Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (6a)

“Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)

This psalm is another example of reflective prayer (see Ps. 16), in which the suppliant talks to God and then reflects on the subject of the prayer (see “Outline/Structure” below), either alone or in company with others. Goldingay proposes that it has an instructional purpose, to teach people to pray.[1] Generically, Psalm 25 is generally typed as an individual lament, while Craigie insists that the language is more descriptive of a psalm of confidence (psalm of trust).[2] Its connections with wisdom poetry have also been noted, especially the use of the terms “way(s)” (25:4, 8, 9, 10, and 12; the noun is turned into a verb, “guide,” in 25:5 and 9), “fear” (25:12, 14), and “good” (25:8, 13 [NIV: “prosperity”]), as well as the acrostic form of the psalm (see the sidebar). The psalmist puts his trust in God (25:1), in contrast to those who put their trust in that which is false (24:4).

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