Psalms 25

Of David.

1 ^[a]In you, LORD my God, I put my trust.

2 I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me.

3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.

4 Show me your ways, LORD, teach me your paths.

5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

6 Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.

7 Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, LORD, are good.

8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.

9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way.

10 All the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.

11 For the sake of your name, LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great.

12 Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.^[b]

13 They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.

14 The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.

15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.

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

17 Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish.

18 Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.

19 See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!

20 Guard my life and rescue me; do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.

21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, LORD,^[c] is in you.

22 Deliver Israel, O God, from all their troubles!

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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.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 48

1. Psalms 86:4; Psalms 143:8
2. Psalms 31:6; Psalms 143:8; Psalms 41:11
3. S Psalms 22:5; S Isaiah 29:22; Isaiah 49:23
4. Isaiah 24:16; Habakkuk 1:13; Zephaniah 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:4
5. S Job 34:32; Exodus 33:13
6. Psalms 31:3; Psalms 43:3; John 16:13
7. Psalms 24:5
8. ver 3; Psalms 33:20; Psalms 39:7; Psalms 42:5; Psalms 71:5; Psalms 130:7; Psalms 131:3
9. Psalms 5:7; Psalms 98:3; Psalms 103:17; Isaiah 63:7,15; Jeremiah 31:20; Hosea 11:8
10. Job 13:26; Isaiah 54:4; Jeremiah 3:25; Jeremiah 31:19; Jeremiah 32:30; Ezekiel 16:22,60; Ezekiel 23:3; 2 Timothy 2:22
11. S Exodus 23:21; Psalms 107:17
12. Psalms 6:4; Psalms 51:1; Psalms 69:16; Psalms 109:26; Psalms 119:124
13. S 1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalms 34:8; Psalms 73:1
14. Psalms 92:15; Isaiah 26:7
15. Psalms 32:8; Isaiah 28:26
16. S Psalms 23:3
17. ver 4; Psalms 27:11
18. S Psalms 18:25; Psalms 40:11
19. Psalms 103:18; Psalms 132:12
20. S Exodus 9:16; Psalms 31:3; Psalms 79:9; Jeremiah 14:7
21. S Exodus 34:9
22. S Exodus 32:30; S Psalms 78:38
23. S Job 1:8
24. ver 8; Psalms 37:23
25. S Deuteronomy 30:15; S 1 Kings 3:14; S Job 8:7; Proverbs 19:23
26. S Numbers 14:24; Matthew 5:5; Psalms 37:11
27. Proverbs 3:32
28. Genesis 17:2; John 7:17
29. S 2 Chronicles 20:12; Psalms 123:2; Hebrews 12:2; Psalms 141:8
30. S Job 34:30; S Psalms 119:110
31. S Psalms 6:4; Psalms 69:16
32. S Numbers 6:25
33. Psalms 68:6
34. 1 Kings 1:29; Psalms 34:6,17; Psalms 40:12; Psalms 54:7; Psalms 116:3
35. Psalms 6:3; Psalms 39:2; Psalms 107:6
36. S Psalms 13:3; Romans 12:12
37. S 2 Samuel 16:12
38. Psalms 103:3
39. Psalms 3:1; Psalms 9:13
40. Psalms 35:19; Psalms 38:19; Psalms 69:4
41. Psalms 86:2
42. Psalms 17:13; Psalms 22:21; Psalms 43:1; Psalms 71:2; Psalms 116:4; Psalms 140:1; Psalms 142:6; Psalms 144:11
43. ver 3
44. Psalms 2:12
45. S Genesis 20:5; Proverbs 10:9; Psalms 41:12
46. 1 Kings 9:4; Psalms 85:10; Psalms 111:8; Isaiah 60:17; Malachi 2:6
47. ver 3
48. Psalms 130:8; Luke 24:21

Footnotes 3

[a]. This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
[b]. Or "ways he chooses"
[c]. Septuagint; Hebrew does not have Lord.

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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible