Psalms 25:1-22

This is the second of the 'acrostic' or 'alphabetic' Pss. (cp. 9, 10). As it now stands there are a few irregularities in the arrangement, some of which appear again in Psalms 34. The closing v. suggests the circumstances of the exile, but it is probably an addition, as the last letter of the alphabet is reached in Psalms 25:21. The rest of the Ps. contains nothing to indicate its date or authorship, and its value is independent of any view that may be taken as to these. Some have supposed that the writer speaks in the name of the nation, but much of the Ps. has a distinctly personal character. It falls into three parts—a humble prayer for defence, instruction, and forgiveness (Psalms 25:1); a meditation on the character and ways of God (Psalms 25:8); and a further prayer for deliverance from trouble (Psalms 25:15).