Psalms 25

1 The song of David. Lord, to thee I have raised my soul; (The psalm of David. Lord, I raise up my soul to thee;)

2 my God, I trust in thee, be I not ashamed. Neither mine enemies scorn me; (my God, I put my trust in thee, so do not let me shamed. And do not let my enemies scorn me;)

3 for all men that suffer thee shall not be shamed. All men doing wicked things superfluously; be they shamed. (for all those who trust in thee shall not be shamed. But all those who do wicked things without cause, let them be shamed.)

4 Lord, show thou thy ways to me; and teach thou me thy paths.

5 (Ad)dress thou me in thy truth, and teach thou me, for thou art God, my saviour; and I suffered thee all day. (Direct thou me in thy truth, and teach thou me, for thou art God, my saviour; and I have waited for thee all day long.)

6 Lord, have thou mind of thy merciful doings; and of thy mercies that be from the world. (Lord, remember thy merciful doings; and thy constant love, which thou hast shown from long ago.)

7 Have thou not mind on the trespasses of my youth; and on mine unknowings. Thou, Lord, have mind on me by thy mercy; for thy goodness. (Remember not the trespasses of my youth; and all my ignorance. O Lord, because of thy love, remember me; for the sake of thy goodness.)

8 The Lord is sweet and rightful; for this cause he shall give a law to men trespassing in the way. (The Lord is good and upright; and for this reason he hath given a way forward for those who trespass./The Lord is good and righteous; and for this reason he hath given a way back for those who trespass.)

9 He shall (ad)dress meek men in doom; he shall teach mild men his ways. (He shall direct the humble in their judgement; he shall teach the humble his ways.)

10 All the ways of the Lord be mercy and truth; to men seeking his testament, and his witnessings. (All the ways of the Lord be loving and faithful; for those who keep his covenant, and his teaching, or his commands.)

11 Lord, for thy name, thou shalt do mercy to my sin; for it is much. (Lord, for the sake of thy name, have thou mercy on my sin; although it is great.)

12 Who is a man, that dreadeth the Lord? he ordaineth to him a law in the way which he (should) choose. (Who is someone, who feareth the Lord?/who hath reverence for the Lord? the Lord shall ordain to him the way that he should choose.)

13 His soul shall dwell in goods; and his seed shall inherit the land. (He shall live in abundance; and his children shall inherit the land.)

14 The Lord is a firmness to men dreading him; and his testament is, that it be showed to them. (The Lord shall share his secrets with those who fear him/with those who revere him; and he shall show his covenant to them.)

15 Mine eyes be ever[more] to(ward) the Lord; for he shall pull away my feet from the snare. (My eyes be upon the Lord forevermore; for he shall pull away my feet from the snare.)

16 Behold thou to me, and have thou mercy on me; for I am one alone and poor. (Look thou on me, and have thou mercy on me; for I am all alone and poor.)

17 The tribulations of mine heart be multiplied; deliver thou me of my needs. (The troubles in my heart be multiplied; save thou me from all my troubles.)

18 See thou my meekness and my travail (See thou my troubles and my trials); and forgive thou all my trespasses.

19 Behold thou mine enemies, for they be multiplied; and they hate me by wicked hatred. (Look thou upon my enemies, for they be many; and they hate me with such wicked hatred.)

20 Keep thou my soul, and deliver me; be I not ashamed, for I hoped in thee. (Keep thou me alive, and save me; let me not be shamed, for I put my trust in thee.)

21 Innocent men and rightful cleaved to me; for I suffered thee. (Let innocence and uprightness, or integrity, cleave to me; for I have waited for thee.)

22 God, deliver thou Israel; from all his tribulations. (God, save thou the people of Israel; from all their 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.

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.