1 Of David. Unto thee, O Jehovah, do I lift up my soul.
2 My God, in thee have I trusted; let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
3 Yea, all those who wait on thee shall not be ashamed; they shall be ashamed who deal falsely without a cause.
4 Make me to know thy ways, O Jehovah; teach me thy paths.
5 Lead me in thy truth and teach me, for thou [art] the God of my salvation; for thee have I waited all the day.
6 Remember thy tender mercies, O Jehovah, and thy kindness, for they [are] from everlasting.
7 The sins of my youth and my transgressions remember thou not; according to thy mercy remember thou me, for thy goodness sake, O Jehovah.
8 Good and upright [is] Jehovah; therefore he teacheth sinners in the way.
9 He guideth the meek in judgment, and he teacheth the meek his way.
10 All the paths of Jehovah [are] mercy and truth to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For thy name’s sake, O Jehovah, thou hast even pardoned mine iniquity, for it [is] great.
12 Who [is] this, the man that feareth Jehovah? He teacheth him in the way he chooseth.
13 His soul abideth in goodness, and his seed shall inherit the earth.
14 The secret of Jehovah [is] for those who fear him, and his covenant, to instruct them.
15 Mine eyes [are] continually unto Jehovah, for he bringeth forth my feet from a net.
16 Turn thyself unto me and be gracious to me, for I [am] desolate and afflicted.
17 The troubles of my heart have been enlarged; bring me out of mine afflictions.
18 Look upon mine affliction and my sorrow, and forgive all my sins.
19 Look upon mine enemies, for they are many; and [with] a hatred of violence they have hated me.
20 Keep my soul and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I have trusted in thee.
21 Integrity and uprightness shall preserve me, for I have waited for thee.
22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all his distresses.
Notes on Psalm 25
In verses 1-5 is the introduction: the God-fearing wait on Jehovah, in contrast with the deceitful who shall know shame and everlasting contempt. Then follows the plea of mercy to ver. 11. Can anything surpass this in the confidence of divine peace? It is the prospect by faith of Messiah suffering for sin that casts wholly on God’s mercy; and the very greatness of the sin is openly urged as the reason for His pardon Whose thoughts are not ours, any more than our ways are His. He can well afford through that cross which emboldens the believer. Man’s sin is too great for any one but the God that saves through Christ dead and risen.
The sinners whom Jehovah guides and teaches, as He forgives, are the meek who are to inherit the earth, as they only have uprightness and integrity. This last is the burden of the companion psalm that follows.
Psalm 25 is the first of the alphabetical psalms, though not strictly such; for two verses begin with the first letter (Aleph), and two with our R, two being omitted, and the last as well as the title being outside this order. The closing aposiopesis (as the figure is called) in verses 13, 14, is beautiful.