Psalm 25:4-14

4 ¹Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.

5 Lead me in ²Your truth and teach me, For You are the ³God of my salvation; For You I ⁴wait all the day.

6 ⁵Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been ⁶from of old.

7 Do not remember the ⁷sins of my youth or my transgressions; ⁸According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your ⁹goodness' sake, O LORD.

8 ¹⁰Good and ¹¹upright is the LORD; Therefore * He ¹²instructs sinners in the way.

9 He ¹³leads the humble in justice, And He ¹⁴teaches the humble His way.

10 All the paths of the LORD are ¹⁵lovingkindness and truth To ¹⁶those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.

11 For ¹⁷Your name's sake, O LORD, ¹⁸Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.

12 Who is the man who ¹⁹fears the LORD? He will ²⁰instruct him in the way he should choose.

13 His soul will ²¹abide in prosperity, And his descendants will ²²inherit the land.

14 The ²³secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will ²⁴make them know His covenant.

Psalm 25:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 33:13; Psalms 27:11; Psalms 86:11
• 2. Psalms 25:10; Psalms 43:3
• 3. Psalms 79:9
• 4. Psalms 40:1
• 5. Psalms 98:3
• 6. Psalms 103:17
• 7. Job 13:26; Job 20:11
• 8. Psalms 51:1
• 9. Psalms 31:19
• 10. Psalms 86:5
• 11. Psalms 92:15
• 12. Psalms 32:8
• 13. Psalms 23:3
• 14. Psalms 27:11
• 15. Psalms 40:11
• 16. Psalms 103:18
• 17. Psalms 31:3; Psalms 79:9
• 18. Exodus 34:9
• 19. Psalms 31:19
• 20. Psalms 25:8; Psalms 37:23
• 21. Proverbs 1:33; Jeremiah 23:6
• 22. Psalms 37:11; Psalms 69:36; Matthew 5:5
• 23. Proverbs 3:32; John 7:17
• 24. Genesis 17:1, 2

Footnotes

• [a] Or "everlasting"
• [b] Or "afflicted"
• [c] Or "afflicted"
• [d] Lit "good"
• [e] Lit "seed"
• [f] Or "earth"
• [g] Or "counsel" or "intimacy"
• [h] Or "And His covenant, to make them know it"