Psalms 25

1 To you, O LORD, I ¹lift up my soul.

2 O my God, in you I ²trust; ³let me not be put to shame; ⁴let not my enemies exult over me.

3 Indeed, ⁵none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are ⁶wantonly ⁷treacherous.

4 ⁸Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.

5 Lead me in your ⁹truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

6 Remember your ¹⁰mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, ¹¹for they have been from of old.

7 Remember not ¹²the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your ¹³steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!

8 ¹⁴Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he ¹⁵instructs sinners in the way.

9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

10 All the paths of the LORD are ¹⁶steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

11 For your ¹⁷name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is ¹⁸great.

12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him ¹⁹will he instruct in the way that he should choose.

13 His soul shall ²⁰abide in well-being, and his ²¹offspring ²²shall inherit the land.

14 ²³The friendship^[a] of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

15 My ²⁴eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will ²⁵pluck my feet out of the net.

16 ²⁶Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.

17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses.

18 ²⁷Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.

19 Consider how many are my foes, and with what violent hatred they hate me.

20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! ²⁸Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

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

22 ²⁹Redeem 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; Lamentations 3:41; [Psalms 24:4]
• 2. See Psalms 11:1
• 3. ver. 20; Psalms 31:1, 17; Psalms 71:1
• 4. [Psalms 13:4]
• 5. Isaiah 49:23; [Romans 5:5; Philippians 1:20]
• 6. [Psalms 59:3, 4]
• 7. [Jeremiah 3:20]
• 8. Psalms 27:11; Psalms 86:11; Psalms 143:8, 10; Exodus 33:13; [Psalms 5:8; Psalms 119:35]
• 9. Psalms 26:3; Psalms 86:11
• 10. Psalms 51:1; [Psalms 103:17; Isaiah 63:15]
• 11. [Genesis 8:1; Genesis 9:15; Genesis 19:29]
• 12. Job 13:26; Job 20:11; Jeremiah 3:25
• 13. Psalms 51:1
• 14. Psalms 100:5
• 15. Psalms 32:8
• 16. [John 1:17]
• 17. See Psalms 23:3
• 18. [Romans 5:20]
• 19. [See ver. 8 above]
• 20. [Proverbs 1:33; Proverbs 19:23]
• 21. Psalms 112:2
• 22. See Psalms 37:9
• 23. [Amos 3:7; See Job 29:4]
• 24. Psalms 123:1, 2; Psalms 141:8; [2 Chronicles 20:12]
• 25. Psalms 31:4
• 26. Psalms 69:16; Psalms 86:16; Psalms 119:132
• 27. [Job 10:15]
• 28. See ver. 2
• 29. Psalms 34:22; Psalms 71:23; Psalms 130:8; Lamentations 3:58; [2 Samuel 4:9]

Footnotes

• [a]. Or The secret counsel

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.