Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS 10 Jan 2016
1 Of
David.
It is to You, Yahweh, I will lift up my soul.
2 My God, it is in You I have trusted.
Let me not
be shamed;
let not my enemies triumph in relation to me.
3 Moreover, it is all those who wait on
You that will not be shamed;
the vainly treacherous ones will be shamed.
4 Yahweh, cause me to know Your ways;
teach me Your paths;
5 Cause me to travel in your truth
and teach me,
because You
are the God of my salvation;
It is for You that I have waited all this day.
6 Remember Your mercies, Yahweh, and Your lovingkindnesses,
because they are from eternity.
7 [As for the] sins of my youth and my
transgressions, don’t remember [them];
according to Your lovingkindness remember Yourself for me, on account of Your
goodness, Yahweh!
8 Goodness and righteousness characterize Yahweh, therefore
He instructs sinners in His way.
9 He causes the lowly ones to travel in His justice,
and he teaches lowly ones His way.
10 All Yahweh’s paths are lovingkindness and faithfulness
for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.
11 On account of Your name, Yahweh, even pardon my iniquity,
for it is much.
12 Who is the man who respects Yahweh? He will direct this [man] in a way He will choose.
13 His soul will spend the night with goodness, and his seed will take possession of the land.
14 The companionship of Yahweh is for those who respect Him
– even to cause them to experience His covenant.
15 My eyes will always be [looking] to Yahweh,
because it is He who will get my feet out from the capture-net.
16 Pay attention to me and be gracious to me
because I am lonely and depressed.
17 The stresses of my heart have expanded; get me out of my straits!
18 Look at my low [condition] and my trouble, and lift away all my sins.
19 Look at my enemies
because they have become many, and they have hated me [with] violent hatred.
20 Please guard my soul and deliver me; let me not be ashamed,
Because I have taken refuge in You.
21 Integrity and righteousness will protect me
because I have waited for You.
22 God, redeem Israel from all its stresses!
· Last Sunday we looked at the first half of Psalm 25, and I noted that:
o David is dealing with physical enemies as well as with the spiritual enemy of sin, and his greatest fear is that he will be ashamed for putting his trust in something that doesn’t deliver.
o I noted that we must deal with the fear of blowing it and being shamed by waiting on the LORD – trusting that He can and will deliver.
o David remembers that his security is found in God, and so he asks God to keep revealing truth to him and to keep guiding him in what he should do to walk in a covenantal relationship of trust and devotion to the one true God.
o David prays, “Don’t remember what characterizes me (namely my ‘sin’ & ‘transgression’); rather remember what characterizes You (namely Your ‘Mercy, lovingkindness, Goodness, and faithfulness’), and “pardon me on the basis of Your character” as “the God of my salvation.”
· Now, as we pick back up with v.12, David reviews the promises of God: first, the promise of guidance:
· Rightly-placed fear results in a blessed relationship with God!
§ Don’t start with what kinds of clothes Christians wear
§ or what kinds of beverages Christians drink
§ or what kind of things Christians do for recreation – that can all come later –
o rather, start with “What am I most afraid of?”
o That will tell you whether or not someone is a Christian.
o What you are most afraid of will affect every decision that you make:
§ If you are driven by your fear of what other people will think of you,
§ or if you are driven by your fear of being hurt by impersonal natural forces, then you will have no relationship with God.
§ If, on the other hand, you are driven by the fear of being on bad terms with God, and the life decisions you make are centered around preserving and not alienating your relationship with Him, He will open Himself up to you and walk in companionship with you as your mentor and teacher.
o That is not to say you will do this perfectly – only Jesus could do that, but in Hebrew wisdom literature like this, we’re talking about overarching trends of life.
§ “Fearing the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10).
· The standard English translations are all slightly different in how they translate the Hebrew verb bachar “choose,” at the end of this verse, but in every case, the overall picture is the same; it is a picture of walking in a relationship with God where God gives guidance.
o If the one doing the choosing is “the man who fears God,” then the Hebrew Imperfect tense should be translated with a sense of responsibility or obligation like the NASB does (“the way he should choose”).
§ This would be consistent with the idea in verse 8 that, “The LORD directs sinners in His way,”
§ God still guides by setting the standard of the right way and by leading us in that way even as we make choices.
o I think it would be better, however, to interpret the “he” who does the “choosing of the way” as God.
§ The Hebrew Imperfect tense verb for “choose” can then be translated as an English Future tense like King James does (“the way He shall choose”)
§ or perhaps as a frequentive like the New King James does (“the way He chooses” - the kinds of things that God always chooses, like goodness, faithfulness, and love).
§ Job 29:25 uses the same words to describe what a leader does: “I chose the way for them, and sat as chief; So I dwelt as a king...” (NKJV). Kings and presidents make choices as a way of leading their people.
§ The NIV follows the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew text here with a past tense verb “chosen,” but it still pictures God as the one leading by making choices.
· The next promise David reviews is God’s promise of goodness:
· Mary, the mother of Jesus, understood that this was fulfilled through faith in Jesus as she sang, “He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and to his seed forever.” (Luke 1:52-55, NKJV)
· If we will show respect to God above all, it will be literally like having an “overnight” party with “goodness” itself, and we will be living with “well-being.”
· Then there is a parallel between God’s promise of a land to the Jewish patriarchs and Jesus’ promise of a kingdom to Christians: Matt. 5:5 “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”
· And we will not be the only ones who benefit from fearing God. Our children will benefit too! They will “take possession of the land” or “inherit the earth.”
o There is a sense in which our faithfulness to God sets our children up to “inherit the earth” because God’s ways are practically wise, and, if we do what the Bible teaches, we will naturally see some economic prosperity because we will be working with the flow of the way God created the world, rather than against the principles of His created order (for instance, if you work 6 days a week and rest the other 1, you will naturally maximize your productivity).
o But this isn’t just talking about physical prosperity. This is talking about the prosperity of a soul. Our commitment to fear God can also bring spiritual blessings to our descendents when they look at us and see what a relationship with God looks like – and what peace and joys go with it, and they want it for themselves!
o Thus we can leave a spiritual legacy which is greater than our material legacy to our children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
· David has reviewed the promise of God’s guidance and of God’s goodness; next he introduces God’s blessing of companionship:
· When we fear God, He brings His companionship – His intimate friendship – into our lives, which He has prepared for this very purpose, so that we may know from experience what it is like to be in covenant with Him and what a blessing it is to be in this relationship with Him.
· The Hebrew word sood, translated “secret/friendship/confidence/companionship” in the English versions, has a root meaning that pictures people “sitting” down together to talk.
o In Psalm 55:15, David says he enjoyed this kind of companionship with friends at the temple.
o Job and Amos both said they had that kind of fellowship with God (Job 29:4, Amos 3:7).
o In that culture, “sitting” down was generally something that elders did in their official business of providing judicial or military council for their city.
o In Proverbs 3:32, God uses this word to say that “the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright.”
o Part of intimacy is sharing things that you can only entrust to a friend, because an enemy would use it to exploit you, so you don’t share that kind of information with just anybody. When handled respectfully, that intimate knowledge can make a relationship even stronger, knowing that the other person trusts you.
o Can you believe that God would enter into a relationship of mutual trust with you and share inside knowledge with you and treat you in a special way that is different from the mass of mankind? It is almost too good to be true, and yet it is true. This is awesome!
· Now, after reviewing God’s promises of guidance, goodness, and companionship, in verses 12-14, David returns to his present circumstances in verse 15, and to his plan of action, in light of the truth He believes about God:
· His present circumstance is that his feet are caught in a capture-net.
o David mentions this net/snare half a dozen times throughout the Psalms (cf. 9:15; 10:9; 35:7,8; 57:6; 140:5), but here and in Psalm 31:4 he states his confidence that God will “pluck” him out. “Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, For You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD...”
o But notice the perspective he has on these present difficult circumstances. David is now looking at these circumstances as one who has God with him.
· His plan of action is to set his eyes upon God.
o Why? Because the only one who can spring him from the trap and deliver him is God.
o The NIV did well in expressing the emphasis of the Hebrew words in this verse: “[only] He will release...”
o ILLUSTRATION: We have three outdoor cats at our house, and it’s kinda hard to keep track of them all. (The metaphor of “herding cats” is a pretty accurate assessment of that species.) But one thing I can count on is that my cats will do anything to get a full tummy and a warm, soft place to sleep. I have trained them to some extent to respond to the noise of the garage door closing at night to come in out of the winter cold and spend the night in my garage where there is food and water and my son’s soft, warm hunting clothes. Well those cats don’t always have the good sense to come in when they hear the garage door close, so occasionally I will find one of those cats sitting on my back porch early the next morning, meowing piteously at me through the sliding glass door that looks in to our dining room and kitchen. As I drink my first cup of water and unload the dishwasher, that cat’s eyes are following every movement I make, back and forth. What on earth would cause such an independent-thinking, autonomous feline – that would not come when I call – to stoop to such obsequious behavior? It is because that cat knows that I am its only hope to deliver it from the cruel winter elements and get it inside the garage to fill its tummy and find a soft, warm place to sleep. Now that my cat is uncomfortable and in trouble, its eyes are riveted upon me.
o That is a little parable of us and God, isn’t it? When life is going great, that’s when it’s easiest to forget God, but when we get uncomfortable and get to feeling our needs and inadequacies, that’s when our eyes turn to God and we start praying more and asking for His deliverance. And, to a certain extent, that’s o.k., as long as it is to God that we turn in our need, and not to something else.
o What if my cat, instead of turning its eyes toward me, went over to my car and stared and meowed at it all morning? Would my car be able to provide the food and warmth it needs? No, my car will never act on behalf of a cat, because it is an inanimate object.
o What if the cat somehow found my wallet and fixated itself on the dollar bills inside? Would green pieces of paper help?
o What if the cat were to try to catch my two-year-old’s eye and try to get help from her? No, a baby isn’t going to know what the cat needs and how to provide for it, much less how to open the garage door!
o My cat is right-on to lock eyes with me and meow until I let it into the garage, because I am the only one who will deliver it. The same is true of you and me with God. It is a waste of time for us to look to toys or money or even other people to fix our troubles; only God through Jesus Christ can give us the security we desire.
· So, what does that look like to have eyes fixed on God? It means that all day long we know that we are in trouble if God isn’t helping us, so we’re talking to Him about everything.
o First thing out of bed: “Lord please help me get up and do your will.”
o Morning devotions: “Please deliver us from evil! Now what do you want to say to me from Your word?”
o At work: “Father, please give me wisdom for what to do. Please protect me from disaster.”
o At the end of the day: “God, please give me strength to finish well.”
o And when you go to bed at night: “Holy Spirit please guard my thoughts so that I can lie down and sleep in peace.”
· This action is actually reciprocal; as David sets His eyes on God, He calls God to turn His face toward him, confident that God does indeed relate to us in a reciprocal way like that, as he says in Psalm 34:15 “The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.” (NKJV)
· Confident in the knowledge of God’s presence and God’s promises, and expectantly looking to God, David now asks God to act with a string of 10 or 11 imperatives from here to the end of the Psalm.
· Can any of you relate to that?
o “lonely” (from the Hebrew number “one”- echad) and
o “depressed” (‘ani – literally “low,” pressed “down” and thus, “afflicted”).
· What’s interesting to me is that David sees his loneliness and depression as the reason why God should turn His face toward him and be gracious to him!
o If that is true (and since this is scripture, it IS true), that means God is obligated to pay attention and show kindness to some of us... pretty frequently!
o We see this principle stated many times in the Psalms, for instance,
§ Psalm 12:5 “From devastation of lowly ones, from sighing of needy ones, now I will arise,” says Yahweh, “I will save.”
§ and Psalm 18:27 “You Yourself will cause to save a lowly people, but haughty eyes You will bring low.”
o Do you realize that when you feel lonely and depressed, this is not because God has abandoned you; rather it is the very occasion when God is paying special attention to you? Are you willing to believe that?
· Are you willing to lift your eyes up to Him during those times and engage in the depth of interpersonal relationship He has for those who fear Him?
o If you will, then God promises in Leviticus 26:9 “I will turn to face you favorably and make you fruitful, multiply you and confirm My covenant with you.”
· In v. 17 David reveals even more of his situation: Not only is he trapped; not only is he alone; he is also “stressed” out and his emotions are going crazy, and he needs God to come to the rescue.
· Note that the “trouble” in v.17 is internal – “my distresses” and “my heart.”
· The picture I get from the Hebrew words reminds me of something I saw in my kitchen this week: While unloading the dishwasher full of hot, freshly-sanitized glasses, I had nested one glass inside the other and placed them in the cupboard. Later that day, when my wife opened the cabinet, CRASH, suddenly the kitchen was full of glass shards. The best we could figure was that as the two nested glasses cooled down in the cabinet, the larger glass was contracting more that the smaller glass inside it, so stress was gradually building up between them. By the end of the day, the stress was so great that all it took was a bump from the cabinet door and the glass exploded!
· That was how David’s heart was feeling – caught in a tight spot with troubles growing and growing and no way to relieve the pressure.
· He deals with being stressed out by crying out to the Lord, because only God has the power to effectively do anything about it.
· Psalm 107 tells us four times in a row that when people cry out to the Lord in trouble, He delivers them from their distresses! “Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses.” (Psalm 107:28, NKJV, repeated in verses 6, 13, and 19)
· Now, in v.18, David admits that it is his own sin which is at the heart of his trouble, and he asks God for forgiveness:
· The word for “trouble” ‘amal, is a synonym for the toilsome, hard, painful obstetric labor and agricultural labor (etzev) that came as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:16-17). Pain and difficulty and trouble come from sin, and David does the only thing any man can do about it; he begs for God to forgive his sins.
· The Hebrew word he chooses is picturesque: nasa (The NIV captures it better than most other standard versions.) The picture is of someone grabbing those sins which are grinding David down into the ground and lifting them up and right out of sight. And God’s forgiveness is – Whoosh – just like that!
· “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9, NASB)
· Now, once his sin is dealt with, David asks God to take care of his political problems:
· Which enemies is David talking about in this Psalm? We don’t enough details to be certain:
o It could have been King Saul and his murderous henchmen who kept trying to slaughter David and his friends,
o It could have been the Philistines and the other Canaanite and Arab tribes who kept on attacking the cities David lived in.
o It could have been David’s own treacherous sons who turned key political leaders against him and ran him out of his own palace while trying to kill him.
o Maybe it was some other enemy. But whoever it was, David asks God to look at this situation, assess it, see how grave the danger is to David’s life, and act to save his life.
o As I mentioned last week, this is only possible when your God is a personal God who can hear your requests and who can indeed observe the situation you are in and who has the power to intervene. David knows this is true of the LORD. Do you?
· He continues in verse 20 with an interesting argument based on God’s self-interest:
· David is saying, in effect, “God, I have trusted You and taken refuge in you. If my enemies put me to shame now, then the shame reflects on You. If you fail, the world will see that you are a God who can’t deliver on His covenantal promises of protection. And, for what it’s worth, God, if you can’t preserve my life from the threat of these political enemies, the world will question whether you can forgive sins either.”
· Do you realize you can pray arguments like that, based on God’s self-interest?
· David, you know, has no doubt that God will deliver on His promises in this covenantal relationship. Remember what he has said in his earlier Psalms:
o 2:12b “Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”
o 5:11a “let all who put their trust in You rejoice; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them...”
o 12:7 “You will keep them, O LORD, You will preserve them from this generation forever.”
o 18:30 “This God has integrity.... He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”
o There is no question there in David’s mind, and there need be no question in ours.
· We can trust God because He has laid His own reputation on the line in His promises to preserve our life and to forgive our sins. Furthermore, David says,
· If that integrity and righteousness had come from David himself, he would have had no need to wait or hope; he would have had what he needed for salvation without waiting for God, but it took waiting on God to get them because David didn’t have these character traits naturally, and you weren’t born with them either. You were born in sin, just like David was (Ps. 51:5),
· but God provides integrity and righteousness to those who wait for Him, that is for Jesus, who came and lived a life of perfect righteousness and integrity and then took on himself God’s wrath against all our sin so that He could transfer all his integrity and righteousness to us – to all who trust Him to BE “the LORD our righteousness” (Jer. 33:16, 1Cor. 1:30, Php. 3:9)
· Now, after reviewing the covenant promises of God for guidance, goodness, and companionship, and finding the faith to set his eyes upon the LORD for deliverance and praying specifically for God’s action to remove his sin and protect him from his enemies, David ends by praying...
· The personal stresses or troubles of David in v.17 were a subset of the total experienced by Israel,
· and in Romans 11:25-26, “all Israel” is defined by God as including all the Jewish and Gentile people throughout all of history saved by grace through faith in Christ. That includes us!
· David looks beyond himself and prays for you, dear church! And his prayer will be answered.
· Believe it:
o There is no trouble so great that it can disrupt your fellowship with God.
o There is no stress so overwhelming that it has the power to shatter you.
o There is no enemy so numerous that it can separate you from Christ Jesus.
· He will defend you and preserve the relationship He has established with you forever.
· “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: "FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE KILLED ALL DAY LONG; WE ARE ACCOUNTED AS SHEEP FOR THE SLAUGHTER." Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:31-39, NKJV) AMEN!
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LXX (Ps. 24) |
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NASB |
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1 לְדָוִד [1]אֵלֶיךָ יְהוָה נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא: |
1 Of David. It is to You, Yahweh, I will lift up my soul. |
1 [Ψαλμὸς] τῷ Δαυιδ. Πρὸς σέ, κύριε, ἦρα τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὁ θεός μου. |
1 A Psalm of David. Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. |
1 [A Psalm] of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. |
1 Of David. To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. |
1 A Psalm of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul. |
1 Of David. To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul; |
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2 אֱלֹהַי בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי אַל-אֵבוֹשָׁה אַל-יַעַלְצוּ אֹיְבַי לִי: |
2 My God, it is in You I have trusted. Let me not be shamed; let not my enemies triumph concerning me. |
2 ἐπὶ σοὶ πέποιθα· μὴ καταισχυνθείην, μηδὲ καταγελασάτωσάν μου οἱ ἐχθροί μου. |
2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. |
2 O my God, I trust in You; Let me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me. |
2 O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me. |
2 O my God, in You I trust, [Do] not let me be ashamed; [Do] not let my enemies exult over me. |
2 in you I trust, O my God. [Do] not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. |
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3 גַּם כָּל-קוֶֹיךָ לֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ יֵבֹשׁוּ הַבּוֹגְדִים רֵיקָם: |
3 Moreover, it is all those who wait on You that will not be shamed; the vainly treacherous ones will be shamed. |
3 καὶ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ὑπομένοντές σε οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῶσιν· αἰσχυνθήτωσαν πάντες οἱ ἀνομοῦντες διὰ κενῆς. |
3 Yea, |
3 Indeed,
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3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame; they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. |
3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed. |
3 X No one who |
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4 דְּרָכֶיךָ יְהוָה הוֹדִיעֵנִי [2]אֹרְחוֹתֶיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי: |
4 Yahweh, cause me to know Your ways; teach me Your paths; |
4 τὰς ὁδούς σου, κύριε, γνώρισόν μοι [καὶ] τὰς τρίβους σου δίδαξόν με. |
4 Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. |
4 Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. |
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. |
4 Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. |
4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; |
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5 הַדְרִיכֵנִי בַאֲמִתֶּךָ [3]וְלַמְּדֵנִי כִּי-אַתָּה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי אוֹתְךָ קִוִּיתִי כָּל-הַיּוֹם: |
5 Cause me to travel[4] in your truth and teach me, because You are the God of my salvation; It is for You that I have waited all this[5] day. |
5 ὁδήγησόν
με ἐπὶ τὴν[6]
ἀλήθειάν σου
καὶ δίδαξόν
με, ὅτι σὺ εἶ [ὁ] θεὸς [ὁ] |
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. |
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. |
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day [long]. |
5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day. |
5 guide
me in your truth and teach me, for you are God X my |
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6 זְכֹר-רַחֲמֶיךָ [8]יְהוָה וַחֲסָדֶיךָ כִּי מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה: |
6 Remember Your mercies, Yahweh, and Your lovingkindnesses, because they are from eternity. |
6 μνήσθητι τῶν οἰκτιρμῶν σου, κύριε, καὶ τὰ ἐλέη σου, ὅτι ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνός εἰσιν. |
6 Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old. |
6 Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. |
6 Remember your mercyX, O LORD, and your steadfast loveX, for they have been from of old. |
6 Remember, O LORD, Your compassionX and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old. |
6 Remember, O LORD, your great mercyX & loveX, for they are from of old. |
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7 חַטֹּאות נְעוּרַי וּפְשָׁעַי אַל-תִּזְכֹּר כְּחַסְדְּךָ זְכָר-לִי-אַתָּה לְמַעַן טוּבְךָ יְהוָה: |
7 [As for the] sins of my youth & my transgresssions, don’t remember [them]; according to Your lovingkindness remember Yourself[9] for me, on account of Your goodness, Yahweh! |
7 ἁμαρτίας
νεότητός μου
καὶ |
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, nor
my transgressions: according to thy |
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my
transgressions; According to Your |
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! |
7 Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness' sake, O LORD. |
7 Remember not the sins of my youth and my |
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8 טוֹב-וְיָשָׁר יְהוָה עַל-כֵּן יוֹרֶה חַטָּאִים בַּדָּרֶךְ: |
8 Goodness & righteousness characterize Yahweh, therefore He directs[10] sinners in His way. |
8 χρηστὸς καὶ εὐθὴς ὁ κύριος· διὰ τοῦτο νομοθετήσει ἁμαρτάνοντας ἐν X ὁδῷ. |
8 Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. |
8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. |
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. |
8 Good and upright is the LORD; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way. |
8 Good & upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in his way[s]. |
|
9 יַדְרֵךְ עֲנָוִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וִילַמֵּד עֲנָוִים דַּרְכּוֹ: |
9 He causes the lowly ones to travel in His[11] justice, and he teaches lowly ones His way. |
9 ὁδηγήσει πραεῖς ἐν X κρίσει, διδάξει πραεῖς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ. |
9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. |
9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. |
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. |
9 He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way. |
9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches |
|
10 כָּל-אָרְחוֹת יְהוָה חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת לְנֹצְרֵי בְרִיתוֹ וְעֵדֹתָיו: |
10 All Yahweh’s paths are lovingkindness and faithfulness[12] for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies[13]. |
10 πᾶσαι αἱ
ὁδοὶ κυρίου
ἔλεος καὶ
ἀλήθεια τοῖς |
10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. |
10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. |
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. |
10 All the paths of the LORD are lovingkindness and truth To those who keep His covenant and His testimonies. |
10 All the |
|
11 לְמַעַן-שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲוֹנִי כִּי רַב-הוּא: |
11 On account of Your name[14], Yahweh, even pardon my iniquity, for it is much. |
11 ἕνεκα τοῦ ὀνόματός σου, κύριε, καὶ ἱλάσῃ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ μου· πολλὴ γάρ ἐστιν. |
11 For thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great. |
11 For Your name's sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. |
11 For your name's sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great. |
11 For Your name's sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. |
11 For the sake of your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, though it is great. |
|
12 מִי-זֶה הָאִישׁ יְרֵא יְהוָה יוֹרֶנּוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ יִבְחָר: |
12 Who is the man who respects[15] Yahweh? He will direct this [man] in a way He will choose[16]. |
12 τίς ἐστιν X X ἄνθρωπος ὁ
φοβούμενος
τὸν κύριον; νομοθετήσει
αὐτῷ ἐν ὁδῷ, [ᾗ] |
12 What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in [the] way that he shall choose. |
12 Who is X the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in [the] way He chooses. |
12 Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in [the] way [that] he should choose. |
12 Who is X the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in [the] way he should choose. |
12
Who, |
|
13 נַפְשׁוֹ בְּטוֹב תָּלִין וְזַרְעוֹ יִירַשׁ אָרֶץ: |
13 His soul will spend the night with goodness[17], and his seed will take possession of the land.[18] |
13 ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγαθοῖς αὐλισθήσεται, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ κληρονομήσει γῆν. |
13 His soul shall dwell |
13 He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendant[s] shall inherit the earth. |
13 His soul shall abide in well-being, and his offspring shall inherit the land. |
13 His soul will abide in prosperity, And his descendant[s] will inherit the land. |
13 He
X will spend |
|
14 סוֹד יְהוָה לִירֵאָיו וּבְרִיתוֹ לְהוֹדִיעָם: |
14 The companionship of Yahweh is for those who respect Him – even to cause them to experience[19] His covenant. |
14 |
14 The secret of the LORD is |
14 The
secret of the
LORD is |
14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant. |
14 The secret of the LORD is for those who fear Him, And He will make them know His covenant. |
14
The LORD |
|
15 עֵינַי תָּמִיד אֶל-יְהוָה כִּי הוּא-יוֹצִיא[20] מֵרֶשֶׁת רַגְלָי: |
15 My eyes will always be [looking] to[21] Yahweh, because it is He who will get my feet out from the capture-net. |
15 οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διὰ παντὸς πρὸς τὸν κύριον, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐκσπάσει ἐκ παγίδος τοὺς πόδας μου. |
15 Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD; for he X shall pluck my feet out of the net. |
15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD, For He X shall pluck my feet out of the net. |
15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he X will pluck my feet out of the net. |
15 My eyes are continually toward the LORD, For He X will pluck my feet out of the net. |
15 My eyes are ever on the LORD, for [only] he will release my feet from the snare. |
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16 פְּנֵה-אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי כִּי-יָחִיד[22] וְעָנִי אָנִי: |
16 Pay attention to me and be gracious to me because I am lonely and depressed[23]. |
16
ἐπίβλεψον ἐπ᾿
ἐμὲ καὶ
ἐλέησόν με,
ὅτι |
16 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon[24] me; for I am desolate and afflicted. |
16 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. |
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. |
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, For I am lonely and afflicted. |
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. |
|
17 צָרוֹת לְבָבִי הִרְחִיבוּ מִמְּצוּקוֹתַי הוֹצִיאֵנִי: |
17 The stresses of my heart have expanded; get me out of my straits[25] |
17 αἱ θλίψεις τῆς καρδίας μου ἐπλατύνθησαν· ἐκ τῶν ἀναγκῶν μου ἐξάγαγέ με. |
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my distresses. |
17 The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! |
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; bring me out of my distresses. |
17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses. |
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguishX. |
|
18רְאֵה עָנְיִי וַעֲמָלִי וְשָׂא לְכָל-חַטֹּאותָי: |
18 Look at my low [condition] and my trouble and lift away all my sins.[26] |
18 ἰδὲ τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου καὶ τὸν κόπον μου καὶ ἄφες πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας μου. |
18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins. |
18 Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins. |
18 |
18 Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins. |
18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. |
|
19 רְאֵה-אוֹיְבַי כִּי-רָבּוּ וְשִׂנְאַת חָמָס שְׂנֵאוּנִי: |
19 Look at my enemies because they have become many[27] and they have hated me [with] violent hatred. |
19 ἰδὲ τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου, ὅτι ἐπληθύνθησαν καὶ μῖσος ἄδικον ἐμίσησάν με. |
19 |
19 |
19 |
19 Look upon my enemies, for they are many, And they hate me with violent hatred. |
19
See |
|
20 שָׁמְרָה[28] נַפְשִׁי וְהַצִּילֵנִי אַל-אֵבוֹשׁ כִּי-חָסִיתִי בָךְ: |
20 Please guard[29] my soul and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I have taken refuge in You[30]. |
20 φύλαξον τὴν ψυχήν μου καὶ ῥῦσαί με· μὴ καταισχυνθείην, ὅτι ἤλπισα ἐπὶ σέ. |
20 O keep my soul, and deliver me: let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee. |
20 Keep my soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. |
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me! Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. |
20 Guard my soul and deliver me; Do not let me be ashamed, for I take refuge in You. |
20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. |
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21 תֹּם-וָיֹשֶׁר יִצְּרוּנִי[31] כִּי קִוִּיתִיךָ: |
21 Integrity and righteousness will protect me because I have waited[32] for You. |
21 ἄκακοι καὶ εὐθεῖς ἐκολλῶντό μοι, ὅτι ὑπέμεινά σε, [κύριε]. |
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee. |
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. |
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. |
21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You. |
21
May integrity and uprightness protect me, because |
|
22 פְּדֵה אֱלֹהִים אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל מִכֹּל צָרוֹתָיו: |
22 God, redeem Israel from all its stresses[33]. |
22 λύτρωσαι, ὁ θεός, τὸν Ισραηλ ἐκ πασῶν τῶν θλίψεων αὐτοῦ. |
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. |
22 Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all their troubles! |
22 Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles. |
22 Redeem Israel, O God, Out of all his troubles. |
22 Redeem Israel, O God, from all their troubles! |
[1] This whole Psalm is an acrostic with the first word of each verse starting with one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in Hebrew alphabetical order. There are exceptions to this order in verse 2 (where it is the second rather than the first word in the verse that matches the pattern) and verse 5 (which contains two letters instead of just one). The Septuagint adds that this is a “Psalm” so this is picked up in the King James Versions.
[2] LXX and some other manuscripts add an “and” here. Not a significant variant, though.
[3] According to http://dssenglishbible.com/psalms%2025.htm, there are 3 Dead Sea scrolls (Nahal Hever, 4Q83, and 11Q7) containing at least some of Psalm 25, deepening our critical knowledge of the Old Testament text by a thousand years. All three match the Masoretic text of Psalm 25 except that 11Q7 does not include the “and” here in this verse – a rather inconsequential difference for almost 2,000 years of copying!
[4] The Hebrew word “lead/guide/lit. “cause to be on a road” is the root of the Hebrew word for the “way” (derek).
[5] The word hayyom is often better translated “today” rather than “the day.” If David were saying “every day,” he would have omitted the definite article.
[6] The Alexandrinus reads εν τῃ αληθεια σου cf. Jn. 16:13
[7] The NIV follows the LXX instead of the MT here, but does not follow the LXX in the second phrase of this verse.
[8] This proper name is missing from the Cairo Geniza manuscripts, the Vaticanus Greek manuscript, and a Parisian Old Latin manuscript, according to the BHS critical apparatus.
[9] The Hebrew literally reads “Remember to me yourself.” It appears to me that the “yourself” is the object of the verb “remember,” and that the prepositional phrase “to/for me” indicate that David will be the beneficiary of God’s remembrance of God’s attributes and of God’s remembrance of Christ Himself rather than remembering David’s sins. (The LXX, however, supports the interpretation of the standard English versions of “Yourself” as the Nominative subject instead of the Objective accusative, and therefore I suspect that the Vulgate biased the first English versions in this direction.)
[10] The KJV follows the LXX with a future tense, but the “therefore” construct of the sentence makes most English translators prefer the habitual sense rather than the futuristic sense of the Hebrew imperfect tense here.
[11] Mishpat has a definite article in the Hebrew here; not just any man’s sense of justice, but THE justice, so I have interpreted it as God’s justice, in parallel with “HIS way.”
[12] In v.5, all the English versions translated this word “true”. Here in v. 10, the ESV and NIV switch to translate the word “faithful”. The LXX goes with aletheia in both verses, favoring the connotation of not lying.
[13] God guides, teaches, and instructs humble people both subjectively through His Spirit and objectively through the Bible. Keeping or guarding the covenant (not “seeking,” as per the LXX and Vulgate) is another way of talking about walking in the way of the Lord.
[14] In Hebrew, a person’s name includes their reputation. We have already seen what characterizes the reputation of the Lord in verses 6-8.
[15] cf. the only previous instances of this verb in the Psalms: Ps. 22:23 & 25 and the next instance in Ps. 25:14. The Hebrew word for “man” here is used in its general sense of a “human being.” Rightly-placed fear results in a blessed relationship with God! (Psalm 111:10, Prov. 9:10, Ex. 20:3).
[16] Hebrew verbs are less complex than Greek verbs, and, as a result, there can be more ambiguity in their meaning. Here is a case in point where the standard English translations are all slightly different in how they translate the Hebrew verb bachar “choose.” But in every case, the overall picture is the same; it is a picture of walking in a relationship with God where God gives guidance. If the one doing the choosing is “the man who fears God,” then the Hebrew Imperfect tense should be translated with a sense of responsibility or obligation like the New American Standard does (“the way he should choose” – Ibn Ezra, Delitzash, the AJV, and ESV support this interpretation). This would be consistent with the idea of “teaching/directing” in verse 8 “The LORD directs sinners in His way,” and this emphasis on human choice is consistent with other wisdom literature in the Bible like Proverbs 3:31, Psalm 119:30 & 173, and Isaiah 66:3. God still guides by setting the standard of the right way and by leading us in that way even as we make choices. I think that the best translation is to interpret the “he” who does the “choosing of the way” as God. The Hebrew Imperfect tense verb for “choose” can then be translated as an English Future tense like King James does (“the way He shall choose”) or perhaps as a frequentive like the New King James does (“the way He chooses” - the kinds of things that God always chooses, like goodness, faithfulness, love, and truth). Job 29:25 uses the same words to describe what a leader does. The NIV follows the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew text here with a past tense verb “chosen,” but it still pictures God as the one leading by making choices.
[17] This phrase does not occur anywhere else in the Bible, but there are some scripture passages which seem to express a similar idea: Psalm 107:6-9, Ecclesiastes 2:24, Isaiah 55:2, Jeremiah 6:16, and the Magnificat in Luke 1:52-55.
[18] Psalm 37 expresses this much more fully: v.9, 11, 22, 29, 34. Furthermore, the parallel between God’s promise of a land to the Jewish patriarchs and Jesus’ promise of a kingdom to Christians is unmistakable: Deuteronomy 1:8, Numbers 14:24, and Mathew 5:5 (Same words in Greek as the LXX of this Psalm.) In Hebrew, the word “seed” is singular. While it can certainly be applied to a plurality of descendents as a class, Paul, in Galatians, makes much of the singularity of the word “seed” in the Old Testament passages, saying that it points ultimately to a single person, namely Jesus. Jesus the Messiah certainly does end up inheriting everything. (Psalm 2:7-8, Psalm 24:1&9) But I think the Messianic interpretation is a bit far removed from this particular verse in Psalm 25 and that it is speaking to the situation of any of us who is a God-fearer.
[19] The King James and NAS translators went with the LXX future tense, but I tried to stick with the Infinitive in the Hebrew. I think it expresses a purpose of God. Conversely, disobedience causes distance from God (Isa. 6:9-11). The Hebrew word sood, translated “secret/friendship/confidence/companionship” in the English versions, has a root meaning that pictures people “sitting” down together to talk, cf. Psalm 55:15, Job 29:4, Amos 3:7, Prov. 3:32
[20] This is the only time this word is used to describe a rescue event. The other times it is used describe producing or carrying something out: Lev. 16:27; Deu. 24:11; Pro. 29:11; 30:33; Isa. 42:3. As I reflect on where I’ve heard the phrase “turn loose,” I think I’ve only heard it from people in the Southern United States, but I think it works well to express the Hiphil here.
[21] cf. Psalm 141:8-10. This action is actually reciprocated by God: Psalms 34:15, 1 Kings 8:29.
[22] Usually this word means something more like “unique” as in “only-son” (cf. LXX) – this seems to be the sense in 10 of its 12 instances in the O.T., in which case the basis of the appeal would be that the supplicant is special – an endangered species, as it were, but David was not an only son, and there does appear to be another passage which uses the word in the sense of “lonely” - Psalm 68:6.
[23] “lonely” (from the Hebrew number “one”- echad) and “depressed” (‘ani – literally “low,” pressed “down” and thus, “afflicted”). David sees his loneliness and depression as the reason why God should turn His face toward him and be gracious to him! (Psalm 12:5, 18:27, Leviticus 26:9, and Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6).
[24] This follows the LXX eleeson.
[25] Note that the “trouble” in v.17 is internal – “my distresses” and “my heart.” David’s heart was feeling caught in a tight spot with troubles growing and growing and no way to relieve the pressure.
Psalm 107 tells us four times in a row that when people cry out to the Lord in trouble, He delivers them from their distresses!
[26] David admits that it is his own sin which is at the heart of his trouble. In fact, the word for “trouble” ‘amal, is a synonym for the toilsome, hard, painful obstetric labor and field labor (etzev) that came as a result of the sin of the first man and woman in Genesis 3:16-17. The Hebrew word he chooses is picturesque: nasa; the NIV captures it better than most other standard versions. (cf 1 John 1:8-9)
[27] This is very similar to v.11, but it is a parallel statement. Yes, the root problem is sin, but David also has political enemies who hate him so much that he is in very real physical danger. Which enemies is he talking about in this Psalm? The Psalm does not give us enough details to be certain.
[28] I translated the paragogic He on this Imperative as a term of respect to soften any impertinence that might be connoted by a command, much like the vocative “O” of the KJV translation. The ESV renders it as an expostulation or expression of longing (“Oh”).
[29] cf. Ps. 12:7, 16:1, 17:8-9
[30] In the chiastic arrangement of this verse, David circles back to the topic of verses 2-3, that of escaping shame by trusting God. His argument in verse 20 is based on God’s self-interest. David has no doubt that God will deliver on His promises, however (Psalm 2:12b, 5:11a, 17:7, 18:2 & 30.
[31] cf. Ps. 12:7
[32] Perfection (or integrity) and righteousness are primarily characteristics of God. Man can only have these characteristics if they are given to him by God. (Psalm 18:21-32) If that integrity and righteousness had come from David himself, he would have had no need to “wait/hope.” You were born in sin, just like David was (Ps. 51:5), but God provides integrity and righteousness to those who wait for Him, that is, for Jesus who came and lived a life of perfect righteousness and integrity and then took on himself God’s wrath against all our sin so that He could transfer all his integrity and righteousness to us – to all who trust Him to BE our righteousness and integrity for us. (Jer. 33:16, Rom. 3:22, Rom. 5:17, 1Cor. 1:30, Gal. 2:21, Php. 1:11, Php. 3:9, 2 Peter 1:1)
[33] The personal stresses or troubles of David in v.17 are a part of all the crises experienced by Israel, and in Romans 11:25-26, “all Israel” is defined by God as including all the Jewish and Gentile people throughout all of history saved by grace through faith in Christ. And we are a part of that people of God. In closing this Psalm, David prays beyond himself to also pray for you! (Rom. 8:31-39)