Psalms 25:4-5

25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!

Teach me your paths! ¹ 

25:5 Guide me into your truth ²  and teach me.

For you are the God who delivers me;

on you I rely all day long.

Psalms 25:8-10

25:8 The Lord is both kind and fair; ³ 

that is why he teaches sinners the right way to live. ⁴ 

25:9 May he show ⁵  the humble what is right! ⁶ 

May he teach ⁷  the humble his way!

25:10 The Lord always proves faithful and reliable ⁸ 

to those who follow the demands of his covenant. ⁹ 

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¹ sn Teach me your paths. In this context the Lord’s “ways” and “paths” refer to the moral principles which the Lord prescribes for his followers. See vv. 8-10.

² sn The Lord’s commandments are referred to as truth here because they are a trustworthy and accurate expression of the divine will.

³ tn Heb “good and just.”

⁴ tn Heb “teaches sinners in the way.”

⁵ tn The prefixed verbal form is jussive; the psalmist expresses his prayer.

⁶ tn Heb “may he guide the humble into justice.” The Hebrew term עֲנָוִים (’anavim, “humble”) usually refers to the oppressed, but in this context, where the psalmist confesses his sin and asks for moral guidance, it apparently refers to sinners who humble themselves before God and seek deliverance from their sinful condition.

⁷ tn The prefixed verbal form is interpreted as a jussive (it stands parallel to the jussive form, “may he guide”).

⁸ tn Heb “all the paths of the Lord are faithful and trustworthy.” The Lord’s “paths” refer here to his characteristic actions.

⁹ tn Heb “to the ones who keep his covenant and his testimonies.”