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Psalm Twenty-five
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 25
cf15I A Psalm of David. This is the first of the psalms
which is written in an alphabetical order
or in which the first word of every
verse begins with the letters of the Hebrew alphabet in order
though it is not
strictly and regularly observed; the reason of this manner of writing is not
very obvious; theF18Kimchi in loc. Jews confess their ignorance of
it; it may be to engage the attention to what is said
or to assist the memory
in laying it up
and retaining it there. The occasion of the psalm seems to be
the troubles David was in on account of an unnatural rebellion raised against
him by some of his subjects
at the head of which was his own son Absalom; he
speaks of himself as in a net
and in great affliction
distress
and trouble
by reason of his enemies
Psalm 25:15; and as being brought to a
sense of his former sins
for which he desires pardon
Psalm 25:7.
Psalm 25:1 To
You
O Lord
I lift up my soul.
YLT
1By David. Unto Thee
O
Jehovah
my soul I lift up.
Unto thee
O Lord
do I lift up my soul. Either
"in prayer"
as the Chaldee paraphrase addsF19So Kimchi
& Ben Melech. ; and denotes sincere
affectionate
hearty prayer to God
a
drawing nigh to him with a true heart: for unless the heart is lifted up
the
lifting up of the eyes or hands in prayer is of no avail; see Lamentations 3:41; or by way of offering to
the Lord
as some Jewish writersF20R. Moseh in Aben Ezra in loc.
interpret it; David not only presented his body in public worship
but his soul
also as a living sacrifice
holy and acceptable to God
which was his
reasonable service; or else as a "depositum"
which he committed into
the hands of God
to be under his care and protection; and then the sense is
the same with Psalm 31:5 F21Midrash Tillim. ;
the phrase is sometimes used to express earnest and vehement desire after
anything; See Gill on Psalm 24:4; and may here intend the very
great desire of the psalmist after communion with God; which is elsewhere by
him expressed by panting after him
and by thirsting for him in a dry and
thirsty land
Psalm 42:1; the desires of his soul were
not to vain things
the vanities and idols of the Gentiles
but to God only
and to the remembrance of his name.
Psalm 25:2 2 O my God
I trust in You; Let
me not be ashamed; Let not my enemies triumph over me.
YLT
2My God
in Thee I have
trusted
Let me not be ashamed
Let not mine enemies exult over me.
O my God
I trust in thee
.... He claims his
interest in God
and expresses his faith and confidence in him
in the midst of
all his troubles; See Gill on Psalm 7:1;
let me not be ashamed; meaning of his trust in
God
by being disappointed of the help
deliverance
and salvation from him
which he trusted in him for; and the believer
as he has no reason to be
ashamed of God
the object of his trust; so neither of the act of his hope or
trust in him; nor shall he; for hope makes not ashamed; see Psalm 119:116
Romans 5:5;
let not mine enemies triumph over me; either his
temporal enemies
his subjects that were risen up against him; or his spiritual
enemies
Satan
and the men of the world
who rejoice and triumph when the
saints are forsaken by God; and they are ready to say
as David's enemies did
of him
there is no help or salvation for him in God
Psalm 3:2; and when they fall into their
hands
or fall by them.
Psalm 25:3 3 Indeed
let no one who
waits on You be ashamed; Let those be ashamed who deal treacherously without
cause.
YLT
3Also let none waiting on
Thee be ashamed
Let the treacherous dealers without cause be ashamed.
Yea
let none that wait on thee be ashamed
.... David not
only prays for himself
but for other saints
as it becomes the people of God
to do; for them they waited on the Lord in public worship
attended his house
and ordinances
and waited on him for the discoveries of his love
the
enjoyment of his voracious presence
and were looking for his salvation
for
the Messiah; for those the psalmist prays
that they might not be ashamed of
their expectation and hope
by the delay of those things
or the denial them;
let them be ashamed which transgress without cause; or "act
treacherously without cause"F23הבוגדים
"qui perfide agunt"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius
Michaelis; so Amama & Ainsworth. ; as David's subjects did
who were risen
up in rebellion against him
and acted the perfidious part
contrary to their
allegiance
and without any just reason
they not being ruled with rigour
and
oppressed; but were guided and governed by him according to the laws of God
in
the integrity of his heart
and by the skilfulness of his hands; he being a
king that reigned in righteousness
and a prince that decreed judgment: and
such are those who are now risen up against our rightful sovereign King GeorgeF24This
was written December 2
1745.
a parcel of perfidious treacherous wretches;
some of them who were in the last rebellion
and obtained his father's pardon;
others that have partook yearly of his royal bounty
for the instruction of
their children; and all have enjoyed the blessings of his mild and gentle
government; and therefore are without cause his enemies: and for such we should
pray
as David did for his enemies
that they might be ashamed; that they may
fail in their attempts and designs
and be brought to deserved punishment; see Psalm 7:4; or "let transgressors be
ashamed"
and be emptyF25ריקם
"in statu vacuitatis ac egestatis"
Gussetius
p. 790. ; in a state
of emptiness and want; lose their wealth
honour
and credit.
Psalm 25:4 4 Show me Your ways
O Lord; Teach me Your
paths.
YLT
4Thy ways
O Jehovah
cause
me to know
Thy paths teach Thou me.
Show me thy ways
O Lord
.... Either those which
the Lord himself took and walked in; as those of creation and providence
in
which he has displayed his power
wisdom
and goodness; and which are desirable
to be known by his people
and require divine instruction and direction; and
particularly his ways of grace
mercy
and truth
and the methods he has taken
for the salvation of his people
both in eternity and in time; or those ways
which he orders and directs his people to walk in; namely
the paths of duty
the ways of his worship and ordinances; a greater knowledge of which good men
desire to have
as well as more grace to enable them to walk more closely and
constantly in them;
teach me thy paths; a petition the same with the other
in
different words.
Psalm 25:5 5 Lead me in Your truth and
teach me
For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the
day.
YLT
5Cause me to tread in Thy
truth
and teach me
For Thou [art] the God of my salvation
Near Thee I have
waited all the day.
Lead me in thy truth
and teach me
.... Meaning the word of
God
the Scriptures of truth; and the Gospel
which is the word of truth
and
truth itself
John 17:17; and the sense is
either that
God would lead him by his Spirit more and more into all truth
as contained in
his word; or that he would lead him by it and according to it
that he might
form his principles and his conduct more agreeably to it
which is the standard
and rule of faith and practice: which leading is by teaching; and reasons urged
for granting all the above petitions follow
for thou art the God of my salvation; who
in
infinite wisdom
contrived scheme and method of it in his Son
and by him
effected it
and by his Spirit had made application of it to him: and since the
Lord had done such great things for him
he hoped the requests he had made
would be granted: he adds
on thee do I wait all the day; or continually
in
public and in private
attending to all the duties of religion
yet not
trusting in them
but in the Lord; and therefore he entreated he might not be
ashamed of his hope and expectation for deliverance and salvation.
Psalm 25:6 6 Remember
O Lord
Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses
For they are from of old.
YLT
6Remember Thy mercies
O
Jehovah
And Thy kindnesses
for from the age [are] they.
Remember
O Lord
thy tender mercies and thy loving kindnesses
.... Not the
providential mercy and kindness of God
in the care of him in his mother's
womb
at the time of his birth
in his nurture and education
and in the
preservation of him to the present time; but the special mercy
grace
and love
of God in Christ: the sense of the petition is the same with that of Psalm 106:4; which are expressed in the
plural number
because of the largeness and abundance of it
and because of the
various acts and instances of it; the Lord is rich and plenteous in mercy
abundant in goodness; his love is exceeding great
and numerous are the ways
and methods in which it is declared
both in eternity and in time; and though
he can never forget his love
nor the people whom he loves
for they are
engraven on his hand
and set as a seal on his heart; yet he sometimes seems
by the conduct of his providence
as if he did not remember it
and had no
tender affection for them; and their unbelief is ready to say
the Lord has
forgotten to be gracious; and the design of such a petition as this is to
entreat a fresh discovery and application of the grace
mercy
and loving
kindness of God
and which he allows his people to put him in remembrance of;
for they have been ever of old: meaning not
only from the time of his birth
and in after appearances of God for him
nor
the favours shown to the people of Israel in former times at the Red sea
and
in the wilderness and elsewhere
and to the patriarchs from the beginning of
the world; but the love of God from everlasting
which appears in the choice of
his people in Christ
before the foundation of the world
in the everlasting
covenant of grace made with him
and in the setting of him up as the Mediator
of it
and in putting his people into his hands
with all grace and spiritual
blessings for them before the world began; and which love as it is from
everlasting it is to everlasting
and remains invariably the same.
Psalm 25:7 7 Do not remember the sins
of my youth
nor my transgressions; According to Your mercy remember me
For
Your goodness’ sake
O Lord.
YLT
7Sins of my youth
and my
transgressions
Do not Thou remember. According to Thy kindness be mindful of
me
For Thy goodness' sake
O Jehovah.
Remember not the sins of my youth
.... Original sin
in
which he was born
and the breakings forth of corrupt nature in infancy
he
brought into the world with him
together with all the youthful lusts and
vanities to which that age is addicted; and sometimes the sins of youth are in
some persons remembered by God
and punished in old age; and if not
they are
brought to remembrance through the dispensations of Providence: and the people
of God are chastised for them then
and are ready to fear it is in a way of
wrath; see Job 13:26; which the psalmist here
deprecates; for this is not said in order to extenuate his sins
they being but
youthful follies
imprudencies
and inadvertencies
sins committed through
ignorance
when he had not the knowledge of things he now had; nor as if he had
lived so holy a life
that there were no sins of his to be taken notice of but
what he had committed in his younger days; but rather this is to be considered
as a confession of his having sinned from his youth upwards unto that time
as
in Jeremiah 3:25; and therefore entreat
that
God would not remember his sins
so as to correct him for them in wrath and hot
displeasure; neither the sins he had formerly been guilty of
nor those of a
later date; which he next mentions;
nor my transgressions; his more notorious and
glaring ones; such as murder and adultery
in the case of Uriah and Bathsheba
and which now stared him in the face; and on account of these
and as a
chastening for them
this unnatural rebellion of his son's
which was now
raised against him
was suffered to befall him
as had been foretold to him
2 Samuel 12:11;
according to thy mercy remember thou me
for thy goodness' sake
O
Lord; he pleads no merit nor goodness of his own
but casts himself
upon the mercy
grace
and goodness of God; in which he was certainly right;
and on that account prayed and hoped for deliverance from his present troubles
and for discoveries of the pardon of his sins unto him
which is what he means
by remembering him.
Psalm 25:8 8 Good and upright is
the Lord;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.
YLT
8Good and upright [is]
Jehovah
Therefore He directeth sinners in the way.
Good and upright is the Lord
.... He is essentially
originally
and independently good of himself in his own nature
and he is
providentially good to all his creatures; and he is in a way of special grace
and mercy good to his own people: and he is "upright"
just in
himself
righteous in all his ways and works
and faithful in all his promises;
and the consideration of these excellent perfections of his encouraged the
psalmist to entertain an holy confidence
that his petitions
respecting
instruction and guidance in the ways of the Lord
Psalm 25:4; would be heard and answered
notwithstanding his sins and transgressions;
therefore will he teach sinners in the way; such who are
in sinful ways
he will teach them by his word and Spirit the evil of their
ways
and bring them out of them
and to repentance for them; and he will teach
them his own ways
both the ways and methods of his grace
in saving sinners by
Christ
and the paths of faith and duty in which he would have them walk; see Psalm 51:13.
Psalm 25:9 9 The humble He guides in
justice
And the humble He teaches His way.
YLT
9He causeth the humble to
tread in judgment
And teacheth the humble His way.
The meek will he guide in judgment
.... Or "the
miserable"F26ענוים
"miseros"
Gejerus
Michaelis. and afflicted; such as see themselves
to be wretched and miserable
lost and undone; and cry out
What shall we do to
be saved? and who are meek and lowly
are humbled under a sense of their sins
are poor in spirit
and of broken and contrite hearts; these the Lord will
guide by his Spirit into the truth
as it is in Jesus; even the great truth of
salvation by him; and in the way of his judgments
statutes
and ordinances;
and will give them a true judgment and a right discerning of things that
differ; and he will lead them on in judgment
or gently; see Jeremiah 10:24; into every truth of the
Gospel by degrees
and as they are able to bear them;
and the meek will he teach his way; of justifying sinners by
the righteousness of his son; for such who are humble and confess their sins
and unworthiness
and throw themselves on the mercy of God in Christ
are
declaratively justified by the Lord
when the proud boasting Pharisee is an
abomination to him.
Psalm 25:10 10 All the paths of the Lord are
mercy and truth
To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.
YLT
10All the paths of Jehovah
[are] kindness and truth
To those keeping His covenant
And His testimonies.
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth
.... By which
are meant
not the paths in which the Lord would have his people walk; though
these are good and gracious
right and true; his commandments are not grievous
his yoke is easy
and burden light; his ways are ways of pleasantness
and his
paths
paths of peace: but rather the paths in which the Lord himself walks;
not his paths of providence
though these are mercy and truth to his own
people; every step he takes is in a way of goodness and kindness to them
and
in truth and faithfulness to his promises; but the ways and methods he has
taken towards the spiritual and eternal salvation of his people; as in his
counsels and purposes
in which there is a large display of his grace and
mercy; in the choice of them in Christ
as vessels of mercy
and which is of
grace
and not of works; in determining to send his Son to die for them
which
springs from the tender mercy of our God; in resolving to call them by his
grace
and to adopt them into his family
and at last to glorify them; all
which proceed from his merciful lovingkindness; and all these
his counsels of
old
are faithfulness and truth
since they can never be frustrated
but are
always accomplished; as also in his covenant
which springs from grace
is
built upon mercy
and contains the sure mercies of David
and is ever
fulfilled; the faithfulness of God is engaged to keep it
and its promises are
yea and amen in Christ: and likewise the steps he has taken in Christ
the
Mediator of the covenant
who is full of grace and truth; "mercy"
appears in the mission of him
and redemption by him; and "truth"
in
fulfilling the promise of him; and both mercy and truth meet together in him:
and so they do in the various blessings of grace which come by him; as
particularly justification and pardon of sin
in both which there is a display
of grace and mercy; and also of the truth of holiness and justice: and the
mercy and truth of God appear in these paths of his
unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies; by which are
designed
not the covenant of works
and the precepts of the law
which are
sometimes called the testimonies of God
because they testify what is his will
that should be done: but these are broke
and not kept perfectly by any; nor is
it any favour or high privilege to be shown this covenant and the duties of it
as is suggested of the covenant here meant
as appears from Psalm 25:14; wherefore the covenant of
grace must be intended
which is made with Christ
and his people in him; and
the "testimonies" are the promises of it
which testify of the grace
mercy
truth
and faithfulness of Gods; and the keeping of these is done by
faith: faith lays hold on the covenant
its blessings and promises
and claims
an interest in them
as David did
2 Samuel 23:5; see Isaiah 56:4; and it keeps or retains its
hold; it will not let go its hold of the covenant and its testimonies
but
asserts its interest
even when things are at the worst with it; and it holds
fast the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end; and to such all the steps the
Lord takes appear to be in mercy and truth.
Psalm 25:11 11 For Your name’s sake
O Lord
Pardon my
iniquity
for it is great.
YLT
11For Thy name's sake
O
Jehovah
Thou hast pardoned mine iniquity
for it [is] great.
For thy name's sake
O Lord
pardon mine iniquity
.... Which to
do is one of the promises and blessings of the covenant. The psalmist may have
reference to his sin with Bathsheba
as Kimchi observes; since it was foretold
to him
that
on account of that sin
evil should arise to him out of his own
house
2 Samuel 12:11; meaning that his son should
rise up in rebellion against him; which was now the case
and which
no doubt
brought afresh this sin to his mind; and the guilt of it lay heavy upon his
conscience; and therefore he prays for an application of pardoning grace and
mercy; or he may have respect to original sin
the sin of his nature
which so
easily beset him; the loathsome disease his loins were filled with; the law in
his members warring against the law of his mind; and which a view of every
actual sin led him to the consideration and acknowledgment of
as did that now
mentioned
Psalm 51:4; or
"iniquity" may be
put for "iniquities"
and the sense be
that he desired a
manifestation of the pardon of all his sins; for when God forgives sin
he
forgives all iniquities: and David here prays for pardon in a way of mercy
and
upon the foot of satisfaction; for he prays that God would "mercifully
pardon"F1סלחת "mercifully
pardon"; so Ainsworth.
as the word signifies; or
according to his
tender mercies
blot out his transgressions
and cleanse him from his sins; or
that he would be "propitious"F2
ιλαση Sept. "propitiaberis"
V. L. "propitius
esto"
Musculus. to him; or forgive him in a propitiatory way
or through
the propitiation of Christ
whom God had set forth in his purposes and promises
to be the propitiation for the remission of sins; and therefore he entreats this
favour "for his name's sake"; not for his own merits and good
works
but for the Lord's sake
for his mercy's sake
or for his Son's sake;
see Isaiah 43:25; compared with Ephesians 5:32. The argument or reason he
urges is
for it is great; being committed against
the great God
against great light and knowledge
and attended with very
aggravating circumstances; or "much"F3רב
"multum"
V. L. "multa"
Pagninus
Montanus
Tigurine
version.
he being guilty of many sins; his sins were great
both as to
quality and quantity: this seems to be rather a reason against than a reason
for the pardon of sin; it denotes the sense the psalmist had of his iniquity
and his importunity for the pardon of it; just as a person
sensible of the
violence and malignity of his disease
entreats the physician with the greater
eagerness and importunity to do his utmost for him; see Psalm 41:4; or the words may be rendered
"though it is great"F4כי
"quamvis"
Gejerus
Schmidt
; so Aben Ezra understands them;
"though
it is so very heinous and provoking
yet since forgiveness is with thee
and
thou hast promised it in covenant
and hast proclaimed thy name
a God gracious
and merciful
pardon it;'
unless
the words are to be connected
as they are by some JewishF5Vide
Abendanae Not. in Miclol Yophi in loc. interpreters
with the phrase "thy
name's sake
for it is great"; that is
thy name is great
and that
it may appear to be so
as it is proclaimed
forgive mine iniquity.
Psalm 25:12 12 Who is the man that
fears the Lord?
Him shall He[a] teach in
the way He[b] chooses.
YLT
12Who [is] this -- the man
fearing Jehovah? He directeth him in the way He doth choose.
What man is he that feareth the Lord? That is
how
happy a man is he! and one that fears the Lord is one that has the fear of God
put into his heart
as a blessing of the covenant of grace before spoken of;
who fears the Lord
not on account of the punishment of sin
but under the
influence of the pardon of it
and for his goodness's sake; who loves the Lord
trusts in him
is careful not to offend him
hates sin
and avoids it
and has
a strict regard to the worship of God in all its parts and branches
and
performs it in fear; or who serves the Lord with reverence and godly fear. The
description of this man's happiness follows in this verse and Psalm 25:12
him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose; either which
the man that fears God shall choose
which is the way of truth and duty
Psalm 119:30; or the way which God
prescribes to him
and is well pleasing in his sight
who teaches to profit
and leads in the way his people should go; and a great happiness it is for a
man to have his steps ordered by the Lord and his goings directed by him.
Psalm 25:13 13 He himself shall dwell in
prosperity
And his descendants shall inherit the earth.
YLT
13His soul in good doth
remain
And his seed doth possess the land.
His soul shall dwell at ease
.... Or in
"goodness"F6בטוב "in
bono"
Pagninus
Montanus
Musculus
Junius & Tremellius
&c. so
Ainsworth.
enjoying an affluence of good things
of spiritual blessings in
Christ
in whom he dwells by faith; and where he has peace and safety
amidst
all the troubles
afflictions
and exercises
he meets with; and where with
godliness he has contentment
which is great gain indeed; for
though he may
seem to have nothing
he possesses all things; and has all things given him
richly to enjoy
even all things pertaining to life and godliness; and at
death
when his soul is separated from his body
it shall enter into rest
and
be in perfect peace; it shall lie in Abraham's bosom
and in the arms of Jesus
during the night of the grave
until the resurrection morn
when the body will
be raised and united to it
and both will dwell in perfect happiness to all
eternity;
and his seed shall inherit the earth; that is
those who tread in the same steps
and fear the Lord as he does; these shall
possess the good things of this world
which is theirs
in a comfortable way
as their Father's gift
as covenant mercies
and in love; though it may be but
a small portion that they have of them; or rather they shall inherit the new
heavens and earth
wherein will dwell only righteous persons
meek ones
and
such as fear the Lord
Matthew 5:5; and this they shall inherit
for a thousand years
and afterwards the land afar off
the better country
the
ultimate glory to all eternity.
Psalm 25:14 14 The secret of the Lord is with
those who fear Him
And He will show them His covenant.
YLT
14The secret of Jehovah [is]
for those fearing Him
And His covenant -- to cause them to know.
The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him
.... The
secret of his purposes with them; as his purpose according to election; his
resolution to redeem his chosen ones by his Son; his design to call them by his
grace; his predestination of them to the adoption of children
and eternal
life; which are the deep things of God the Spirit of God reveals; and all which
are made manifest to them in effectual calling; and the secret of his
providences is with them; some are made known to them that fear the Lord before
they come to pass; as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to Abraham
with
many other instances in the Old Testament; see Amos 3:7; and what is the book of the
Revelation but a revelation of the secrets of Providence
from the time of
Christ and his apostles
to the end of the world? some they observe and take
notice of while they are performing
and see the gracious designs of God in
them
for their good and his glory; and though some of his ways of Providence
are past finding out
and his footsteps are not known as yet; hereafter his
judgments will be made manifest
and the whole scene will be opened to the
saints
and be clear to their view: the secret of his love
free grace
and
favour
is with them
which was in his heart from everlasting
and lay hid in
his thoughts
which are as much higher than ours as the heavens are higher than
the earth; and which is made manifest in regeneration
and then shed abroad in
the hearts of his people: secret communion with God is enjoyed by those that
fear him
which is what the world knows nothing of
and the joy that results
from it is what a stranger intermeddles not with; the Lord has his chambers and
secret places
into which he brings them
and where they dwell. The secret of
his Gospel is with them; and the mysteries of it
which were kept secret since
the world began; as the mystery of a trinity of Persons in the Godhead; the
union of the two natures in Christ; the regeneration of the Spirit; the union
of the saints to Christ
and their communion with him; the calling of the Gentiles;
the resurrection of the dead; and the change of living saints;
and he will show them his covenant: the covenant of grace
which was made with Christ for them from eternity
is made known to them in
time
when they are called by the grace of God
and made partakers of the grace
of the covenant
then the Lord reveals himself as their covenant God and
Father; shows them that his Son is their surety
Mediator
Redeemer
and
Saviour; puts his Spirit into them to implant covenant grace in them
to seal up
the blessings of it to them
and bear witness to their interest in them
as
pardon
justification
and adoption; and to apply the exceeding great and
precious promises of it to them.
Psalm 25:15 15 My eyes are ever
toward the Lord
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net.
YLT
15Mine eyes [are] continually
unto Jehovah
For He bringeth out from a net my feet.
Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord
.... Not only
as the God of nature and providence
for his daily support and supply
in which
sense the eyes of all creatures wait upon him; but as his covenant God and
Father
having the eyes of his understanding opened to see and know him as
such
and the eye of his faith directed to him
to believe in him
and make him
his hope and trust; and his eye was single to him; it was to him
and him only
that he looked; and it was constant
it was ever to him
he set the Lord always
before him; and such a look was well pleasing to God: it may also respect the
lifting up of his eyes to God in prayer for all mercies temporal and spiritual
and his prayer was the prayer of faith; as follows:
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net; of the
corruption of nature
and the lusts of it
as Aben Ezra interprets it; by which
the saints are sometimes ensnared and taken captive
and out of which they
cannot make their escape of themselves; but there is a deliverance from it by
Jesus Christ their Lord: or out of the temptations of Satan
called his
devices
and wiles
and the snares of the devil; and as the Lord knows how to deliver
his out of temptations
he does deliver them in his own time; or rather out of
the nets and snares laid for him by wicked men; as by his son Absalom
Ahithophel
and others
in which his feet were as a bird in the snare of the
fowler; but he believed the net
or snare
would be broken
and he should
escape
as he did.
Psalm 25:16 16 Turn Yourself to me
and
have mercy on me
For I am desolate and afflicted.
YLT
16Turn Thou unto me
and
favour me
For lonely and afflicted [am] I.
Turn thee unto me
and have mercy upon me
.... Or
"look unto me"
or "upon me"F6פנה אלי "respice ad
me"
Montanus
Musculus
Junius & Tremellius
&c. ; which suggests
that the Lord had turned himself
and hid his face from him; and expresses a
desire that he would look upon him with a look of love and mercy
and arise to help
and deliver him out of the hands of his enemies; he pleads no merits nor works
of righteousness of his
but casts himself upon the mercy of God;
for I am desolate and afflicted; or
"alone and poor"F7יהיד ועני "solitarius et pauper"
Junius &
Tremellius; "et miser"
Gejerus
Michaelis; so Ainsworth. ; not that
he was quite alone
and had none with him; for though he was obliged to quit
his palace
and the city of Jerusalem
yet he was accompanied by his servants
and a large number of his people; and could not be poor
in a literal sense
being king of Israel; yet he put no trust in men
nor in riches
but wholly
depended on the Lord
as if he had none with him
nor anything to subsist with:
and his case was indeed very deplorable
and called for pity and assistance;
his own son was risen up against him
and the hearts of the men of Israel went
after him; and he was obliged to flee from the city
and leave his house and
family.
Psalm 25:17 17 The troubles of my heart
have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses!
YLT
17The distresses of my heart
have enlarged themselves
From my distresses bring me out.
The troubles of my heart are enlarged
.... His
enemies being increased
which troubled him; the floods of ungodly men made him
afraid; the waters of affliction were come into his soul
and spread
themselves
and threatened to overwhelm him: or it may be rendered
as by some
"troubles have enlarged my heart"F8הרחיבו
"dilataverunt cor meum"
Vatablus; "reddiderunt cor meum
latius"
Gussetius
p. 786. ; made him wiser
increased his knowledge and
experience; see Psalm 119:67; but the former seems better
to agree with what follows;
O bring thou me out of my
distresses; or "straits"F9ממצוקותי
"ab angustiis meis"
Pagninus
Junius & Tremellius; so Musculus
Piscator
Michaelis. ; for the enlargement of his troubles was the straitening
of his heart; and therefore he applies to the Lord to bring him out of his
afflicted circumstances
in which he was penned up
as in a strait place
on
every side
and which were such that he could not free himself from; but he
knew that God could deliver him.
Psalm 25:18 18 Look on my affliction and
my pain
And forgive all my sins.
YLT
18See mine affliction and my
misery
And bear with all my sins.
Look upon mine affliction and my pain
.... The
"affliction" was the rebellion of his subjects against him
at the
head of which was his own son; and the "pain" was the uneasiness of
mind it gave him; or the "labour"F11עמלי
"laborem meum"
Pagninus
Mortanus
Junius & Tremellius
&c.
as the word may be rendered; the toil and fatigue of body he was exercised
with
he flying from place to place; and he desires that God would look upon
all this with an eye of pity and compassion to him
and arise to his help and
deliverance; as he looked upon the affliction of the children of Israel in
Egypt
and delivered them
Exodus 3:7;
and forgive all my sins; or "lift up"
"bear"
or "take away"F12ושא
Heb. "tolle"
Piscator; "aufer"
Michaelis.
as the word
signifies; sins are burdens
and they lay heavy at this time on David's
conscience
being brought to mind by the affliction he laboured under
not only
his sin with Bathsheba
but all others; and these were on him as a heavy
burden
too heavy to bear; wherefore he entreats that the Lord would lift them
off
and take them away from him
by the fresh discoveries of pardoning grace
to him. The sins of God's people are removed from them to Christ
by his
Father
on whom they have been laid by his act of imputation; and he has bore
them
and all the punishment due unto them
and
has taken them away
and made
an end of them; and through the application of his blood
righteousness
and
sacrifice
they are caused to pass from the consciences of the saints
and are
removed as far from them as the east is from the west; and this is what the
psalmist here desires
and this he requests with respect to all his sins
knowing well that
if one was left upon him
it would be an insupportable
burden to him.
Psalm 25:19 19 Consider my enemies
for
they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred.
YLT
19See my enemies
for they
have been many
And with violent hatred they have hated me.
Consider mine enemies
.... Or "look"F13ראה "vide"
Pagninus
Montanus
Musculus
Cocceius
Michaelis "aspice"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator;
"intuere"
Gejerus. upon them; but with another kind of look; so as
he looked through the pillar of fire upon the Egyptians
and troubled them
Exodus 14:24; with a look of wrath and
vengeance. The arguments he uses are taken both from the quantity and quality
of his enemies
their number and their nature;
for they are many; the hearts of the people of Israel
in
general
being after Absalom
2 Samuel 15:12; and so the spiritual
enemies of the Lord's people are many; their sins and corruptions
Satan
and
his principalities and powers
and the men of this world;
and they hate me with cruel hatred; like that of Simeon and
Levi
Genesis 49:7; their hatred broke out in a
cruel manner
in acts of force and cruelty; and it was the more cruel
inasmuch
as it was without cause: and such is the hatred of Satan and his emissaries
against the faithful followers of Christ; who breathe out cruelty
thirst after
their blood
and make themselves drunk with it; even their tender mercies are
cruel
and much more their hatred.
Psalm 25:20 20 Keep my soul
and deliver
me; Let me not be ashamed
for I put my trust in You.
YLT
20Keep my soul
and deliver
me
Let me not be ashamed
for I trusted in Thee.
O keep my soul
.... Or "life"F14נפשי "animam meam"
i.e. "vitam meam"
Gejerus.
which was in danger
his enemies seeking for it; wherefore he
applies to God that gave it
and who had hitherto held him in it
to preserve
it. God is the keeper of has people in a spiritual sense; they cannot keep
themselves from sin
Satan
and the world; but he is able to keep them from
falling
and therefore they pray to him that he would keep them; and they have
reason to believe they shall be kept by his power
through faith
unto
salvation;
and deliver me; as out of the hands of his present enemies
so from all evil
from the evils of the world
from the evil one
Satan
from
the evil of sin
and out of all affliction and troubles;
let me not be ashamed; for I put my trust in thee; See Gill on Psalm 25:2.
Psalm 25:21 21 Let integrity and
uprightness preserve me
For I wait for You.
YLT
21Integrity and uprightness
do keep me
For I have waited [on] Thee.
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me
.... Meaning
either his own
as in Psalm 7:8; and then the sense is
either
that God would preserve him
seeing he had acted the faithful and upright part
in the government of the people of Israel
and they had rebelled against him
without a cause; see Psalm 78:72; or that those might be
continued with him
that he might not be led aside by the corruptions of his
heart
and the temptations of Satan
and by the provocations of his rebellious
subjects
to act a part disagreeable to his character
as a man of integrity
and uprightness; but that these remaining with him
might be a means of keeping
him in the ways of God
Proverbs 13:6; or else the integrity and
uprightness of God are designed
which are no other than his goodness and grace
to his people
and his faithfulness in his covenant and promises
or his
lovingkindness and his truth; see Psalm 40:11;
for I wait on thee: in the use of means for deliverance and
safety; the Targum is
"for I trust in thy word".
Psalm 25:22 22 Redeem Israel
O God
Out
of all their troubles!
YLT
22Redeem Israel
O God
from
all his distresses!
Redeem Israel
O God
out of all his troubles. David was not
only concerned for himself
but for the whole nation of Israel
which was
involved in trouble through this unnatural rebellion of his son
and many of
his subjects; and no doubt he may have a further view to the redemption of the
church of God
the spiritual Israel
by the Messiah; and his sense may be
that
God would send the promised Redeemer and Saviour
to redeem his people from all
their iniquities; from the law
its curses and condemnation; to ransom them out
of the hands of Satan
that is stronger than they; and to deliver them from all
their enemies
and from death itself
the last enemy
which will put an end to
all their troubles
Isaiah 35:10.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)