Psalms 25:2 — Word Study
WLCאֱֽלֹהַ֗י בְּךָ֣ בָ֭טַחְתִּי אַל־ אֵב֑וֹשָׁה אַל־ יַֽעַלְצ֖וּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃
BSA◂my Godʼĕlôhîym [Elohim, the one supreme God] I trustbâṭach■ [have faith, rely on] Do not let meʼal [let it not be] be put to shamebûwsh [be humiliated, disgraced] do not letʼal [let it not be] my enemiesʼôyêb [those who hate or oppose me] exultʻâlats▸ [rejoice, triumph]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֱֽלֹהַ֗י | O God my | Noun common masculine plural construct, suffix |
| בְּךָ֣ | in you | Preposition, suffix |
| בָ֭טַחְתִּי | I trust | Verb, Qal, perfect first person common singular |
| אַל־ | may not | Particle |
| אֵב֑וֹשָׁה | I be ashamed | Verb, Qal, infinitive construct first person common singular |
| אַל־ | may not | Particle |
| יַֽעַלְצ֖וּ | they exult | Verb, Qal, jussive third person masculine plural |
| אֹיְבַ֣י | enemies my | Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
| לִֽי׃ | to me | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me. |
| KJV | O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. |
| ASV | O my God, in thee have I trusted, Let me not be put to shame; Let not mine enemies triumph over me. |
| YLT | My God, in Thee I have trusted, Let me not be ashamed, Let not mine enemies exult over me. |
| WEB | My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me. |
| BBE | O my God, I have put my faith in you, let me not be shamed; let not my haters be glorying over me. |
Where they part company is אֵב֑וֹשָׁה — see How Translations Differ.
The verse consists of one main clause expressing trust, followed by two jussive clauses that express the psalmist's desires.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbבָּטַח
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Psalms 25:2
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — A Prayer for Guidance and Deliverancegenerated
Psalm 25:2 is a heartfelt declaration of trust in God, where the psalmist seeks assurance and protection from shame and adversaries. This verse is part of a larger plea for guidance and deliverance, emphasizing the importance of faith in God amidst challenges. The psalmist's reliance on God is a recurring theme throughout the Psalms, reflecting a deep relationship with the divine.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Psalm 7:1 | O LORD my God, I take refuge in You; save me and deliver me from all my pursuers, |
| 2 | Psalm 18:2 | The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. |
| 3 | Psalm 22:1–5 | My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning? |
| 4 | Psalm 31:1 | In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; save me by Your righteousness. |
| 5 | Psalm 34:8 | Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 22 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בָּטַחְתִּי, Va.tach.tigenerated
The verb בָּטַח (batach) is a perfect form, indicating a completed action of trusting. It conveys a sense of security and confidence in God, suggesting that the psalmist has placed his faith in God’s ability to protect and deliver him.
This word is used in various contexts within the Hebrew Scriptures, often highlighting a reliance on God during times of trouble. The parsing indicates a first-person singular subject, emphasizing the personal nature of this trust.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The verse contains one main verb, בָּטַחְתִּי, I trust, which governs the following phrases. The structure emphasizes the psalmist's declaration of trust in God, followed by two jussive clauses expressing his desires regarding shame and enemies.
The Hebrew word order places the subject and verb prominently, showcasing the personal nature of the trust expressed.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, the word for בָּטַחְתִּי is rendered as πέποιθα (pepoitha), which also means to trust. This choice reflects a consistent understanding of the psalmist's reliance on God.
The Greek translation captures the essence of the Hebrew text, maintaining the theme of trust while adapting it for a Hellenistic audience.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Psalm 25:2 expresses the psalmist's trust in God, asking not to be put to shame and for protection from enemies. This verse highlights the importance of faith in God during difficult times.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Trusting in God means having confidence in His ability to protect and guide us, as the psalmist demonstrates in this verse.
The psalmist desires assurance that his faith in God will not lead to humiliation, reflecting a common concern in the Psalms about the consequences of trust.
The enemies refer to those who oppose or wish harm upon the psalmist, highlighting the need for divine protection.
This verse encourages us to place our trust in God amidst challenges, reminding us that we can rely on Him for support and deliverance.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what areas of my life do I need to trust God more fully?
- How can I respond to feelings of shame or fear of opposition?
- What does it look like to rely on God in my daily life?
- How can I support others who are struggling with trust in God?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
Early commentators have reflected on this verse, emphasizing the themes of trust and the consequences of reliance on God. Quotations from Augustine and Cassiodorus illustrate their interpretations.
"O my God, in You I trust, I shall not be ashamed" [Psalms 25:2].Early Church Fathers on Psalms 25 →
Enemies laugh when they see that the trust of just people has not been fulfilled.… Laughter is most often a quality of someone of good will, but laughing at someone is always the mark of an enemy.Early Church Fathers on Psalms 25 →
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Psalms 25:2 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleO my God, I trust in thee,.... He claims his interest in God, and expresses his faith and confidence in him, in the midst of all his troubles; [See comments on Psalms 7:1]; let me not be ashamed;
Read John Gill on Psalms 25 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryO my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me. I trust in thee - and in none besides; answering to "I lift up my soul unto thee" (Psalms 25:1).
Read Robert Jamieson on Psalms 25 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleAshamed, i.e. disappointed of my hope, which will be reproachful to me, not without reflection upon thee, of whose power and faithfulness I have made my boast.
Read Matthew Poole on Psalms 25 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsPsalms 25:2 O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.Ver. 2. O my God, I trust in thee] I pray in faith, which is as the fire, and my prayer as the flame that ariseth out of it. Faith is the foundation of prayer; and prayer is the fervency of faith. Now David knew that the hand of faith never knocketh at the gate of grace in vain. Let me not be ashamed] Shame is the daughter of disappointment. This David deprecateth; Quaeque repulsa gravis. See Job 6:20. Let not mine enemies triumph over me] By saying that I pray to no purpose, as Rabshakeh did, Isaiah 35:6. I say (saith Hezekiah) I have words of my lips, prayer; prayer? but alas, what is that…
Read John Trapp on Psalms 25 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 2. I trust in thee] I depend upon thy infinite goodness and mercy for my support and salvation. Let me not be ashamed] Hide my iniquity, and forgive my guilt.
Read AdamClarke on Psalms 25 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges2. This verse should begin with the letter Beth in the word for in thee. It has been suggested that the first word O my God was disregarded in the alphabetic arrangement; but it is more probable that it originally belonged to the second line of the preceding verse (so codd. àBA of the LXX), which has now been lost or misplaced. Otherwise it must be omitted. Psalms 25:2 then forms a proper distich: In thee have I trusted, let me not be ashamed: Let not mine enemies triumph over me. Cp. Psalms 25:20; Psalms 22:5; Psalms 31:1; Psalms 31:17.
Read Cambridge on Psalms 25 →Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the BibleO my God, I trust in thee - This is the first thought - a feeling that he had true confidence in God, and that in all the duties of life, in all his trials, and in all his hopes for the future, his reliance was on God alone.
Read Albert Barnes on Psalms 25 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible2. My God—The pronoun indicates a still nearer approach—the “Abba, Father,” of the Old Testament. Romans 8:15.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Psalms 25 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
My God, I have trusted in you. Don’t let me be shamed. Don’t let my enemies triumph over me.
in You, my God, I trust. Do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.
My God, I trust in you. Please do not let me be humiliated; do not let my enemies triumphantly rejoice over me!
Tyndale line
O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
O my God, in thee have I trusted, Let me not be put to shame; Let not mine enemies triumph over me.
O my God, in thee have I trusted, let me not be ashamed; let not mine enemies triumph over me.
O my God, I trust in thee: let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me,
My God, I trust in thee: let me not be confounded: let not mine enemies reioyce ouer mee.
Strictly literal
My God, I confide in thee; let me not be ashamed, let not mine enemies triumph over me.
My God, in Thee I have trusted, Let me not be ashamed, Let not mine enemies exult over me.
My God, in You I have trusted, || Do not let me be ashamed, || Do not let my enemies exult over me.
O my God, in thee do I trust, let me not be ashamed, let not my enemies triumph over me.
My God, I trust in you. Do not let me be humiliated; do not let my enemies rejoice triumphantly over me.
From the Latin
Prove me, O Lord, and try me; burn my reins and my heart.
Simplified
I trust in you, my God. Don't let me be humiliated, and don't let my enemies triumph over me.
O my God, I have put my faith in you, let me not be shamed; let not my haters be glorying over me.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text and the Septuagint align closely in this verse, with 9 of the 9 Hebrew words matched. The Dead Sea Scrolls contain fragments that support the Masoretic Text, although some words were supplied by an editor due to damage.
אֱֽלֹהַ֗י בְּךָ֣ בָ֭טַחְתִּי אַל־ אֵב֑וֹשָׁה אַל־ יַֽעַלְצ֖וּ אֹיְבַ֣י לִֽי׃
9 of the 9 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
אל אבושה [אל] [יעלצו] [אויב׳י] [ל׳י]
6 words of the verse are on this fragment — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Psalms 25:2
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.
אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.
pl. in number.
rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
angels
gods
pl. intensive
god or goddess
godlike one
works of God, or things belongng to him
God
הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
אֱלֹהִים = God
base
H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
. angels
. gods
. pl. intensive . god or goddess
. godlike one
. works of God, or things belongng to him
. God
. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
. אֱלֹהִים = God
430 'elohiym el-o-heem'
plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically
used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the
supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to
magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X
exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X
mighty.
see HEBREW for 0433
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.
This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.
Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.
Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)
N-mp | Suff — Noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHNcmpc/Sp1bs
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HR/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp2ms
בָּטַח (batach) is a Hebrew verb meaning to trust or have confidence. It conveys a sense of security and boldness, both in a personal sense and when causing others to feel secure. The entries indicate its use in different forms, such as Qal and Hiphil, covering aspects of trust and confidence.
בָּטַח vb. trust
Qal
trust
be confident
Hiph. cause to trust, make secure
base
H982 בָּטַח trust . trust
. be confident
982 batach baw-takh'
a primitive root; properly, to hie for refuge (but not so
precipitately as 2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident
or sure:--be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one,
woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.
see HEBREW for 02620
בָּטַח (ba.tach) — to trust.
1) to trust
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to trust, trust in
1a2) to have confidence, be confident
1a3) to be bold
1a4) to be secure
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to cause to trust, make secure
2) (TWOT) to feel safe, be careless
V-Qal-Perf-1cs — Verb · Qal · perfect first person common singularHVqp1cs
→ See FAITH
- God is the true object of
- The fear of God leads to
- ENCOURAGEMENTS TO
. The everlasting strength of God
. The goodness of God
. The loving-kindness of God
אַל (al) is a negative particle meaning 'not' or 'no,' often used to express a wish or prohibition rather than an objective fact. It can also function as a noun meaning 'nothing.' The lexicons highlight its use in various contexts, including deprecative forms, but do not show significant disagreement.
אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
base
H408 אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
408 'al al
a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified
negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun,
nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing
(worth), rather than.
see HEBREW for 03808
אַל (al) — not.
1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference)
1a) do not, let not (with a verb)
1b) let there not be (with a verb understood)
1c) not, no (with substantive)
1d) nothing (as substantive)
Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)
Part — ParticleHTn
בּוֹשׁ (buwsh) is a Hebrew root meaning 'to be ashamed.' It encompasses feelings of shame, disappointment, and disconcertion. The verb appears in various forms, including Qal (to feel shame), Piel (to delay in shame), and Hiphil (to put to shame). The entries indicate a range of uses, from personal feelings of shame to actions that cause shame to others.
בּוֹשׁ 109 vb. be ashamed
Qal
abs. feel shame
sq. מִן, be ashamed of, i.e. disconcerted, disappointed by reason of
with obj. I am ashamed to ask
Polel delay (in shame)
Hiph.
put to shame
put to shame
act shamefully
to be put to shame
be ashamed
Hithp. ashamed before one another
base
H954 בּוֹשׁ be ashamed
954 buwsh boosh
a primitive root; properly, to pale, i.e. by implication to
be ashamed; also (by implication) to be disappointed or
delayed:--(be, make, bring to, cause, put to, with,
a-)shamed(-d), be (put to) confounded(-fusion), become dry,
delay, be long.
בּוֹשׁ (bush) — be ashamed.
1) to put to shame, be ashamed, be disconcerted, be disappointed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to feel shame
1a2) to be ashamed, disconcerted, disappointed (by reason of)
1b) (Piel) to delay (in shame)
1c) (Hiphil)
1c1) to put to shame
1c2) to act shamefully
1c3) to be ashamed
1d) (Hithpolel) to be ashamed before one another
V-Qal-1cs — Verb · Qal · infinitive construct first person common singularHVqc1cs
a-shamd': Almost exclusively moral in significance; confusion or abashment through consciousness of guilt or of its exposure. Often including also a sense of terror or fear because of the disgrace connected with the performance of some action. Capacity for shame indicates that moral sense (conscience) is not extinct. "Ashamed" occurs 96 out of 118 times in the Old Testament. Hebrew bosh, "to feel shame" (Latin, pudere), with derivatives occurs 80 times; kalam, "to shame," including the thought of "disgrace," "reproach"; chapher, "to blush": hence shame because of frustrated plans (uniformly in the Revised Version (British and American) "confounded"); Greek aischunomai, "suffused with shame," passive only and its compounds. Uses:
(1) A few times, of actual embarrassment, as of Hazael before the steadfast look of Elisha (2Ki 8:11; see…
אַל (al) is a negative particle meaning 'not' or 'no,' often used to express a wish or prohibition rather than an objective fact. It can also function as a noun meaning 'nothing.' The lexicons highlight its use in various contexts, including deprecative forms, but do not show significant disagreement.
אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
base
H408 אַל adv. of negation, denying however, not objectively as a fact, but subjectively as a wish, expressing therefore a deprecation or prohibition
408 'al al
a negative particle (akin to 3808); not (the qualified
negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun,
nothing:--nay, neither, + never, no ,nor, not, nothing
(worth), rather than.
see HEBREW for 03808
אַל (al) — not.
1) not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference)
1a) do not, let not (with a verb)
1b) let there not be (with a verb understood)
1c) not, no (with substantive)
1d) nothing (as substantive)
Aramaic equivalent: al (אַל "not" H0409)
Part — ParticleHTn
עָלַץ (alats) is a primitive root meaning to rejoice or exult. It conveys a sense of jumping for joy or triumphing, primarily found in the Qal form. The entries consistently emphasize its joyful connotation without notable disagreement.
עָלַץ vb. rejoice, exult
base
H5970 עָלַץ rejoice, exult
5970 `alats aw-lats'
a primitive root; to jump for joy, i.e. exult:--be joyful,
rejoice, triumph.
עָלַץ (a.lats) — to rejoice.
1) to rejoice, exult
1a) (Qal) to exult
V-Qal-Juss-3mp — Verb · Qal · jussive third person masculine pluralHVqj3mp
אֹיֵב (oyeb) means 'enemy' or 'foe,' indicating hostility. It can refer to personal or national adversaries. The word is derived from the active participle of another root, אָיַב (ayab), which also conveys the sense of being hostile.
[אָיַב] 283 vb. be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)
base
H341 אָיַב be hostile to (enemy = אֹיֵב)
341 'oyeb o-yabe'
or (fully) owyeb {o-yabe'}; active participle of 340;
hating; an adversary:--enemy, foe.
see HEBREW for 0340
אֹיֵב (o.yev) — enemy.
1) (Qal) enemy
1a) personal
1b) national
V-Qal | Suff — Verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHVqrmpc/Sp1bs
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HR/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp1bs