Psalms 25:4

KJV

Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.

KJV (with Strong's)

Shew {H3045} me thy ways {H1870}, O LORD {H3068}; teach {H3925} me thy paths {H734}.

Complete Jewish Bible

Make me know your ways, ADONAI, teach me your paths.

Berean Standard Bible

Show me Your ways, O LORD; teach me Your paths.

American Standard Version

Show me thy ways, O Jehovah; Teach me thy paths.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Psalms 25:4 presents King David's profound and humble supplication for divine direction: "Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths." This verse encapsulates a deep recognition of human fallibility and an absolute reliance on God for guidance in every facet of life. It reflects a heart passionately committed to understanding and aligning with the divine will and character, seeking God's active involvement to navigate life's complexities and uncertainties with integrity and purpose.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Psalm 25 is an acrostic psalm, though somewhat irregular in its adherence to the Hebrew alphabet, attributed to David. It is a heartfelt prayer of lament, confession, and earnest petition, characterized by David's vulnerability before God. The psalm opens with David lifting his soul to the Lord, expressing unwavering trust and seeking deliverance from his adversaries and the shame they might bring, alongside a plea for the forgiveness of his youthful sins. Verse 4 is strategically positioned within this plea, immediately following expressions of profound trust in God's character and preceding further appeals for divine mercy and truth. Throughout the psalm, themes of divine guidance, protection, and forgiveness are intricately woven together, with verse 4 serving as a pivotal request for God's active and personal involvement in directing David's life, thereby implying that true deliverance, righteousness, and flourishing stem from walking in God's revealed will.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** As the anointed king of Israel, David bore immense responsibility for leading God's chosen people, a role fraught with political intrigue, military conflicts, and personal moral failings, such as his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah ([2 Samuel 11](/2_samuel/11 "2 Samuel 11 - David and Bathsheba")). In such a demanding and often perilous position, and as a man described as being "after God's own heart," David acutely understood his desperate need for divine wisdom that far surpassed any human counsel. The ancient Near Eastern worldview commonly depicted life as a journey, with "ways" (derek) and "paths" (ʼôrach) serving as potent metaphors for one's life course, moral conduct, or destiny. For an Israelite, God's "ways" were inextricably linked to the Mosaic Law and the covenant, representing the righteous, life-giving principles and statutes established by Yahweh for His people, guiding them towards a life of blessing and fidelity.
* **Key Themes:**
* **Divine Guidance and Wisdom:** The most prominent theme is the fervent request for God to reveal His specific will and general principles for righteous living. This underscores the biblical understanding that all true wisdom originates from God, not from human intellect or worldly experience, a concept consistently echoed throughout wisdom literature, particularly in the exhortation to trust in the Lord with all your heart in [Proverbs 3:5-6](/proverbs/3-5-6 "Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord") and the declaration that God's word is a lamp to our feet in [Psalm 119:105](/psalms/119-105 "Psalm 119:105 - Your Word is a Lamp").
* **Humility and Dependence:** David's posture of asking God to "shew" and "teach" demonstrates profound humility, acknowledging his inherent inability to navigate life's complexities without direct divine intervention. This theme of absolute reliance on God is a recurring motif in the Psalms, emphasizing the believer's essential need to surrender self-sufficiency and lean entirely on the Creator, much like a weaned child rests quietly with its mother, as beautifully depicted in [Psalm 131:2](/psalms/131-2 "Psalm 131:2 - A Weaned Child").
* **Covenant Faithfulness and Obedience:** Implicit in seeking God's "ways" and "paths" is a deep-seated desire to walk in covenant obedience. God's ways are inherently righteous, true, and lead to blessing, and this prayer reflects a longing to align one's entire life with these divine standards, echoing the foundational call in the Torah to walk in all God's ways and keep His commandments, as found in [Deuteronomy 5:33](/deuteronomy/5-33 "Deuteronomy 5:33 - Walk in All the Ways").

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Shew (Hebrew, _yâdaʻ'_):** This verb, H3045, primarily means "to know" or "to ascertain by seeing." In a causative sense, as used here, it means "to make known," "to instruct," or "to cause to know." It implies an active, intentional disclosure or revelation from God, indicating David's need for divine illumination to grasp truths or directions that are not immediately apparent through human reasoning or observation. It is a request for God to impart knowledge and understanding directly.
* **Ways (Hebrew, _derek'_):** This noun, H1870, refers to a "road" or "path" literally, but figuratively and more profoundly, it denotes a "course of life," "mode of action," or "manner of conduct." When applied to God, "His ways" refer to His established decrees, His character, His moral principles, and the overarching framework of His dealings with humanity. David seeks to understand the broad, foundational principles by which God operates and by which He expects His people to live.
* **Teach (Hebrew, _lâmad'_):** This verb, H3925, means "to teach," "to instruct," or "to learn." It suggests an ongoing, dynamic process of instruction, formation, and assimilation of truth, implying a disciple's active engagement in receiving, internalizing, and applying God's guidance. The root can also imply "to goad," suggesting a persistent, even disciplinary, method of leading one to learn and obey.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Shew me thy ways, O LORD":** This initial clause is a humble yet urgent plea for God to reveal His general principles, His character, and the overarching moral framework for living. David desires a comprehensive understanding of divine truth that informs all of life, seeking to grasp God's established order and His righteous standards. It is a request for divine revelation concerning the very nature of how God acts and how He desires His people to conduct themselves, a foundational understanding of His will.
* **"teach me thy paths":** This second clause complements and intensifies the first by requesting specific, practical guidance for daily decisions and the precise steps to take in life's journey. While "ways" refers to the broad, foundational principles, "paths" (ʼôrach, H734) refers to the concrete application and navigation of life's journey, the well-trodden course of action. David seeks not only to know God's will in general but also to be instructed on the particular course of action he should take, implying a desire for both intellectual understanding and practical, obedient application in his everyday life.

#### Literary Devices
The verse primarily employs **Parallelism**, specifically **Synonymous Parallelism**, where the two clauses express similar ideas using different but closely related terms. "Shew me thy ways" and "teach me thy paths" reiterate and amplify the same core petition for comprehensive divine guidance. "Ways" (derek) and "paths" (ʼôrach) are closely related **Metaphors** for a course of life or conduct, while "shew" (yâdaʻ) and "teach" (lâmad) both convey the idea of instruction and revelation. This literary technique serves to intensify the comprehensive nature of David's plea, indicating a desire for both foundational understanding and specific, practical application of God's will. Furthermore, the **Direct Address** to "O LORD" (Yᵉhôvâh, H3068) emphasizes the personal, intimate, and deeply dependent nature of David's prayer, highlighting his direct appeal to the sovereign, covenant-keeping God of Israel.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 25:4 profoundly articulates the universal human need for divine direction and God's gracious provision of it. Theologically, it underscores God's indispensable role as the ultimate guide and teacher of His people, who, in His infinite sovereignty and wisdom, reveals His will to those who humbly seek Him. It highlights the paramount importance of divine revelation, whether through the inspired Scriptures, the illuminating work of the Holy Spirit, or providential circumstances, as the only reliable source for navigating life's inherent complexities. This prayer also speaks powerfully to the ongoing process of sanctification and discipleship, where believers are continually learning and growing in their understanding and obedience to God's holy character and righteous commands. It is a timeless prayer for every generation of believers seeking to walk faithfully with their God.

* [Psalm 119:105](/psalms/119-105 "Psalm 119:105 - Your Word is a Lamp Unto My Feet")
* [Proverbs 3:5-6](/proverbs/3-5-6 "Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart")
* [Isaiah 48:17](/isaiah/48-17 "Isaiah 48:17 - The Lord Teaches You to Profit")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 25:4 remains a timeless and essential prayer for every believer in every age. In a world saturated with competing voices, overwhelming information, and complex moral dilemmas, this verse calls us back to the foundational truth that genuine wisdom and unerring direction come solely from God. It challenges us to cultivate a posture of profound humility and absolute dependence, acknowledging our inherent limitations, our propensity for error, and surrendering our own understanding. To genuinely pray this verse means to actively seek God's revealed will through consistent and diligent engagement with His inspired Word, fervent and persistent prayer, and a radical readiness to obey whatever He reveals, even when it challenges our preconceived notions or personal desires. It is a profound call to discipleship, inviting us into a continuous and transformative process of learning from our divine Teacher and faithfully walking in His ways, trusting implicitly that His paths, though sometimes arduous or counter-cultural, always lead to abundant life, righteousness, and eternal flourishing. This prayer reminds us that the Christian journey is not about finding our own way in the darkness, but about faithfully following the One who is the Way, and who knows the end from the beginning.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does acknowledging our deep need for divine guidance fundamentally shape our daily prayers and the significant decisions we make?**
* **What specific "ways" or "paths" of the Lord are you currently seeking greater clarity on in your life, and what concrete steps are you taking to actively pursue that clarity from God?**
* **In what practical ways can we move beyond mere intellectual understanding of God's will to actively "learn" and "walk" in His revealed truth, demonstrating obedient application in our daily lives?**

### FAQ
**Why does David need to be "shown" and "taught" God's ways? Isn't God's will clear?**

Answer: While God's general will, particularly His moral law and unchanging character, is indeed clearly revealed in Scripture (e.g., the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount), its specific application to individual lives and complex, nuanced situations is often not immediately obvious. David, as king, faced unique and multifaceted challenges that required divine wisdom far beyond human counsel or general principles. His prayer in [Psalms 25:4](/psalms/25-4 "Psalm 25:4 - Shew Me Thy Ways") is a humble recognition that human wisdom is inherently insufficient, prone to error, and limited in foresight. It's a prayer for both understanding of God's overarching principles ("ways") and discernment for specific, practical steps ("paths"). This acknowledges human fallibility and the profound need for ongoing spiritual formation and illumination by God, as believers are continually called to discern and embrace God's good, pleasing, and perfect will ([Romans 12:2](/romans/12-2 "Romans 12:2 - Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind")).

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 25:4 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is not merely a guide to God's ways but is Himself the very embodiment and living revelation of God's "ways" and "paths." Jesus unequivocally declared, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" ([John 14:6](/john/14-6 "John 14:6 - Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life")). He perfectly walked in the Father's will, demonstrating God's character and righteous "ways" through His impeccable life, authoritative teachings, and ultimate sacrificial death on the cross. As the divine Teacher, Jesus taught His disciples the Father's "paths," instructing them in righteousness and leading them by His perfect example, urging them to build their lives securely upon His words, which are the very foundation of wisdom ([Matthew 7:24](/matthew/7-24 "Matthew 7:24 - Build on the Rock")). Furthermore, through the indwelling Holy Spirit, whom Christ sent after His ascension, believers continue to be "shown" and "taught" God's ways, as the Spirit guides us into all truth ([John 16:13](/john/16-13 "John 16:13 - The Spirit of Truth")) and empowers us to walk in obedience to Christ's commands. Therefore, to seek God's ways and paths today is to fix our eyes intently upon Jesus, to follow His perfect example, and to allow His Spirit to continually direct our steps, living out the perfect way revealed and embodied in Him ([1 John 2:6](/1_john/2-6 "1 John 2:6 - Walk as He Walked")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Psalms 86:11

Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.

Psalms 27:11

Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Psalms 143:8

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Exodus 33:13

Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation [is] thy people.

Psalms 5:8

Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.

Psalms 119:27

Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.

Jeremiah 6:16

Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where [is] the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk [therein].