Psalm 25 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

25:1

Psalm 25:1-22. The general tone of this Psalm is that of prayer for help from enemies. Distress, however, exciting a sense of sin, humble confession, supplication for pardon, preservation from sin, and divine guidance, are prominent topics.

lift up my soul — (Psalm 24:4; Psalm 86:4), set my affections (compare Colossians 3:2).

25:2

not be ashamed — by disappointment of hopes of relief.

25:3

The prayer generalized as to all who wait on God - that is, who expect His favor. On the other hand, the disappointment of the perfidious, who, unprovoked, have done evil, is invoked (compare 2 Samuel 22:9).

25:4-5

On the ground of former favor, he invokes divine guidance, according to God‘s gracious ways of dealing and faithfulness.

25:6-7

Confessing past and present sins, he pleads for mercy, not on palliations of sin, but on God‘s well-known benevolence.

25:8-9

upright — acting according to His promise.

sinners — the general term, limited by the

meek — who are penitent.

the way — and his way — God‘s way of providence.

25:9

in judgment — rightly.

25:10

paths — similar sense - His modes of dealing (compare Psalm 25:4).

mercy and truth — (Job 14:1-22), God‘s grace in promising and faithfulness in performing.

25:11

God‘s perfections of love, mercy, goodness, and truth are manifested (his name, compare Psalm 9:10) in pardoning sin, and the greatness of sin renders pardon more needed.

25:12-13

What he asks for himself is the common lot of all the pious.

25:13

inherit the earth — (compare Matthew 5:5). The phrase, alluding to the promise of Canaan, expresses all the blessings included in that promise, temporal as well as spiritual.

25:14

The reason of the blessing explained - the pious enjoy communion with God (compare Proverbs 3:21, Proverbs 3:12), and, of course, learn His gracious terms of pardon.

25:15

His trust in God is fixed.

net — is frequently used as a figure for dangers by enemies (Psalm 9:15; Psalm 10:9).

25:16-19

A series of earnest appeals for aid because God had seemed to desert him (compare Psalm 13:1; Psalm 17:13, etc.), his sins oppressed him, his enemies had enlarged his troubles and were multiplied, increasing in hate and violence (Psalm 9:8; Psalm 18:48).

25:20

keep my soul — (Psalm 16:1).

put my trust — flee for refuge (Psalm 2:12).

25:21

In conscious innocence of the faults charged by his enemies, he confidently commits his cause to God. Some refer -

integrity, etc. — to God, meaning His covenant faithfulness. This sense, though good, is an unusual application of the terms.

25:22

Extend these blessings to all Thy people in all their distresses.