‏ Psalms 23

Summary for Ps 23:1-28:9: Pss 23–28  ^a These psalms develop the importance of integrity (25:4-7  ^b, 12-14  ^c, 21  ^d; 26:6  ^e, 11  ^f; 27:7-12  ^g), God’s shepherding care (23:1  ^h; 28:9  ⁱ), God’s guidance (23:2-3  ^j; 25:5  ^k; 27:11  ^l), God’s goodness (23:6  ^m; 25:7-8  ⁿ; 27:13  ^o), and living in his house (23:6  ^p; 26:8  ^q; 27:4  ^r, 8  ^s).
Summary for Ps 23:1-6: Ps 23  ^t This psalm of trust and confidence in the Lord has been a favorite of God’s people for generations. It expresses assurance of God’s presence in the midst of adversity. It evokes images of the Good Shepherd (23:1-3  ^u; see Ezek 34:12  ^v; John 10:11  ^w) and of the messianic banquet (Ps 23:5-6  ^x; see Isa 25:6  ^y; Rev 19:9  ^z).
Summary for Ps 23:1-3: 23:1-3  ^aa People in the ancient Near East commonly viewed their rulers as shepherds. 23:1  ^ab The Lord promises to take care of his children (34:9-10  ^ac; Isa 51:14  ^ad). He demonstrated this ability to Israel in the wilderness (Deut 2:7  ^ae) and in the Promised Land (Deut 8:9  ^af).
23:2  ^ag Sheep rest after they have eaten their fill (Zeph 3:13  ^ah; see Isa 11:7  ^ai; cp. Isa 13:20  ^aj; 27:10  ^ak).

• The Lord leads the sheep for their own benefit (see Ps 5:8  ^al).

• Sheep only drink from still water, so the shepherd seeks out peaceful streams for his flock.
23:3  ^am Cp. 19:7  ^an; the Lord’s word renews my strength.

• The Lord guides by rescuing his people from evil (23:4-5  ^ao; see 31:3  ^ap), bringing them back to himself (5:8  ^aq; 61:2  ^ar), caring (48:14  ^as; 139:10  ^at), ruling (67:4  ^au), counseling (73:24  ^av), protecting (78:53  ^aw; 107:30  ^ax; 143:11  ^ay), and instructing them in wisdom (27:11  ^az; see Prov 4:11  ^ba).

• The Lord’s name guarantees the relationship; he guards his reputation against any accusation of his abandoning his people or allowing them to sin (see Pss 25:11  ^bb; 31:3  ^bc; 106:8  ^bd; 143:11  ^be).
23:4  ^bf The shepherd used his rod and staff to fend off danger.
23:5  ^bg A feast demonstrates the Lord’s care and mercy toward his people (see 22:26  ^bh, 29  ^bi). Although enemies can watch, they cannot trouble the guests.

• The ritual of anointing the head with oil showed guests honor (92:9-11  ^bj), hospitality, and refreshment (104:15  ^bk; 133:2  ^bl).
23:6  ^bm The Lord expresses his unfailing love through the goodness of his presence and other benefits that he alone provides (69:16  ^bn; 86:17  ^bo; 109:21  ^bp; see 18:6  ^bq; 61:4  ^br). He actively bestows care that is greater than the temporary trials imposed by enemies (7:1  ^bs).

‏ Psalms 24

Summary for Ps 24:1-10: Ps 24  ^bt The shepherd of Ps 23  ^bu, who is also the King of the whole world, takes possession of Zion.
Summary for Ps 24:1-2: 24:1-2  ^bv The kingdom belongs to the Creator, the Great King (cp. 22:27  ^bw). 24:1  ^bx The Lord created and now rules the earth and everything in it (see 1 Cor 10:25-26  ^by). He sees all its people (Ps 33:14  ^bz), regardless of their status (49:1-2  ^ca).
24:2  ^cb God created everything in an orderly and stable manner (see 89:11  ^cc; 102:25  ^cd; 104:5  ^ce).
Summary for Ps 24:3-6: 24:3-6  ^cf The citizens of the King’s realm include all who seek him. The Lord invites them to enter his presence. 24:3  ^cg These questions invite readers to look away from their problems with the wicked and to examine themselves (see 15:1  ^ch).

• God’s holy place is the holy mountain, a reference both to Jerusalem and to heaven.
24:4  ^ci Those with pure hands have not shed blood or injured relationships between people (see 9:12  ^cj; 15:2-5  ^ck).

• Those with pure hearts commit themselves fully to the Lord, as evidenced in strength of character, transparency, and selflessness (51:10  ^cl; 73:1  ^cm; see Matt 5:8  ^cn).
24:10  ^co The Lord of Heaven’s Armies reigns from his home, the Temple in Jerusalem (84:3-5  ^cp). He excludes sin and sinners (24:3-6  ^cq) but protects all who dwell in Zion.

‏ Psalms 25

Summary for Ps 25:1-22: Ps 25  ^cr This individual lament includes instruction in wisdom and a community lament; it begins and ends with an affirmation of trust in the Lord (25:1-3  ^cs, 15-22  ^ct). The psalmist prays for guidance (25:4-7  ^cu) and encourages the godly to practice a lifestyle of wisdom (25:12-14  ^cv). In addition to the enemies who trouble him, the psalmist confesses his sins (25:7  ^cw, 11  ^cx, 18  ^cy) as part of his anguish. Trust develops with understanding God’s character: He is compassionate, faithful, and good (25:8-10  ^cz).
Summary for Ps 25:1-3: 25:1-3  ^da The psalmist expresses confidence that the godly will be vindicated and his enemies will not succeed (see 25:15-22  ^db). 25:1  ^dc The psalmist commits himself to the Lord instead of to idols (see 24:3-4  ^dd).
25:2  ^de Enemies would rejoice by singing a victory song.
Summary for Ps 25:4-7: 25:4-7  ^df In this prayer for guidance, compassion, and forgiveness, the psalmist turns to the Lord for instruction in wisdom. He confesses his past failures and acknowledges that his hope lies with his merciful Savior.
Summary for Ps 25:4-6: 25:4-6  ^dg The right path, the path of wisdom (see 5:8  ^dh), means being open to instruction that leads to life (27:11  ^di; 43:3  ^dj; 73:24  ^dk; 119:12  ^dl).
25:5  ^dm Biblical hope does not mean wishing for an event to turn out favorably. Hope trusts the Lord’s will and gives the courage to face disappointments (33:22  ^dn; 130:5  ^do).
25:6  ^dp compassion: See also 51:1  ^dq; 57:1  ^dr; 103:8  ^ds.
Summary for Ps 25:8-10: 25:8-10  ^dt The Lord keeps his people close to himself.
25:11  ^du The psalmist again asks forgiveness for his many sins (25:7  ^dv; 32:1-5  ^dw). The sins of Israel’s kings demonstrated the weaknesses inherent in David’s dynasty and the reasons for its failure in Old Testament Israel (see Ps 89  ^dx).
Summary for Ps 25:12-15: 25:12-15  ^dy Those who fear the Lord will receive further instruction and experience God’s presence (25:14  ^dz) and blessing (25:13  ^ea).
25:13  ^eb prosperity: See 23:6  ^ec.

• inherit the land: Unlike the wicked, who will perish (1:6  ^ed), the godly have a secure future. In the end, God will bless them, and their blessings will endure (see 37:9  ^ee, 11  ^ef, 22  ^eg, 29  ^eh, 34  ^ei; Isa 57:13  ^ej; Matt 5:5  ^ek).
Summary for Ps 25:15-22: 25:15-22  ^el The psalmist expresses confidence in the Lord, commits to a life of integrity, and prays for rescue. 25:15  ^em the traps of my enemies: See 5:9-10  ^en; 31:4  ^eo; 140:5  ^ep; Prov 3:26  ^eq.
Summary for Ps 25:17-18: 25:17-18  ^er The psalmist can find no relief (see 4:1  ^es; 13:1-2  ^et) as his problems go from bad to worse. He associates his anguish with sin, but he does not elaborate on the nature of his sin (see 25:7  ^eu, 11  ^ev).
Summary for Ps 25:19-20: 25:19-20  ^ew Knowing that the Lord hates violent people (see 11:5  ^ex), the psalmist pleads with God to deal with these enemies.
25:21  ^ey Just as it opened, the psalm closes with a commitment of trust and hope (see 9:18  ^ez; 25:5  ^fa).

‏ Psalms 26

Summary for Ps 26:1-12: Ps 26  ^fb In this individual lament, the psalmist prays for redemption on the basis of his own innocence and the Lord’s justice.
Summary for Ps 26:1-3: 26:1-3  ^fc The psalmist opens himself to divine examination of his life, especially in the areas of his character and devotion.
26:3  ^fd For God’s truth to become part of one’s character requires a habitual commitment.
Summary for Ps 26:4-5: 26:4-5  ^fe Because of his devotion to the Lord (26:1-3  ^ff), the psalmist dissociates himself from evil people (see 1:1  ^fg).
Summary for Ps 26:6-8: 26:6-8  ^fh The psalmist demonstrates his loyalty to the Lord through pious rituals, praise, and acknowledgment of the Lord’s presence in the Temple. 26:6  ^fi Ritual purity required the worshiper to wash their hands, symbolic of separation from evil and evildoers (see 73:13  ^fj).

• The altar symbolizes God’s presence (43:4  ^fk).
26:8  ^fl The sanctuary symbolized the manifest presence of the Lord (see 18:6  ^fm).
26:9  ^fn Don’t let me suffer: The end of the godly cannot be the same as that of the wicked.
26:12  ^fo The psalmist’s footing on solid ground represents salvation (cp. 143:10  ^fp).

• publicly: Or in the great assembly at the Temple (26:6-8  ^fq; 22:25  ^fr).

‏ Psalms 27

Summary for Ps 27:1-14: Ps 27  ^fs This psalm mixes two genres—a psalm of confidence (27:1-6  ^ft) and an individual lament (27:7-14  ^fu)—held together by the theme of longing for the Lord’s presence. The psalmist focuses on the Lord; his circumstances are secondary. The strength of the psalmist’s faith is expressed in his openness to the Lord’s instruction, timing, and priorities.
Summary for Ps 27:1-3: 27:1-3  ^fv The psalmist acknowledges the Lord at the center of his life (27:1  ^fw). Because of God’s presence, he engages his adversaries with confidence. They cannot intimidate him or penetrate his inner security. 27:1  ^fx Light expresses the Lord’s goodness (27:13  ^fy; see 4:6  ^fz; 23:6  ^ga; 31:19  ^gb; 38:10  ^gc; 43:3  ^gd; 56:13  ^ge).
27:2  ^gf The psalmist’s enemies seek to devour him by living at his expense (see study note on 14:4).
27:3  ^gg remain confident: See 25:2  ^gh; 26:1  ^gi.
Summary for Ps 27:4-6: 27:4-6  ^gj Searching for and enjoying the Lord’s presence provides the psalmist’s foundation for confidence and security. He lives in the assurance of God’s protection and looks forward to offering sacrifices of thanksgiving and praise (see 18:6  ^gk).
27:5  ^gl sanctuary (or tabernacle): This early shrine was the Israelites’ place of worship before the Temple was constructed.
27:6  ^gm hold my head high: A sign of victory.

• The granting of the request of 27:4  ^gn prompts sacrifices with shouts of joy.
Summary for Ps 27:7-12: 27:7-12  ^go The psalmist requests the Lord’s mercy, presence, and instruction. God is the psalmist’s greatest good; enemies and other circumstances are peripheral.
Summary for Ps 27:7-8: 27:7-8  ^gp Unlike the wicked (10:4  ^gq), who only want a temporary advantage (78:34-36  ^gr), the godly search for the Lord as a thirsty person searches for water in the desert (63:1  ^gs; 105:4  ^gt; 119:2  ^gu, 10  ^gv; Matt 6:33  ^gw). They act wisely (Ps 34:10  ^gx, 14  ^gy) while waiting for the Lord to resolve their crisis (34:4  ^gz; 69:6  ^ha; 77:2  ^hb; 119:58  ^hc).
Summary for Ps 27:13-14: 27:13-14  ^hd The psalmist expresses confidence and hope in the Lord’s presence. To live in faith means to wait patiently in recognition of the Lord’s goodness. Such a life is not always pleasant for the godly (42:2-3  ^he; 43:5  ^hf), but their future is secure (37:9  ^hg; 130:7  ^hh; see 9:18  ^hi).

‏ Psalms 28

Summary for Ps 28:1-9: Ps 28  ^hj In this individual lament, the psalmist pleads for justice and mercy. He expresses confidence in the Lord’s strength and faithfulness, and he intercedes for the Lord’s people.
Summary for Ps 28:1-2: 28:1-2  ^hk The psalmist urges the Lord to listen; his urgency flows out of the tension between his deep relationship with the Lord and the adversity he faces. 28:1  ^hl if you are silent: The psalmist appeals to the Lord to take action (35:22  ^hm; 50:3  ^hn; 83:1  ^ho; 109:1  ^hp).
28:2  ^hq It was common to lift up one’s hands in a gesture of devoted prayer (63:4  ^hr; 134:2  ^hs).
Summary for Ps 28:3-5: 28:3-5  ^ht The psalmist curses his enemies, asking God for retribution and vindication.
28:5  ^hu The wicked do not acknowledge the difference between the sacred and the common, so they have no respect for the Lord’s creation, redemption, or revelation.
Summary for Ps 28:6-8: 28:6-8  ^hv The psalmist anticipates rescue because of his confidence in the Lord’s justice.
28:7  ^hw my strength and shield: The Lord protects the psalmist (see 59:9  ^hx, 17  ^hy).
28:9  ^hz The poem closes with intercession for the Lord’s people.

• Bless Israel, your special possession: See 29:11  ^ia; 133:3  ^ib.