the Lord, O my soul! And all that is within me, His holy Name” Psalm 102:1. I suppose that he speaks not of what is within the body; I do not suppose him to mean this, that our lungs and liver, and so forth, are to burst forth into the voice of blessing of the Lord. There are lungs in our breast indeed, like a kind of bellows, which send forth successive breathings, which breathing forth of the air inhaled is pressed out into voice and sound, when the words are…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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