Psalms 25 - Printer Friendly

This psalm follows an acrostic pattern. Each verse begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In this prayer, David perceives life as a difficult journey that can be pursued successfully only with the Lord's guidance. David is concerned about his foes and his faults and entreats the Lord to deliver him from both. He trusts in the Lord as the God of his salvation, who can keep him from being ashamed by his treacherous enemies (Psalm 25:1–3).

David appeals to God for guidance and for forgiveness. The psalm expresses confidence that God will forgive youthful sins—something David presumes for himself given that his heart and attitude are godly. Out of consistent love, the Lord never stops caring for those who seek Him (Psalm 25:4–7).

This prayer also recognizes the Lord as good, upright, merciful, loving, and the friend of those who fear him. David acknowledges that God provides knowledge and correction for all people. Those who are willing to listen—those who are not arrogant or stubborn—can learn from God's love and follow His will (Psalm 25:8–10).

Even though David's life mostly followed God's will, he did not claim to be perfect. Here, he acknowledges that he is a sinner who needs to be forgiven. Echoing the earlier verses of this psalm, he connects obedience to God with increased knowledge and less chance of disaster (Psalm 25:11–15).

Turning to express his need, David regards the Lord as the only one who can deliver him from the danger that distressed him. Once again, while pleading for rescue, David admits his sin and asks for forgiveness. The psalm concludes with a prayer for Israel's rescue (Psalm 25:16–22).

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.

Psalm 25:8–14 was written by David about the character of God. He expresses the fact that it is wise to trust in God. David trusted God when life seemed tenuous. His foes made treacherous plans to disgrace him, but David trusted God to deliver him, forgive him, and guide him through life. Ephesians 2:8–10 is a companion passage. It teaches that God has a plan for all whom he saves.

Psalm 25:15–22 records more of David's prayer. He is facing multiple dangers, but he trusts the Lord to deliver him. In this regard, his plea resembles that of his prayer for deliverance in Psalm 22. The concluding section of Psalm 25 naturally follows David's description of the Lord's steadfast love and mercy. The Lord cares for those who obey Him, so He will not disappoint David in David's time of great need.

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.

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.