Psalms 25
Big idea: An acrostic, and the alphabet holds a prayer together that would otherwise wander — it moves between asking to be taught, asking to be forgiven, and asking to be rescued, three times over, because that is what an actual anxious prayer does. Its most surprising line is verse 11: pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Not despite. For. And its quietest is verse 14: the friendship of Yahweh is with those who fear him — the same word used of confidential counsel between close friends.
Psalm 25 asks to be taught and forgiven. Psalm 26 asks to be examined instead.
25:1–11 — Don't remember the sins of my youth
An acrostic, which means the poem is working through the alphabet while it works through its subject — and its subject is memory. Twice it asks God to remember and once not to, and the three requests are the movement's spine: remember your mercies (which are old), don't remember my youth (which is also old), remember ME. The last verse then does something few prayers risk: it gives the size of the sin as the reason for the pardon.
1 By David. To you, Yahweh, I lift up my soul. 2 My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me. 3 Yes, no one who waits for you will be shamed. They will be shamed who deal treacherously without cause. 4 Show me your ways, Yahweh. Teach me your paths. 5 Guide me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation. I wait for you all day long. 6 Yahweh, remember your tender mercies and your loving kindness, for they are from old times. 7 Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, Yahweh. 8 Good and upright is Yahweh, therefore he will instruct sinners in the way. 9 He will guide the humble in justice. He will teach the humble his way. 10 All the paths of Yahweh are loving kindness and truth to such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. 11 For your name’s sake, Yahweh, pardon my iniquity, for it is great.
25:12–22 — The friendship of Yahweh
The alphabet continues and the tone changes twice. It opens with the psalm's most surprising claim — that God's covenant is something he SHOWS people, described as friendship rather than as terms — and then the distress returns, unresolved, for six verses. Nothing has been fixed. The last line steps outside the acrostic and outside the speaker: the man who has been asking for himself finishes by asking for the nation.
12 What man is he who fears Yahweh? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose. 13 His soul will dwell at ease. His offspring will inherit the land. 14 The friendship of Yahweh is with those who fear him. He will show them his covenant. 15 My eyes are ever on Yahweh, for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 16 Turn to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted. 17 The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses. 18 Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins. 19 Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred. 20 Oh keep my soul, and deliver me. Let me not be disappointed, for I take refuge in you. 21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you. 22 God, redeem Israel out of all his troubles.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).