Psa. 25:0 A Psalm of David.
Personal note – Every time I read through this Psalm I can’t help but begin singing in my heart the chorus from my youth that was simply the first two verses put to music.
Spurgeon: “David is pictured in this Psalm as in a faithful miniature. His holy trust, his many conflicts, his great transgression, his bitter repentance, and his deep distresses are all here; so that we see the very heart of ‘the man after God's own heart.’"
Psa. 25:1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
LORD = YHWH, the self-existent eternal God, the covenant God of Israel
God is the only one worthy of honor, worth of exaltation. He only has unlimited power and ability to respond with action on behalf of one who approaches Him in prayer. Lifting up one’s soul is an expression of approaching YHWH with the deepest longing of one’s being.
Psa. 25:2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
Psa. 25:3 Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed: let them be ashamed which transgress without cause.
David is addressing his God, elohiym (plural), The Three in One; he has a personal relationship with God. He declares that his trust (security, confidence, hope) is focused solely on God. As one who publicly acknowledges YHWH as his God, David is trusting Him for protection from his enemies. David’s thought is that no one who places their expectations in God should be brought to shame—not because of their worthiness, but because of God’s worthiness.
The word for transgress is referencing those who deal deceitfully and treacherously towards others without provocation. God is faithful; those who trust Him should emulate Him. It is those who are unfaithful and deceitful, those who reject Him that should be brought to shame.
Spurgeon: “Faith is the cable which binds our boat to the shore, and by pulling at it we draw ourselves to the land; faith unites us to God, and then draws us near to him. As long as the anchor of faith holds there is no fear in the worst tempest; if that should fail us there would be no hope left.”
Psa. 25:4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
Psa. 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
David is asking God to guide him into right living; he wants to journey through life in the footsteps of the LORD. Shew, teach, lead, teach—These words all express a desire for personal instruction from God. I would like to know what David was thinking as he expressed these thoughts. How did he expect God to give him personal instruction? We have the whole canon of scripture; he had only part. We have the Spirit indwelling us; the indication is that he enjoyed the presence of the Spirit in his life, but knew that he could lose that privilege.
Psalm 51:11 “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”
David knew that God’s direction for him would be according to truth. The root word for truth includes “to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse… to trust or believe, to be permanent or quiet; morally to be true or certain….” Truth strengthens us; truth nurtures us; truth produces trustworthiness in us, makes us someone others can believe. Living according to truth makes us dependable and enables us to have a quiet spirit or conscience. A truthful life will result in a moral life before God.
David recognizes God as the source of his salvation (liberty, deliverance, prosperity). In the last phrase of verse 5, David seems to be indicating a practice of living with an awareness of the presence of God throughout each day.
Spurgeon: “We need not only to have the path shown to us, but to be led into it, for we are like babes just learning to walk, we must have a finger that we may hold, or a hand that we may lean upon….”
I loved Courson’s comments on waiting on the LORD: “What does it mean to wait on the Lord? Think of a waiter in a restaurant, there to serve the guests. We are to say, ‘I’m here to serve You, Lord, with the sacrifice of praise. I’m here to spend time with You. I’m here to love You.’ Waiting on the Lord doesn’t mean sitting idly, wondering when He’s going to show up. It means you’re waiting on Him to no less degree than a devoted waiter would do.”
Psa. 25:6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
Psa. 25:7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD.
It’s interesting that David is asking God to remember; he is relating to God on his level of understanding—not God’s. As David acknowledges that he has sinned, he wants God to look at him through eyes of mercy (tender love, compassion, pity) and lovingkindness (kindness and pity to an inferior being)—attributes that God has exhibited toward man since creation.
The sins of my youth seems to be referencing the many ways he “missed the mark” through his actions as a child, the time when one is learning about God’s commandments and expectations. His transgressions reference the times he actually rebelled, the times he willfully disobeyed God’s law and chose to reject God’s authority in his life. As David reflects on these past sins, he wants God not to remember those parts of his life; he wants forgiveness. I liked the statement in the NIV commentary, “Forgiveness is that act of grace whereby God extends his love, as if the sin had never taken place!”
In the last phrase of verse 7 David again asks for God to respond to him in mercy because of His goodness. Jesus considered the goodness of God as a unique characteristic; one that only God possesses.
Matthew 19:17 “And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”
Mark 10:18 “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.”
Luke 18:19 “And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.”
The Hebrew from the NAS indicates “best” in comparative terms. Webster defines good as “Possessing moral excellence or virtue…Kind; benevolent… merciful; gracious…Not blemished or impeached; fair; honorable…”
All these thoughts help define the character of God, and it is on the basis of God’s character that David is pleading for forgiveness and mercy. God is the only Being that inherently possesses goodness. The only way we can exhibit true goodness is through the working of the Spirit in our life. We can become deceived about ourselves through “good” works, because often those works aren’t done for the purest motives and with absolutely no thought of reciprocity. I believe it is only through dying to self through submission to the LORD Jesus that we can exhibit true goodness.
Psa. 25:8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
Psa. 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
David continues to acknowledge the character of God. To the character trait of goodness, David now adds uprightness. The Hebrew for that word indicates “straight or even.” It’s another word picture of the character of God that illustrates the fact that He never changes; He never moves to the right or the left.
Malachi 3:6 "For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.”
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”
David knows that God teaches sinners and the meek the right way to live because as a sinner and one who has humbled himself before God, he has been taught. He’s expressing truth through experience. When we are humble before the Lord, we respond in repentance and renewed commitment to God when He decrees judgments for our sins. Again, David has experienced this truth as well.
We are told in the scripture that the LORD chastens those He loves. He is a faithful, attentive Father.
Proverbs 3:11-12 “My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
Hebrews 12:5-6 “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”
Revelation 3:19 “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.”
Spurgeon: “Meek spirits are in high favour with the Father of the meek and lowly Jesus, for he sees in them the image of his only begotten Son. They know their need of guidance, and are willing to submit their own understandings to the divine will….”
Psa. 25:10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
When we allow the LORD to direct our journey through life, He will only guide us in ways of mercy and truth. How does He direct us? Through His commandments and testimonies—the faithful witness of His truth through the scripture that testify to His faithfulness in His dealings with us.
Psa. 25:11 For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.
Again, David is asking for forgiveness of his sin based on the character of God, which is represented by His name. Evidently, David is approaching God at a time when he is overwhelmed by the sin in his life; his sin is great.
Again, I can associate. There are times when I am communing with the LORD and become so in touch with His greatness and holiness, that I become totally overwhelmed by my own sinfulness. All I can do at those times is thank God for His love and mercy in sending His Son, Jesus, to shed His blood in sacrifice for my sin—an act I’ll never truly understand this side of heaven…if then. It’s just not possible for me to understand that kind of love.
Spurgeon: “…faith looks not for merit in the creature, but hath regard to the goodness of the Creator….”
Psa. 25:12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
Psa. 25:13 His soul shall dwell at ease; and his seed shall inherit the earth.
I wonder if this is a type of poetic expression—to ask a question and answer in that indirect way. I think the implied answer from the context of the Psalm is that the man who fears the LORD is one who obeys Him (v10), is meek and humble (v9), is a repentant sinner (v8); and one who acknowledges God as LORD—the one and only (v1) and personally (v2).
The man who fears the LORD is the one that God will teach how to live an acceptable and excellent life (from the Hebrew for choose). The soul of this man will be at ease—this equates to me with peace of mind, a clear conscience, and a joyful spirit. The children of the man who fears the LORD will inherit possession of the earth. I would think that David is thinking of God’s covenant with both him and Israel as he penned these words. The interesting thing is that Jesus repeated this truth in the Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
I think when you consider the two verses, there is more truth to be found. Those who fear the LORD will produce children who fear the LORD.
Spurgeon: “We all wish to choose our way; but what a mercy is it when the Lord directs that choice, and makes free will to be goodwill! If we make our will God's will, God will let is have our will.”
Psa. 25:14 The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.
The person who fears the LORD will get to experience intimacy (from the Hebrew for secret) with Him. The Hebrew root for the word “covenant” was very interesting—“to select…to feed…to render clear…” This seems to express what comprises that intimacy:
He will be chosen.
He will be fed.
He will be given spiritual understanding.
Psa. 25:15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
Again, I think David is speaking from experience. When you keep your eyes, your focus, on the LORD, He will deliver you when you step into the trap or snare of the enemy. It’s another expression of David’s faith in God as his only source of salvation.
Psa. 25:16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.
Psa. 25:17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses.
Psa. 25:18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
David is asking for God’s individual attention. That reflects an interesting thought process. We know that God is omnipresent (everywhere present at all times), yet we expect His individual attention—and get it. Again, this is something I’m not sure I’ll ever understand.
Again, David expresses his desire for mercy. I think his repetition is due to his heaviness of spirit. He is desolate; he knows he is beloved by his LORD, but he feels lonely. He is afflicted—depressed and feeling totally worthless.
The first phrase of verse 2 seems to indicate that he is sinking deeper and deeper into depression. He feels helpless; he needs God to rescue him.
Again, David asks God to look at his spiritual condition and the sorrow and misery it is causing him. (Again, that need for God’s individual attention.) Again, he asks for forgiveness.
David is not making vain repetitions as he calls out for deliverance to God. He is truly crying out from a place of great spiritual need. He is desperate for God to answer him.
Spurgeon: “Forgive all my sins, is the cry of a soul that is more sick of sin than of pain, and would sooner be forgiven than healed.”
Psa. 25:19 Consider mine enemies; for they are many; and they hate me with cruel hatred.
David now turns his attention back to his enemies—which at this point in time he considers to be many. The Hebrew for cruel implies unjust. David feels like his enemies have based their hatred toward him on unjust reasoning.
Psa. 25:20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee.
Psa. 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee.
David is again expressing his desire for God’s protection and salvation.
“let me not be ashamed” – Takes us back to verse 2. The basis for this request is his trust in God because of His character (see verse 3).
Integrity is a reference to perfection, and uprightness speaks of unchanging—as in God’s character. It’s obvious David is appealing to God’s character for his preservation. David is patiently waiting for God’s answer. I thought the Hebrew for wait was interesting; it included the idea of being bound together. David’s faith and patience was evidence of his confidence in his relationship with God; he was connected in spirit to God’s spirit. The Lord affirmed that in scripture:
1Samuel 13:13-14 “And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly…But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart….”
1Samuel 16:12 “….And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.”
Acts 13:22 “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”
Psa. 25:22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles.
As David completes his prayer, he asks for deliverance and preservation for the nation as well as himself. This statement tells me that this Psalm was written at a time when David’s depression and overwhelming sense of sin was associated with events that were causing trouble to the nation, such as the time that Absalom tried to take over his kingdom.
Psalms 26:0 ¶ A Psalm of David.
This psalm is another identified as a composition of David, and it reads as a prayer of commitment to his faith and a plea for God’s protection.
Psalms 26:1 ¶ Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.
Psalms 26:2 Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.
“reins” = “figuratively, the mind (as the interior self)”
Most translations use vindicate rather than judge to begin this psalm; and from the context, this seems to be a better choice from the Hebrew. David is making a case before the LORD that he has acted with integrity and is innocent (from the Hebrew). The reference seems to be to a particular time in his life. He has placed complete trust in the LORD and will continue to do so without wavering. He asks the LORD to examine him and test both his mind and his heart.
Spurgeon: “Faith is the root and sap of integrity. He who leans upon the Lord is sure to walk in righteousness.”
That he calls for the LORD to examine him is very telling because elsewhere David declares that he knows that God knows what a man is thinking and what is in his heart. He is confident that the examination will prove him innocent before the LORD.
Psalms 139:2–4 “Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether.”
Psalms 44:21 “Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.”
This truth is both humbling and comforting to this child of God. I am so thankful for God’s unconditional love and abundant mercy and grace!
NIV Commentary: “Vindication is not primarily an expression of God’s righteous wrath and indignation against the wicked but a reassuring word from God.”
Psalms 26:3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.
Psalms 26:4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
Psalms 26:5 I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
David testifies that he has witnessed evidence of God’s lovingkindness and has purposed to walk in accordance with God’s will. (It would seem that this psalm was written before his time of moral failure.) He declares that he has not fellowshipped with those who had bad morals either in public or private. He counts as his enemy (from the Hebrew for “hated”) those that are evil doers and wicked.
Generally, I would use evil and wicked interchangeably. For some reason, I decided to look them both up in Webster’s and found that evil tends more to reference a morally corrupt character and wicked gives more emphasis to actions taken in connection with one’s evil character.
“evil” = “Having qualities tending to injury and mischief; having a nature or properties which tend to badness… morally corrupt….”
“wicked” = “Evil in principle or practice; deviating from morality; contrary to the moral or divine law; addicted to vice or sin….”
Thought-provoking comment from Guzik: “We have little or no control over many contacts and associations in life; but of those we do, we are obligated to choose and value with a heavenly perspective, not an earthly one.”
I liked Spurgeon’s comments on verses 4-5: “So far from being himself an open offender against the laws of God, the psalmist had not even associated with the lovers of evil. He had kept aloof from the men of Belial. A man is known by his company, and if we have kept ourselves apart from the wicked, it will always be evidence in our favour should our character be impugned. He who was never in the parish is not likely to have stolen the corn. He who never went to sea is clearly not the man who scuttled the ship.”
Psalms 26:6 ¶ I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:
Psalms 26:7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.
David declares that his hands are clean because he is innocent before the LORD.
I cannot help but think of how Pilate thought he could cleanse himself of any wrongdoing against Jesus by washing his hands before the people in declaration of his innocence.
Matthew 27:24 “When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.”
David valued the altar as the place where he could make sacrifices and offerings to maintain his right standing before God. He did not claim to be sinless, but to be striving to walk in obedience to God’s commands.
David declares that he will walk around the altar of the LORD publicly in light of his innocence and declare his praise to the LORD with thanksgiving while giving testimony of his wonderful works.
We should always be ready and willing to testify publicly to the wonderful works of God in our lives—which means that we need to recognize such works and not take them for granted as we are so often wont to do.
Courson: “I like David’s mindset. He went to the house of the Lord not for what he could get, but for what he could give.”
Psalms 26:8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
David loved to visit the tabernacle of God’s presence; he yearned to be in the presence of God.
I so identify with David’s heart. I yearn to be in the presence of God because I know that I will then be clothed in a glorious, sinless body and able to enjoy His fellowship like never before. Yes, I know that the LORD is present with me all the time in the person of the Holy Spirit; but weak flesh that I am, I yearn to see Him face to face and experience the culmination of faith.
Psalms 26:9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:
Psalms 26:10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.
These verses are a prayer for God not to account him among the wicked men who are murderers, who make evil plans and who are ready to take bribes. That he is referencing his soul seems to be a reference to his fate at death.
David lived under the law; he was aware that the Holy Spirit could be taken away from him and was conscious of needing to keep the law to maintain a right standing before the LORD.
Psalms 51:10–11 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”
We are so blessed to live under the new covenant of grace and to have the seal of the Holy Spirit as evidence that we are in right standing with the LORD because we are clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.
Ephesians 1:12–14 “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Guzik: “Many who would never think of taking bribes from a businessman still take bribes of a sort; they take bribes from sin. A bribe simply is a reward for doing something morally wrong. Sin may bribe us with momentary pleasure, attention, fame of a sort, excitement, comfort of life, or whatever. We should never be willing to do something morally wrong because it is rewarded in some way.”
Psalms 26:11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.
David again declares his commitment to walking in integrity to maintain moral innocence. He prays for the LORD to rescue him (from evil would be implied) and be merciful (show him kindness and favor).
Psalms 26:12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.
I think the NLT expressed it well: “I have taken a stand, and I will publicly praise the LORD.”