Psalms 25:1

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. Either "in prayer", as the Chaldee paraphrase adds (s); and denotes sincere, affectionate, hearty prayer to God, a drawing nigh to him with a true heart: for

Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. Psalms 25:1-22.-Prayer for deliverance from enemies, grounded on God's faithfulness to His trusting people (Psalms 25:1-5); appeal to God to remember not

Psalms 25 THE This Psalm seems to have been composed when David was under some straits and pressures, when his outward afflictions were accompanied with inward horrors of conscience for his sins, by which he had forfeited God’ s favour, and procured these calamities to himself. David, being distressed by his enemies, taketh his refuge in God, ; prayeth for the remission of the sins of his youth, . He showeth the goodness of the Lord to the meek, to such as keep his covenant, to such as fear him, . He prayeth for help in affliction, ; and against his enemies, ; and to redeem his church from trouble, . i.e. I direct my desires and prayers with hope or expectation of a gracious answer, which also it implies, .

Psalms 25:1 « [A Psalm] of David. » Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.A Psalm of David] An excellent psalm; the second of those seven called by the ancients penitential; and such as may well serve us for a pattern of our daily prayers; as wherein David beggeth three things (answerable to those two last petitions in the Lord’ s prayer), first, pardon of sin; secondly, guidance of God’ s good Spirit; thirdly, defence against his enemies (Beza). It appeareth that this psalm was made by David when he was well in years, Psalms 25:7, after his sin in the matter of Uriah (that great iniquity, as he calleth it, Psalms 25:11, saith Vatablus), and some gather, from Psalms 25:19, that he framed this psalm when Absalom was up in arms against him, Psalms 25:19 (compared with Psalms 3:1). See also Psalms 25:15; Psalms 25:22. It may seem therefore that when he came to Mahanaim, 2 Samuel 17:24; 2 Samuel 17:27 (where God showed him marvellous lovingkindness in a strong city, Psalms 31:21, and wherehence he was at the people’ s request to help them, or to cause them to be helped, viz. by his hearty prayers for God’ s assistance, 2 Samuel 18:3), he composed this psalm with more than ordinary artifice, viz. in order of alphabet, as he hath done also some few others, both for the excellency of the matter and likewise for help of memory; for which cause also St Matthew summeth up the genealogy of Christ into three fourteens; all helps being but little enough. Nazianzen and Sedulius have done the like; the former in his holy alphabet, Aρχηναπαντων, &c., and the latter in his hymn, A Solis ortus cardine Beatus auctor saeculi, &c. Ver. 1. Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul] i.e. Praeparo cor meum, saith R. Solomon. My heart maketh its faithful addresses to thee (and not any other), with strength of desire and delight, with earnest expectation and hope of relief. Ad te orando non ad idola. See Jeremiah 22:27 Deuteronomy 24:15 Psalms 86:5, Cyprian saith, that in the primitive times the minister was wont to prepare the people’ s minds to pray by prefacing Sursum corda, Lift up your hearts. The Jews at this day write upon the walls of their synagogues these words, Tephillah belo cavannah ceguph belo neshamah; that is, a prayer without the intention of the affection, is like a body without a soul; and yet their devotion is a mere outside, saith one, a brainless head, and a soulless body; Antiquum obtinent, Isaiah 29:13, Buxtorf. Abbreviat. This people draweth nigh to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. A carnal man can as little lift up his heart in prayer as a mole can fly. A David finds it a hard task; since the best heart is lumpish, and naturally beareth downward, as the poise of a clock, as the lead of a net.

PSALM XXV The psalmist, in great distress, calls upon God frequently, 1-5; prays for pardon with the strong confidence of being heard, 6-11; shows the blessedness of the righteous, 12-14; again earnestly implores the Divine mercy; and prays for the restoration of Israel, 15-22. NOTES ON PSALM XXV This Psalm seems to refer to the case of the captives in Babylon, who complain of oppression from their enemies, and earnestly beg the help and mercy of God. It is the first of those called acrostic Psalms, i.e., Psalms each line of which begins with a several letter of the Hebrew alphabet in their common order. Of acrostic Psalms there are seven, viz., Psalms 25, Psalms 34, Psalms 37, Psalms 111, Psalms 112, Psalms 119, and Psalms 145. It is fashionable to be violent in encomiums on the Jews for the very faithful manner in which they have preserved the Hebrew Scriptures; but these encomiums are, in general, ill placed. Even this Psalm is a proof with what carelessness they have watched over the sacred deposit committed to their trust. The letter vau is wanting in the fifth verse, and koph in the eighteenth; the letter resh being twice inserted, once instead of koph, and a whole line added at the end, entirely out of the alphabetical series. Verse 1. Do I lift up my soul.] His soul was cast down, and by prayer and faith he endeavours to lift it up to God.

1–7. Petition for protection, guidance, and pardon.

Unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul - In meditation; in gratitude; in praise. The idea is, that the thoughts are lifted up from earth and earthly subjects to God.

1. Unto thee, O Lord—The address is emphatic. To thee only, exclusive of all trust in false gods, or in men. Lift up my soul—A Hebraism for, I direct all my desire to thee.