Psalm 25:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.

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

NASB: My God, in You I trust, Do not let me be ashamed; Do not let my enemies rejoice over me.

CSB: My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me.

NLT: I trust in you, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.

KJV: O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.

NKJV: O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.

Apparently, David is facing a perilous situation as he prays. However, he knows God is not distant, impersonal, or unapproachable. He calls him "my God." This declaration of his personal relationship with God resembles David's statement in Psalm 23:1: "The LORD is my shepherd." David knew his God was trustworthy even in life's most dangerous times.

He asks the Lord to keep him from being victimized by his enemies. David does not want his enemies to disgrace him and boast about what they had done to him. David writes that he trusts in his God. Although David was no stranger to battle, he realized that trust in the Lord is the most effective weapon to employ against an enemy. Jesus said, "Apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). Among the pieces of armor Scripture lists for gaining victory over the Devil is the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).

Psalm 25:1–7 reveals David's trust in the Lord in a time of intense danger. He waits on the Lord to keep him from falling into disgrace at the hands of his foes. Parallel to this, Psalm 37:1–11 contains David's counsel about trusting the Lord and waiting on Him. He assures his readers that the Lord will destroy evildoers but reward the righteous. Psalm 40:1–5 also records the value David found in waiting on the Lord for deliverance from danger and distress.

This prayer of David uses the Hebrew alphabet as a pattern. This is an acrostic, where verses each begin with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The final verse, however, repeats the letter used in verse 16. David declares his trust in God and the value of the Lord's wisdom. Mixed into these praises of God's truth are multiple requests that David be forgiven of his sins. The psalm ends with David asking for rescue from his enemies, and for a similar redemption for the nation of Israel.

Psalm 25 finds David facing difficulty and seeking the Lord's guidance. Proverbs 3:5–6 offers a similar emphasis on divine guidance for those who seek the Lord's will. Deuteronomy 32 provides parallel teaching, as do Psalm 37:1–7 and Psalm 40.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 11/21/2024 9:33:11 AM