Psalm 25:18 kjv
Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
Psalm 25:18 nkjv
Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.
Psalm 25:18 niv
Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.
Psalm 25:18 esv
Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins.
Psalm 25:18 nlt
Feel my pain and see my trouble.
Forgive all my sins.
Psalm 25 18 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 25:6 | Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, | David appeals to God's inherent compassion. |
| Psa 32:5 | I acknowledged my sin to You... and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. | Confession leads to forgiveness. |
| Psa 38:18 | For I will declare my iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. | Suffering tied to acknowledging sin. |
| Psa 51:1 | Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; | Plea for mercy and blotting out of sin. |
| Psa 51:9 | Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. | Complete removal of sin. |
| Isa 1:18 | "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are | God offers cleansing from sin. |
| Jer 31:34 | For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. | Divine promise of complete forgiveness. |
| 1 Jn 1:9 | If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins | Condition for forgiveness. |
| Pro 28:13 | He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes | Forgiveness follows confession and turning. |
| Ex 3:7 | And the LORD said: "I have surely seen the affliction of My people | God's active perception of suffering. |
| Deut 26:7 | So we cried out to the LORD God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice | God hears and sees affliction. |
| Psa 9:13 | Have mercy on me, O LORD; Consider my trouble from those who hate me | Plea for God to see and act on trouble. |
| Psa 10:14 | But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, To repay it | God actively notices suffering. |
| Psa 31:7 | I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble | God's active consideration brings relief. |
| Psa 69:17 | Do not hide Your face from Your servant, For I am in trouble; | Urgent request for divine attention to trouble. |
| Lam 3:19 | Remember my affliction and my misery, The wormwood and the gall. | Remembrance of suffering sought from God. |
| Psa 38:3 | There is no soundness in my flesh because of Your anger, Nor any health | Sin causing physical distress. |
| Psa 39:11 | When with rebukes You correct man for iniquity, You make his beauty | Consequences of sin in human suffering. |
| Rom 4:7 | "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered" | Blessedness through forgiveness. |
| Isa 53:4 | Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; | Christ bearing our suffering and sin. |
| Heb 4:15 | For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses | Christ's understanding of human suffering. |
| Mt 11:28 | Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest | Jesus invites the burdened to find relief. |
| 1 Pet 2:24 | who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died | Christ's ultimate act of bearing sin. |
Psalm 25 verses
Psalm 25 18 Meaning
Psalm 25:18 is a profound plea from King David to God, revealing a heart in distress. It simultaneously asks for divine attention to his suffering and a comprehensive forgiveness of all his transgressions. The verse shows a deep spiritual awareness that personal pain and affliction can be intertwined with, or intensified by, the weight of sin, urging God's compassionate regard for both his outward troubles and inner spiritual burden. It is a humble acknowledgment of need for God's active intervention on multiple levels.
Psalm 25 18 Context
Psalm 25 is an acrostic psalm (though some letters are missing or out of order), a personal prayer of David marked by profound humility and earnestness. He faces a multitude of adversaries who seek his ruin (vv. 2, 19), feels the burden of past sins (vv. 7, 11), and longs for God's guidance (vv. 4-5, 8-10, 12). Verse 18 is a core petition within this lament, where David pours out his twin pleas: relief from his present troubles and a comprehensive pardon for his offenses. The psalm reflects David's complete dependence on God's mercy and steadfast love amidst external pressures and internal conviction of sin, characteristic of his mature spiritual life as presented in the Psalms. Historically, David often faced severe threats from enemies while also grappling with the consequences of his moral failings, providing a rich backdrop for this intertwining of distress and the need for divine grace.
Psalm 25 18 Word analysis
- Look upon (רְאֵה - re'eh): An imperative verb from the root ra'ah (to see, perceive, understand). This is more than a passive glance; it signifies an active, intense, compassionate gaze that implies taking notice, considering, and responding. It expresses the desire for God's empathetic observation and intervention, to truly engage with the psalmist's situation.
- my affliction (עָנְיִי - onyi): From the root anah, meaning to be bowed down, oppressed, humbled. This refers to physical, emotional, and spiritual distress, hardship, misery, or persecution. It highlights a state of being brought low or suffering.
- and my pain (וַעֲמָלִי - va'amali): Derived from amal, referring to burdensome toil, grievous labor, sorrow, or vexation that causes exhaustion. It speaks of the hardship and misery experienced, suggesting internal distress alongside external pressures. This complements "affliction" by emphasizing the weariness and trouble associated with suffering.
- And forgive (וּשְׂאֵה - u's'e): An imperative verb from the root nasa (to lift, bear, carry, take away). In the context of sin, it means to bear or take away the guilt, to pardon, to remit. It vividly portrays God as actively removing the burden of sin, as one lifts a heavy load. This is a powerful theological concept later exemplified in the Person of Christ.
- all my sins (כָּל־חַטֹּאותָי - kol-chat'totaiv): Kol means "all," indicating comprehensive and complete; chat'totaiv from chatta'ah, meaning "sin," often in the sense of missing the mark, moral error, or transgression. The emphasis on "all" reflects a deep awareness of one's total fallenness and the desire for universal pardon, not just for specific known misdeeds, but for the full scope of one's unrighteousness.
- "Look upon my affliction and my pain": This phrase combines the request for God's compassionate attention with the acknowledgment of a deeply distressing state. It signifies a holistic suffering – both outward oppression/hardship and inward agony/trouble – laid bare before God, seeking not just observation, but responsive empathy and intervention.
- "And forgive all my sins": This demonstrates a spiritual understanding that sin, confessed and forgiven, is paramount. The request for comprehensive forgiveness reveals humility and a recognition that whether or not sin directly caused his immediate distress, it is a heavier burden than physical suffering and needs absolute divine removal. The imperative to "forgive" (to lift away) highlights God's active role in expelling the guilt and consequence of sin.
Psalm 25 18 Bonus section
The interweaving of distress and sin in David's prayer here (and elsewhere, notably Pss 38, 51) highlights a critical aspect of biblical theology: while not all suffering is a direct punishment for specific sins, the presence of sin burdens the soul and contributes to a fractured relationship with God, intensifying feelings of affliction. This verse shows David recognizing sin's pervasive nature ("all my sins") and seeking a holistic solution that addresses both its spiritual weight and its contributing factor to his personal turmoil. It underscores that God's grace is extended not just to our struggles but fundamentally to our transgressions, as the primary source of estrangement and often, distress.
Psalm 25 18 Commentary
Psalm 25:18 beautifully captures the raw authenticity of a soul in crisis turning completely to God. David, facing severe distress and enemies, profoundly understands that physical pain and spiritual burden are often intertwined. He doesn't merely beg for relief from his afflictions but connects this deeply with his need for divine forgiveness. This reflects a mature faith, acknowledging that inner peace and genuine restoration come only when the foundational issue of sin is addressed by God. The plea to "look upon" his distress is an appeal to God's tender mercy and attentiveness, trusting that divine sight leads to divine action. Concurrently, the plea to "forgive all my sins" expresses a complete surrender and dependency on God's grace for utter absolution, visualizing God as the One who lifts and bears away the oppressive weight of guilt. It's a reminder that true healing, in all its forms, flows from reconciliation with God through forgiveness. For a believer today, this verse exemplifies the posture of seeking God in both seasons of outward trial and inward spiritual struggle, always prioritizing confession and forgiveness as the pathway to God's holistic grace and deliverance.