Psalms 25 Study Notes: A Prayer for Guidance and Pardon
In a psalm arranged by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, David trusts God and asks to be taught His ways. He pleads for forgiveness based on God's mercy and name, describes the friendship God gives those who revere Him, asks for rescue from many enemies, and ends by praying for all Israel.
General
True or False: In 25:19, David says his enemies are few and pose little danger to him.
Answer: False
This is false. David asks God to see how many his enemies are and how fiercely they hate him (25:19). Facing them, he asks God to protect his life and rescue him, and not to let him be shamed, because he has fled to God for safety (25:20). He asks that integrity and uprightness keep him, since he waits on the LORD (25:21). David prays in similar words in Psalm 31:1. Another psalm promises that God rescues His servants and that no one who flees to Him will face condemnation (Psalm 34:22), and Paul reasons that with God on our side no opponent can prevail (Romans 8:31).
- Psalm 25:19-21 (BSB)“Consider my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with vicious hatred. Guard my soul and deliver me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for You.”David points to his many enemies and asks God to guard him, since he has taken refuge in God.
- Psalm 31:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; save me by Your righteousness.”David prays in similar words, having taken refuge in the LORD, that he never be put to shame.
- Psalm 34:22 (BSB)“The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.”The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul reasons that if God is for His people, no opponent can prevail against them.
Theological
True or False: In 25:19, David minimizes the threat his enemies pose, calling them few and weak.
Answer: False
This is false. David stresses both the number and the violent hatred of his enemies (25:19). His appeal is not to his own strength but to God as his refuge: he asks God to guard and deliver him and keep him from shame (25:20), and he asks that integrity and uprightness keep him as he waits on God (25:21). The same refuge-language appears in Psalm 31:1, Psalm 34:22 promises that no one who flees to the LORD will face condemnation, and Romans 8:31 draws the conclusion that no opponent can prevail against those whom God is for.
- Psalm 25:19-21 (BSB)“Consider my enemies, for they are many, and they hate me with vicious hatred. Guard my soul and deliver me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in You. May integrity and uprightness preserve me, because I wait for You.”David points to his many enemies and asks God to guard him, since he has taken refuge in God.
- Psalm 31:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; save me by Your righteousness.”David prays in similar words, having taken refuge in the LORD, that he never be put to shame.
- Psalm 34:22 (BSB)“The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.”The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”Paul reasons that if God is for His people, no opponent can prevail against them.
General
True or False: According to 25:8, because the LORD is good and upright, He instructs sinners in His way.
Answer: True
This is true. David draws a surprising conclusion from God's goodness and uprightness: because He is good, He teaches sinners His way (25:8). He leads the humble into right ways (25:9), and every path of His is love and faithfulness toward those faithful to His covenant (25:10). God's goodness does not simply turn sinners away; it teaches them. Jesus said He came to call sinners, not the righteous, to repentance (Luke 5:32). God sets Himself against the proud but shows grace to the lowly (James 4:6), and though He is high and holy, He lives with the humble to revive them (Isaiah 57:15).
- Psalm 25:8-10 (BSB)“Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees.”Because the LORD is good and upright, He instructs sinners and guides the humble.
- Luke 5:32 (BSB)“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.””Jesus said He came to call sinners, not the righteous, to repentance.
- James 4:6 (BSB)“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””God sets Himself against the proud but gives grace to the humble.
- Isaiah 57:15 (BSB)“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.”The high and holy God dwells with the humble to revive them.
Theological
True or False: 25:8 draws from God's goodness and uprightness the conclusion that He instructs sinners in His way.
Answer: True
This is true. The inference in 25:8 is striking: God's uprightness might be expected to exclude sinners, but because He is both good and upright He instructs them in the way. His guidance is given to the humble (25:9), and all His ways show loving devotion and faithfulness to those who hold fast to His covenant and decrees (25:10). This is grace to the undeserving. Christ came to call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32); God sets Himself against the proud and shows grace to the lowly (James 4:6); and the holy God dwells with the contrite to revive them (Isaiah 57:15).
- Psalm 25:8-10 (BSB)“Good and upright is the LORD; therefore He shows sinners the way. He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. All the LORD’s ways are loving and faithful to those who keep His covenant and His decrees.”Because the LORD is good and upright, He instructs sinners and guides the humble.
- Luke 5:32 (BSB)“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.””Jesus said He came to call sinners, not the righteous, to repentance.
- James 4:6 (BSB)“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””God sets Himself against the proud but gives grace to the humble.
- Isaiah 57:15 (BSB)“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.”The high and holy God dwells with the humble to revive them.
General
According to 25:14, what does the LORD share with people who fear Him?
Answer: Close friendship and knowledge of His covenant
David asks who is the person that reveres the LORD, meaning who honors Him with reverent trust, and answers that God will teach such a person the path He has chosen for him (25:12). That person's life will be settled in good things and his children will possess the land (25:13). Most of all, the LORD shares His confidence with all who revere Him and makes His covenant, His binding promise to His people, known to them (25:14). Proverbs says the LORD befriends the upright (Proverbs 3:32) and that reverence for the LORD is where knowledge starts (Proverbs 1:7). Jesus calls His disciples friends because He has shared with them all He heard from the Father (John 15:15).
- Psalm 25:12-14 (BSB)“Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him. His soul will dwell in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.”The one who fears the LORD is taught by Him, lives in good things, and is taken into God's confidence.
- Proverbs 3:32 (BSB)“for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.”The LORD is a friend to the upright.
- Proverbs 1:7 (BSB)“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”Reverence for the LORD is where true knowledge begins.
- John 15:15 (BSB)“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.”Jesus calls His disciples friends because He has made known to them what He heard from the Father.
Theological
What privilege does 25:14 ascribe to those who fear the LORD?
Answer: Close friendship and knowledge of His covenant
Verses 12-14 describe the person who reveres the LORD: God instructs him in the way He has chosen (25:12), he dwells in good and his offspring inherit the land (25:13), and above all the LORD takes him into His confidence and makes His covenant known to him (25:14). Covenant knowledge is intimate friendship with God, granted to the reverent. Proverbs 3:32 names the LORD the friend of the upright, and Proverbs 1:7 makes reverence the starting point of knowledge. Jesus brings the privilege to its fullness, calling His disciples friends because He has revealed to them what He heard from the Father (John 15:15).
- Psalm 25:12-14 (BSB)“Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him. His soul will dwell in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land. The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.”The one who fears the LORD is taught by Him, lives in good things, and is taken into God's confidence.
- Proverbs 3:32 (BSB)“for the LORD detests the perverse, but He is a friend to the upright.”The LORD is a friend to the upright.
- Proverbs 1:7 (BSB)“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”Reverence for the LORD is where true knowledge begins.
- John 15:15 (BSB)“No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.”Jesus calls His disciples friends because He has made known to them what He heard from the Father.
General
What reasons does David give in 25:11 when he asks God to pardon his iniquity?
Answer: To honor God's name, because his guilt is great
David asks for forgiveness and gives two reasons: God's own name, meaning His revealed character and honor, and the very size of his sin (25:11). He does not shrink his guilt or point to his own worth; he points to God's glory and his own great need. Another psalm prays that God would atone for sins and rescue His people to glorify His name (Psalm 79:9), and God says He wipes out transgressions for His own sake (Isaiah 43:25). John tells believers that their sins are forgiven on account of Christ's name (1 John 2:12).
- Psalm 25:11 (BSB)“For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, for it is great.”David asks for pardon on the basis of God's name and the greatness of his iniquity.
- Psalm 79:9 (BSB)“Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name.”Another psalm asks God to atone for sins and deliver His people for His name's glory.
- Isaiah 43:25 (BSB)“I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.”God blots out transgressions for His own sake.
- 1 John 2:12 (BSB)“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.”John tells believers their sins have been forgiven on account of Christ's name.
Theological
What two grounds does 25:11 give for David's plea for pardon?
Answer: To honor God's name, because his guilt is great
Verse 11 stands at the center of the acrostic and gives the psalm's clearest plea for forgiveness. Its grounds are God's name and the magnitude of the sin: pardon is sought for the honor of God's revealed character, and the greatness of the guilt is offered as a reason for mercy rather than a bar to it. There is no appeal to merit. Psalm 79:9 prays in the same terms for atonement to glorify God's name, Isaiah 43:25 has God blotting out transgressions for His own sake, and 1 John 2:12 locates the believer's forgiveness in Christ's name. Justification rests on God's grace, not on the sinner's worth.
- Psalm 25:11 (BSB)“For the sake of Your name, O LORD, forgive my iniquity, for it is great.”David asks for pardon on the basis of God's name and the greatness of his iniquity.
- Psalm 79:9 (BSB)“Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Your name; deliver us and atone for our sins, for the sake of Your name.”Another psalm asks God to atone for sins and deliver His people for His name's glory.
- Isaiah 43:25 (BSB)“I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.”God blots out transgressions for His own sake.
- 1 John 2:12 (BSB)“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.”John tells believers their sins have been forgiven on account of Christ's name.
General
How does the final verse (25:22) widen David's prayer?
Answer: He asks God to rescue all Israel from its troubles
After praying for himself through the whole psalm, David ends by asking God to redeem the whole nation of Israel from all its troubles (25:22). To redeem means to rescue or set free, often by paying a price. His personal prayer becomes a prayer for all God's people. Psalm 130 likewise calls Israel to put its hope in God, who will set Israel free from every iniquity (Psalm 130:7-8). Zechariah praised God at the birth of John the Baptist for visiting and redeeming His people (Luke 1:68), and Paul says Christ gave Himself to redeem a people of His own (Titus 2:14).
- Psalm 25:22 (BSB)“Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress.”The psalm's final line widens David's personal prayer to all Israel.
- Psalm 130:7-8 (BSB)“O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance. And He will redeem Israel from all iniquity.”Another psalm calls Israel to hope in the LORD, who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
- Luke 1:68 (BSB)““Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.”Zechariah praises God for visiting and redeeming His people.
- Titus 2:14 (BSB)“He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”Paul says Christ gave Himself to redeem and purify a people for His own possession.
Theological
What does the closing verse (25:22) add to David's prayer?
Answer: He asks God to rescue all Israel from its troubles
The final verse turns the individual's prayer into intercession for the covenant community: God is asked to ransom Israel out of every distress (25:22). The one who has sought forgiveness and rescue for himself prays the same for all God's people. Psalm 130:7-8 promises that the LORD will free Israel from every iniquity, Zechariah blesses God for visiting His people and redeeming them (Luke 1:68), and Titus 2:14 says Christ gave Himself to redeem a people of His own.
- Psalm 25:22 (BSB)“Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress.”The psalm's final line widens David's personal prayer to all Israel.
- Psalm 130:7-8 (BSB)“O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance. And He will redeem Israel from all iniquity.”Another psalm calls Israel to hope in the LORD, who will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
- Luke 1:68 (BSB)““Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.”Zechariah praises God for visiting and redeeming His people.
- Titus 2:14 (BSB)“He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.”Paul says Christ gave Himself to redeem and purify a people for His own possession.
General
On what basis does David ask God not to hold the sins of his youth against him (25:6-7)?
Answer: God's own mercy, loving devotion, and goodness
David asks God to call to mind His ancient mercy and loving devotion, meaning His loyal, covenant-keeping love, and to forget the sins and rebellions of his early years (25:6-7). His plea rests entirely on who God is, His loving devotion and goodness, not on anything David has done. God declares that He wipes out transgressions for His own sake (Isaiah 43:25), and in the new covenant, the new agreement God promised to make with His people, He pledges to forgive and forget their sins (Jeremiah 31:34). Hebrews shows that this promise is fulfilled through Christ (Hebrews 8:12).
- Psalm 25:6-7 (BSB)“Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and loving devotion, for they are from age to age. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD.”David asks God to remember His mercy and forget the sins of David's youth.
- Isaiah 43:25 (BSB)“I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.”God declares that He blots out transgressions for His own sake.
- Jeremiah 31:34 (BSB)“No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.””In the new covenant God promises to forgive and remember sins no more.
- Hebrews 8:12 (BSB)“For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.””Hebrews quotes the new covenant promise as fulfilled in Christ.
Theological
What is the ground of David's plea for forgiveness in 25:6-7?
Answer: God's own mercy, loving devotion, and goodness
David contrasts two things God might remember: His own mercy and loving devotion, which are from of old, and David's youthful sins and transgressions. He asks God to remember the first and not the second, and to remember him according to God's loving devotion and because of His goodness (25:6-7). The appeal is entirely to God's character, not to David's record. The same grace is declared in Isaiah 43:25, where God blots out transgressions for His own sake, and in the new covenant promise of Jeremiah 31:34, which Hebrews 8:12 applies to the covenant mediated by Christ.
- Psalm 25:6-7 (BSB)“Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and loving devotion, for they are from age to age. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD.”David asks God to remember His mercy and forget the sins of David's youth.
- Isaiah 43:25 (BSB)“I, yes I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake and remembers your sins no more.”God declares that He blots out transgressions for His own sake.
- Jeremiah 31:34 (BSB)“No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.””In the new covenant God promises to forgive and remember sins no more.
- Hebrews 8:12 (BSB)“For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more.””Hebrews quotes the new covenant promise as fulfilled in Christ.
General
Alongside relief from his affliction, what does David ask God to do in 25:18?
Answer: Remove every one of his sins
David keeps his eyes fixed on the LORD, confident that God will pull his feet free from the net (25:15). He feels alone and afflicted, and the troubles of his heart keep growing (25:16-17). Yet when he asks God to look on his misery, he also asks Him to remove all his sins (25:18). He knows that his deepest need is not only rescue from trouble but forgiveness. Elsewhere David recalls confessing his sin and receiving forgiveness (Psalm 32:5) and asks God to wash away his iniquity (Psalm 51:2), and John promises that God, being faithful and just, forgives those who confess (1 John 1:9).
- Psalm 25:15-18 (BSB)“My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh. Turn to me and be gracious, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart increase; free me from my distress. Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins.”David, lonely and afflicted, asks God to relieve his troubles and remove his sins.
- Psalm 32:5 (BSB)“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David recalls confessing his sin and receiving God's forgiveness.
- Psalm 51:2 (BSB)“Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”David asks God to wash away his iniquity and cleanse him from sin.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”God is faithful and just to forgive those who confess their sins.
Theological
What request does David join to his plea for relief from affliction in 25:18?
Answer: Remove every one of his sins
In 25:15-18 David moves from confident waiting (his feet will be freed from the net) to lament over loneliness, affliction, and growing inner distress. When he asks God to consider his affliction and trouble, he adds a request to take away all his sins (25:18). Suffering drives him to seek not only deliverance but forgiveness; his deepest need is reconciliation with God. The same pattern of confession and cleansing appears in Psalm 32:5 and Psalm 51:2, and 1 John 1:9 grounds the forgiveness of those who confess in God's own faithfulness and justice.
- Psalm 25:15-18 (BSB)“My eyes are always on the LORD, for He will free my feet from the mesh. Turn to me and be gracious, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart increase; free me from my distress. Consider my affliction and trouble, and take away all my sins.”David, lonely and afflicted, asks God to relieve his troubles and remove his sins.
- Psalm 32:5 (BSB)“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David recalls confessing his sin and receiving God's forgiveness.
- Psalm 51:2 (BSB)“Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”David asks God to wash away his iniquity and cleanse him from sin.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”God is faithful and just to forgive those who confess their sins.
General
What reason does David give in 25:5 for asking God to lead and teach him?
Answer: God is the one who rescues and saves him
David asks God to show him His ways, teach him His paths, and lead him in His truth (25:4-5). His reason is that God is the one who saves him, and he waits on God all day long. He does not presume to find the right way alone; he asks to be taught. Other prayers in the Psalms ask God to teach His way so that the psalmist may walk in His truth (Psalm 86:11) and to lead him on level ground by His good Spirit (Psalm 143:10). Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide His disciples into the whole truth (John 16:13).
- Psalm 25:4-5 (BSB)“Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You.”David asks God to show, teach, and lead him, because God is his Savior.
- Psalm 86:11 (BSB)“Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.”David prays to be taught God's way so he may walk in God's truth.
- Psalm 143:10 (BSB)“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”David asks God to teach him His will and lead him by His good Spirit.
- John 16:13 (BSB)“However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.”Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide His disciples into all truth.
Theological
On what ground does David base his request for instruction in 25:4-5?
Answer: God is the one who rescues and saves him
The petitions of 25:4-5 ask God to show, teach, and guide him in His ways and truth. The ground is God's saving relationship with him: God is the God of his salvation, and David waits on Him continually. The one God has saved is the one who asks to be taught His ways. The same dependence appears in Psalm 86:11 and Psalm 143:10, where the psalmist asks God to teach him and lead him by His good Spirit. Jesus promised the Spirit's guiding work to His disciples (John 16:13). Knowing God's way is His gift, sought in prayer.
- Psalm 25:4-5 (BSB)“Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; all day long I wait for You.”David asks God to show, teach, and lead him, because God is his Savior.
- Psalm 86:11 (BSB)“Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth. Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name.”David prays to be taught God's way so he may walk in God's truth.
- Psalm 143:10 (BSB)“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.”David asks God to teach him His will and lead him by His good Spirit.
- John 16:13 (BSB)“However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.”Jesus promised that the Spirit would guide His disciples into all truth.
General
According to 25:3, who will be disgraced?
Answer: Those who act treacherously for no reason
David opens by lifting his soul to the LORD in trust and asking that he not be humiliated and that his enemies not gloat over him (25:1-2). He is confident that no one who waits for God will end in shame, while the treacherous, who betray others for no reason, will end in disgrace (25:3). The psalm is arranged by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Its confidence matches the fathers of Psalm 22, who trusted and were not let down (Psalm 22:5), and God's promise through Isaiah that hope in Him never ends in disgrace (Isaiah 49:23). Paul applies the same assurance to faith in Christ: everyone trusting Him will be spared shame (Romans 10:11).
- Psalm 25:1-3 (BSB)“Of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who engage in treachery without cause will be disgraced.”David lifts his soul to God in trust and contrasts those who wait for God with the treacherous.
- Psalm 22:5 (BSB)“They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.”The fathers trusted God and were not disappointed, the same confidence David expresses here.
- Isaiah 49:23 (BSB)“Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.””God promises that those who hope in Him will never be put to shame.
- Romans 10:11 (BSB)“It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.””Paul applies the same assurance to everyone who believes in Christ.
Theological
Whom does 25:3 set in contrast with those who wait for the LORD?
Answer: Those who act treacherously for no reason
The acrostic psalm, arranged by the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, opens with trust (25:1-2) and a principle stated in two contrasting lines: those who wait for the LORD will not be shamed, but the treacherous who betray without reason will end in disgrace (25:3). Waiting on God is the stance of faith, and its vindication is guaranteed by God's own promise. The same confidence appears in 22:5, in God's word through Isaiah that hope in Him will not be disappointed (Isaiah 49:23), and in Paul's assurance that no one who believes in Christ will be disgraced (Romans 10:11).
- Psalm 25:1-3 (BSB)“Of David. To You, O LORD, I lift up my soul; in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. Surely none who wait for You will be put to shame; but those who engage in treachery without cause will be disgraced.”David lifts his soul to God in trust and contrasts those who wait for God with the treacherous.
- Psalm 22:5 (BSB)“They cried out to You and were set free; they trusted in You and were not disappointed.”The fathers trusted God and were not disappointed, the same confidence David expresses here.
- Isaiah 49:23 (BSB)“Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow to you facedown and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in Me will never be put to shame.””God promises that those who hope in Him will never be put to shame.
- Romans 10:11 (BSB)“It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.””Paul applies the same assurance to everyone who believes in Christ.