Psalms 25

A Prayer for Guidance, Deliverance, and Forgiveness

1

Of David.

1 To you, O Yahweh, I lift up my soul.

2 O my God, I trust you; let me not be put to shame. Do not let my enemies exult over me.

3 Indeed, none who wait for you should be put to shame. Those who betray without cause should be put to shame.

4 Make me know your ways, O Yahweh. Teach me your paths.

5 Cause me to walk in your truth and teach me, because you [are] the God of my salvation. I await you {all day long}.

6 Remember your compassion, O Yahweh, and your acts of loyal love, because they [are] from of old.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions. According to your loyal love remember me [if] you [will], for the sake of your goodness, O Yahweh.

8 Good and right [is] Yahweh; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

9 He causes [the] humble to walk in justice, and teaches [the] humble his way.

10 All the paths of Yahweh [are] loyal love and faithfulness for those who keep his covenant and statutes.

11 Also, for the sake of your name, O Yahweh, forgive my sin, because it [is] great.

12 Who [is] the man fearing Yahweh? He will instruct him in [the] way he should choose.

13 His soul will lodge in prosperity, and his offspring will possess [the] land.

14 Intimate fellowship with Yahweh [is] for those who fear him, and [he] makes known his covenant to them.

15 My eyes [are] continually toward Yahweh, because he will take my feet from [the] net.

16 Turn to me and have mercy on me because I [am] lonely and afflicted.

17 Remove the troubles of my heart; bring me out from my distresses.

18 Consider my affliction and trouble, and forgive all my sins.

19 Consider that my enemies are many, and they hate me [with] violent hatred.

20 Protect my life and deliver me. Let me not be put to shame, because I take shelter in you.

21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for you.

22 O God, redeem Israel from all its troubles.

Psalms 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

Confidence in prayer. (1-7) Prayer for remission of sins. (8-14) For help in affliction. (15-22)

Verses 1-7 In worshipping God, we must lift up our souls to him. It is certain that none who, by a believing attendance, wait on God, and, by a believing hope, wait for him, shall be ashamed of it. The most advanced believer both needs and desires to be taught of God. If we sincerely desire to know our duty, with resolution to do it, we may be sure that God will direct us in it. The psalmist is earnest for the pardon of his sins. When God pardons sin, he is said to remember it no more, which denotes full remission. It is God's goodness, and not ours, his mercy, and not our merit, that must be our plea for the pardon of sin, and all the good we need. This plea we must rely upon, feeling our own unworthiness, and satisfied of the riches of God's mercy and grace. How boundless is that mercy which covers for ever the sins and follies of a youth spent without God and without hope! Blessed be the Lord, the blood of the great Sacrifice can wash away every stain.

Verses 8-14 We are all sinners; and Christ came into the world to save sinners, to teach sinners, to call sinners to repentance. We value a promise by the character of him that makes it; we therefore depend upon God's promises. All the paths of the Lord, that is, all his promises and all his providences, are mercy and truth. In all God's dealings his people may see his mercy displayed, and his word fulfilled, whatever afflictions they are now exercised with. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth; and so it will appear when they come to their journey's end. Those that are humble, that distrust themselves, and desire to be taught and to follow Divine guidance, these he will guide in judgment, that is, by the rule of the written word, to find rest for their souls in the Saviour. Even when the body is sick, and in pain, the soul may be at ease in God.

Verses 15-22 The psalmist concludes, as he began, with expressing dependence upon God, and desire toward him. It is good thus to hope, and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord. And if God turns to us, no matter who turns from us. He pleads his own integrity. Though guilty before God, yet, as to his enemies, he had the testimony of conscience that he had done them no wrong. God would, at length, give Israel rest from all their enemies round about. In heaven, God's Israel will be perfectly redeemed from all troubles. Blessed Saviour, thou hast graciously taught us that without thee we can do nothing. Do thou teach us how to pray, how to appear before thee in the way which thou shalt choose, and how to lift up our whole hearts and desires after thee, for thou art the Lord our righteousness.

Footnotes

• [a]. The Hebrew Bible counts the superscription as the first verse of the psalm
• [b]. Literally "all of the day"
• [c]. Or "covenant statutes"
• [d]. Or "take away"

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 25

\\<<[A Psalm] of David>>\\. This is the first of the psalms which is written in an alphabetical order, or in which the first word of every verse begins with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order, though it is not strictly and regularly observed; the reason of this manner of writing is not very obvious; the {r} Jews confess their ignorance of it; it may be to engage the attention to what is said, or to assist the memory in laying it up, and retaining it there. The occasion of the psalm seems to be the troubles David was in on account of an unnatural rebellion raised against him by some of his subjects, at the head of which was his own son Absalom; he speaks of himself as in a net, and in great affliction, distress, and trouble, by reason of his enemies, Ps 25:15-18; and as being brought to a sense of his former sins, for which he desires pardon, Ps 25:7,11. {r} Kimchi in loc.