Psalms 25

Prayer for Protection, Guidance and Pardon.

1 To You, O LORD, I ¹lift up my soul.

2 O my God, in You ²I trust, Do not let me ³be ashamed; Do not let my ⁴enemies exult over me.

3 Indeed, ⁵none * of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who ⁶deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

4 ⁷Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.

5 Lead me in ⁸Your truth and teach me, For You are the ⁹God of my salvation; For You I ¹⁰wait all the day.

6 ¹¹Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been ¹²from of old.

7 Do not remember the ¹³sins of my youth or my transgressions; ¹⁴According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your ¹⁵goodness' sake, O LORD.

8 ¹⁶Good and ¹⁷upright is the LORD; Therefore * He ¹⁸instructs sinners in the way.

9 He ¹⁹leads the humble in justice, And He ²⁰teaches the humble His way.

10 All the paths of the LORD are ²¹lovingkindness and truth To ²²those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11 For ²³Your name's sake, O LORD, ²⁴Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12 Who is the man who ²⁵fears the LORD? He will ²⁶instruct him in the way he should choose.

13 His soul will ²⁷abide in prosperity, And his descendants will ²⁸inherit the land.

14 The ²⁹secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will ³⁰make them know His covenant.

15 My ³¹eyes are continually toward the LORD, For He will ³²pluck my feet out of the net.

16 ³³Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am ³⁴lonely and afflicted.

17 The ³⁵troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me ³⁶out of my distresses.

18 ³⁷Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And ³⁸forgive all my sins.

19 Look upon my enemies, for they ³⁹are many, And they ⁴⁰hate me with violent hatred.

20 ⁴¹Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me ⁴²be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.

21 Let ⁴³integrity and uprightness preserve me, For ⁴⁴I wait for You.

22 ⁴⁵Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his 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.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 86:4; Psalms 143:8
• 2. Psalms 31:1
• 3. Psalms 25:20; Psalms 31:1
• 4. Psalms 13:4; Psalms 41:11
• 5. Psalms 37:9; Psalms 40:1; Isaiah 49:23
• 6. Psalms 119:158; Isaiah 21:2; Habakkuk 1:13
• 7. Exodus 33:13; Psalms 27:11; Psalms 86:11
• 8. Psalms 25:10; Psalms 43:3
• 9. Psalms 79:9
• 10. Psalms 40:1
• 11. Psalms 98:3
• 12. Psalms 103:17
• 13. Job 13:26; Job 20:11
• 14. Psalms 51:1
• 15. Psalms 31:19
• 16. Psalms 86:5
• 17. Psalms 92:15
• 18. Psalms 32:8
• 19. Psalms 23:3
• 20. Psalms 27:11
• 21. Psalms 40:11
• 22. Psalms 103:18
• 23. Psalms 31:3; Psalms 79:9
• 24. Exodus 34:9
• 25. Psalms 31:19
• 26. Psalms 25:8; Psalms 37:23
• 27. Proverbs 1:33; Jeremiah 23:6
• 28. Psalms 37:11; Psalms 69:36; Matthew 5:5
• 29. Proverbs 3:32; John 7:17
• 30. Genesis 17:1, 2
• 31. Psalms 123:2; Psalms 141:8
• 32. Psalms 31:4; Psalms 124:7
• 33. Psalms 69:16
• 34. Psalms 143:4
• 35. Psalms 40:12
• 36. Psalms 107:6
• 37. 2 Samuel 16:12; Psalms 31:7
• 38. Psalms 103:3
• 39. Psalms 3:1
• 40. Psalms 9:13
• 41. Psalms 86:2
• 42. Psalms 25:2
• 43. Psalms 41:12
• 44. Psalms 25:3
• 45. Psalms 130:8

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "Let those...be ashamed"
• [b]. Or "everlasting"
• [c]. Or "afflicted"
• [d]. Or "afflicted"
• [e]. Lit "good"
• [f]. Lit "seed"
• [g]. Or "earth"
• [h]. Or "counsel" or "intimacy"
• [i]. Or "And His covenant, to make them know it"
• [j]. Lit "bring out"
• [k]. Some commentators read "Relieve the troubles of my heart"
• [l]. Lit "toil"

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.