The
PS 25 belong to
Book I of the
Book of PS, composed of a collection of texts 150 poetry books organized by five. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action, is considered the heart of the Old Testament. Book I encompasses Psalms 1 to 41. The
PS 25 is divided into 22 verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience. They portray the
commoner with his faults, insecurities, fears, and hopes. Even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for some blessing.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan.
Psalm 25 - Request for Pardon and Release
1 of David.
For you, Lord, I
lift my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust.
May I not be disillusioned,
nor do my enemies mock me.
3 For those who wait on you will not be disappointed.
Those who betray you without reason are disappointed.
4 Lord, let me know your ways
and teach me your ways.
5 Lead me by Your truth and teach me,
for You are God, my savior.
In you, I trust all day.
6 Remember, O Lord, your compassion
and mercy, which have always been.
7 Do not remember my youthful sins and misdeeds.
Remember me, Lord, for your mercy and goodness, O Lord.
8 The Lord is good and upright.
Therefore, it teaches sinners the way.
9 Guide the humble in righteousness
and make his way known to them.
10 All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth
to those who keep his covenant and his precepts.
11 For your name's sake, Lord,
forgive my sin, which is very great.
12 Who is the man who fears the Lord?
He will teach you the way to choose.
13 Your soul will rest with prosperity,
and your offspring will possess the earth.
14 The Lord's secret is for those who fear him,
and his covenant is to make them known.
15 My eyes are always on the Lord,
for He takes my feet out of the trap.
16 Turn to me and have mercy,
for I am alone and humbled.
17 Give breadth to the troubles of my heart
and deliver me from my afflictions.
18 See my affliction and my suffering
and blot out all my sins.
19 See how many my enemies are,
and they hate me with cruel hatred.
20 Guard my soul and deliver me.
May I not be disappointed because I trusted you.
21 May integrity and righteousness protect me,
for in you, I have put my hope.
22 O God, rescue Israel
from all their tribulations.
Meaning and interpretation
Psalm 25 is a
single prayer of supplication prompted by an experience of
great distress. The supplication develops in a meditation rhythm, making it a Psalm with a strong sapiential stamp.
In addition to the reward that Hebrew ethical thinking always associates with some benefit to be received in this world, the idea of taking possession of the land must also be part of the natural
hopes of those returning from
exile to feel the owners of the land again.
In this sense, the land would be their living space, their country. Extending this land tenure to the horizon of the whole world opens up already echoes of
messianic hope.
The
Sapiential Psalms are books of Sacred Scripture (
Libri Sapientiales ) that contain, above all,
moral sentences from ancient Israel - Proverbs, Job, Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), Sirach (Ecclesiasticus), Song of Songs, Wisdom. These prayers are filled with ancient inspiration, wisdom, life experiences, and people's history. They analyze
human behavior,
ethical options and consequences, and the search for the
meaning of life and death for each of us and as a society.
Various themes are addressed in these Psalms, such as justice/injustice; sinful/righteous; wisdom/foolishness; bad/good; fidelity/infidelity; the honor or lack of it, the virtue that exists in prudence in speaking, in being fair, in knowing how to be rich. The existence of God is never questioned. He is Creator, Lord, Judge, Wise.
The
Wisdom Psalms are also understood as a guide for everyone to
meditate on the issues of their daily lives and the mysteries of life. The Psalmist uses his own and others' experiences to
discerning the path based on correct moral principles. They are based on the assumption that what we do in this world, we pay for in this life. The wisdom style appears in Ps 1; 14; 34; 36; 37; 39; 49; 53; 73; 74.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, the privileged way to address and speak with Him. Depicting the
commoner, with his failures, insecurities, fears, and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
Despite being written in Antiquity, the Psalms still
move,
sensitize,
awaken feelings,
inspire and
enchant. In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy, deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom, and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations, some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life; others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms comprises a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God. The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses, and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation, supplication, praise, and
gratitude.
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine, and
prayer is the
power of the word. Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word, or image addressed to God is called
prayer. Through it, we come into contact with our
God within; therefore, it is powerful in
transforming life. Prayer can produce
miracles, turn dreams into reality, and give us hope for
change,
harmony, and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God. For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for spiritual self-protection, family protection, and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this,
peace, well-being, hope, and goodness in front of everyone and everything results.
Faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination. The Psalms will guide you toward peace and
communion with higher energy.
