Psalm 25:6 kjv
Remember, O LORD, thy tender mercies and thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.
Psalm 25:6 nkjv
Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old.
Psalm 25:6 niv
Remember, LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old.
Psalm 25:6 esv
Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
Psalm 25:6 nlt
Remember, O LORD, your compassion and unfailing love,
which you have shown from long ages past.
Psalm 25 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 8:1 | But God remembered Noah... | God remembering implies active intervention. |
| Ex 2:24 | So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant... | God's memory tied to His covenant and action. |
| Ex 32:13 | Remember Abraham... Isaac... Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore... | Plea for God to act based on prior promises. |
| Deut 33:27 | The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. | God's everlasting nature provides security. |
| Ex 34:6-7 | The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity... | God's self-revelation: mercy, grace, steadfast love. |
| Neh 1:5 | "I pray, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and mercy..." | God as covenant-keeping and merciful. |
| Ps 5:7 | But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy... | Access to God is through His abundant mercy. |
| Ps 30:5 | ...His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. | God's favor and mercy brings enduring joy. |
| Ps 36:5 | Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. | God's boundless mercy. |
| Ps 51:1 | Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness... | A direct plea for mercy based on God's character. |
| Ps 86:5 | For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all who call upon You. | God is naturally abundant in mercy. |
| Ps 90:2 | Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God. | God's eternal nature. |
| Ps 93:2 | Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. | God's kingship and nature are ancient and eternal. |
| Ps 103:4 | Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies. | God's redemption through mercy and love. |
| Ps 107:1 | Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. | Reiterating God's enduring mercy. |
| Ps 145:9 | The LORD is good to all; He has compassion over all His works. | God's universal compassion. |
| Isa 40:28 | Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD... | God's eternality and power. |
| Isa 49:15 | "Can a woman forget her nursing child... Yet they may forget, yet I will not forget you." | God's compassion (rachamim) surpasses human love. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning... | God's mercies are unfailing and renewed daily. |
| Hos 2:19 | I will betroth you to Me forever; Yes, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and justice, in lovingkindness, and in compassion. | God's covenant loyalty (chesed) to Israel. |
| Dan 9:18 | ...not presenting our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. | Plea based on God's mercy, not human merit. |
| John 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Jesus Christ reveals God's grace and truth, embodying chesed. |
| Rom 9:15 | For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." | God's sovereign choice in extending mercy. |
| Heb 4:16 | Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. | Access to God's mercy through Christ. |
Psalm 25 verses
Psalm 25 6 Meaning
Psalm 25:6 is a fervent plea to God, asking Him to actively remember and respond according to His eternal, intrinsic nature of tender compassion and steadfast covenant love, rather than dealing with the supplicant based on personal failings or sins. It underscores that God's mercy and loyal kindness are not newly acquired attributes but have been fundamental to His character throughout all ages, providing a firm foundation for hope and appeal.
Psalm 25 6 Context
Psalm 25 is a prayer attributed to David, marked by its acrostic structure, where each verse (or pairs of verses in some translations) begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, though this is not perfectly maintained throughout. The psalmist finds himself in a position of distress, assailed by enemies and weighed down by his own past sins (v. 2, 7, 19). He seeks divine guidance and deliverance, appealing to God for instruction and protection. Verse 6 stands out as a pivotal appeal, shifting the psalmist's focus from his own dire circumstances and unworthiness to the foundational, unchanging character of God. It is a plea for God to act not because of David's merit, but because of Who God fundamentally is and has always been, thereby establishing the theological ground for all subsequent requests for mercy, forgiveness, and guidance within the Psalm.
Psalm 25 6 Word analysis
- Remember: Hebrew: זָכַר (zakhar). This word means more than a mere mental recollection. In a theological context, when God "remembers," it implies an active acknowledgment, a compassionate consideration that leads to decisive and purposeful intervention or action. It signifies God acting consistently with His covenant, promises, or nature.
- O LORD: Hebrew: יהוה (YHWH). This is the sacred, personal, covenant name of God, often translated as "LORD" in all capitals. Its use here emphasizes the psalmist's appeal to God in His intimate, faithful, and promise-keeping character, asserting a personal relationship.
- Your tender mercies: Hebrew: רַחֲמִים (rachamim). This is the plural form of racham, whose root relates to "womb" or "bowels," conveying a deep, visceral, empathetic compassion, akin to a mother's affection for her child. It speaks of a profound, inward yearning and pity that overflows with tenderness and caring. It suggests a compassionate action that springs from God's very core.
- and Your lovingkindnesses: Hebrew: חֲסָדִים (chasadim). This is the plural form of chesed, one of the most significant terms for God's character in the Old Testament. It denotes steadfast, loyal, covenant love; unfailing grace; enduring faithfulness; and loyal kindness. It describes God's unwavering commitment and consistent benevolence toward His people, especially in the context of His covenant.
- for they are: This conjunction establishes the basis for the psalmist's appeal. It signifies that the attributes being invoked (tender mercies and lovingkindnesses) are inherent and essential to God's being. They are not conditional on human merit but are defining characteristics of who He is.
- from of old: Hebrew: מֵעוֹלָם (me'olam). This phrase means "from everlasting," "from antiquity," or "always." It underscores the eternal, timeless, and unchanging nature of God's character. It implies that His mercies and lovingkindnesses have existed forever and are not subject to change or cessation, assuring the psalmist of their reliability and consistency.
Words-group analysis
- "Remember, O LORD, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses": This composite plea is a comprehensive invocation of God's deepest attributes of love and compassion. By appealing to "tender mercies" (rachamim) and "lovingkindnesses" (chasadim), the psalmist is not just asking for a specific act of kindness but for God to act consistently with His very essence—His heartfelt compassion combined with His covenantal faithfulness. The imperative "Remember" reinforces the plea for God to actively embody these qualities towards the psalmist.
- "Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, for they are from of old": This clause anchors the entire petition in the theological truth of God's unchanging nature. The emphasis on these attributes being "from of old" signifies their eternal and unearned quality. It highlights that God's benevolence is not a new development or a reaction to the psalmist's current state, but rather a constant, reliable truth about Him that transcends time and circumstances, thus serving as a strong foundation for the psalmist's desperate appeal.
Psalm 25 6 Bonus section
This verse stands as a testament against any perception of God as fickle or dependent on human merit for His compassion. It reinforces the consistent theme throughout Scripture that God's grace flows from His intrinsic being, a truth profoundly displayed in His covenant with Israel and ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The pairing of rachamim (visceral compassion) and chesed (steadfast loyalty) reveals a full spectrum of God's benevolent engagement: a tender, emotional response combined with unwavering commitment. It serves as an encouragement to continuously call upon the LORD, confident that His fundamental nature is one of unending mercy and love, established "from of old" and remaining steadfast "to everlasting."
Psalm 25 6 Commentary
Psalm 25:6 beautifully encapsulates a cornerstone of biblical theology: God's mercy is rooted in His eternal character, not in human deservingness. David's prayer is a direct appeal to God to act upon His self-revealed nature, specifically His deeply felt compassion (rachamim) and His unwavering covenant loyalty (chesed). The phrase "from of old" highlights the timeless, unchangeable, and intrinsic quality of these divine attributes. It is a powerful declaration that God’s love and mercy are not conditional or transient but are eternally reliable. This verse provides immense comfort and encouragement, guiding believers to base their pleas for divine intervention, forgiveness, and guidance, not on their own worth, but on the profound, consistent, and everlasting goodness of God. It encourages a focus on His unfailing faithfulness amidst personal failings and distress.
- When overwhelmed by past sins, appeal to God’s rachamim and chesed, which have always been and will always be.
- When praying for restoration in your life or community, remind yourself and God (as He encourages us) of His consistent, historical character.
- When feeling unworthy or unloved, rest in the truth that God’s tender mercies and lovingkindnesses are from of old, unchanging.