Psalms 25:4-14

4 Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.

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

6 Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O Lord.

8 Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.

10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.

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

12 Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.

13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth.

14 The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him, And He will show them His covenant.

Psalms 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or he