Psalms 25:7 · Bible study
Psalms 25:7 Commentary: Sins of Youth and the Mercy of God
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
David's prayer not to be judged by past sins, appealing to God's lovingkindness and goodness.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David asks God to forgive both early thoughtless sins and later deliberate rebellions, appealing to God’s mercy and goodness.
- Key words: “Sins” (חַטֹּאות) are failures or errors; “transgressions” (פְּשָׁעִים) are rebellions. The root for “mercy” is chesed, covenant loyalty.
- Main debate: Whether youth sin is less culpable or whether David is confessing all sin from youth onward.
- Theological theme: Pardon is grounded solely in God’s character (His goodness and lovingkindness), not in human merit.
- Best use: A text for personal confession, assurance of forgiveness, and teaching the biblical basis for grace.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my rebellious acts; remember me according to Your loving devotion, because of Your goodness, O LORD.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. Remember me according to your loving kindness, for your goodness’ sake, Yahweh.
KJV King James Version 1769
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness’ sake, O Lord.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: According to thy lovingkindness remember thou me, For thy goodness’ sake, O Jehovah.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Sins of my youth, and my transgressions, Do not Thou remember. According to Thy kindness be mindful of me, For Thy goodness' sake, O Jehovah.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to thy loving-kindness remember thou me, for thy goodness' sake, Jehovah.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
That I may hear the voice of thy praise: and tell of all thy wondrous works.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
De los pecados de mi mocedad, y de mis rebeliones, no te acuerdes; conforme á tu misericordia acuérdate de mí, por tu bondad, oh Jehová.
Não te lembres dos pecados de minha juventude e das minhas transgressões; mas sim , conforme tua misericórdia, lembra-te de mim por tua bondade, SENHOR.
Ne te souviens pas des fautes de ma jeunesse ni de mes transgressions;
Gedenke nicht der Sünden meiner Jugend und meiner Übertretungen; gedenke aber mein nach deiner Barmherzigkeit um deiner Güte willen!
Cheth. Gedenk niet der zonden mijner jonkheid, noch mijner overtredingen; gedenk mijner naar Uw goedertierenheid, om Uwer goedheid wil, o HEERE!
Non ti ricordar de’ peccati della mia giovinezza, né delle mie trasgressioni; secondo la tua benignità ricordati di me per amor della tua bontà, o Eterno.
Grzechów młodości mojej, i przestępstw moich nie racz pamiętać; według miłosierdzia twego wspomnij na mię, dla dobroci twojej, Panie!
чтобы возвещать гласом хвалы и поведать все чудеса Твои.
求你不要 記念 我幼年 的罪愆 和我的過犯；耶和華啊，求你 因 你的恩惠，按你的慈愛 記念 我。
Do not keep in mind my sins when I was young, or my wrongdoing: let your memory of me be full of mercy, O Lord, because of your righteousness.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 25:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that David here confesses both the thoughtless errors of his younger years and the deliberate rebellions of his later life. The Cambridge Bible notes that “sins” (חַטֹּאות) derives from a root meaning “to miss the mark,” describing failures of frailty, while “transgressions” (פְּשָׁעִים) literally means “rebellions,” implying conscious defiance. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the first word points to acts into which lust and thoughtlessness have precipitated him, the second to those by which he turned grace into license. Adam Clarke adds that mercy flows from God’s essential goodness; Barnes insists David cannot ask God to remember his own conduct, only to act according to mercy. Gill sees a confession of sin from youth onward, not an excuse. The consensus: David pleads no merit of his own but grounds his hope solely in God’s chesed and goodness.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: David confesses both past and recent sins and grounds his hope of forgiveness entirely in God’s lovingkindness and goodness, not in his own merit.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Distinction between 'sins of youth' and 'transgressions' | Both terms refer to actual sins that need forgiveness; David confesses both categories. | Some commentators (e.g., Cambridge Bible, Keil & Delitzsch) see a qualitative difference: youthful sins as errors of frailty versus later deliberate rebellions. Others (e.g., Matthew Henry) treat them as a comprehensive confession of all sin, not a ranking of seriousness. |
| Ground of appeal: God's mercy vs. God's goodness | David relies wholly on divine character, not his own righteousness. | Some emphasize that mercy (chesed) is covenant loyalty grounded in God's goodness (Clarke, Barnes). Others stress that 'for your goodness' sake' shows God's essential nature as good, which mercy expresses (Calvin, Keil). The two are closely linked but reflect different aspects of the plea. |
| Whether David expects his sins to be literally forgotten by God | Scripture elsewhere says God remembers sins no more (Jeremiah 31:34). David asks that God not act against him on the basis of those sins. | Barnes argues God 'forgets' in terms of not treating the sinner according to those sins. Gill draws a distinction between God's omniscience (He cannot cease to know) and His judicial non-remembrance. Other traditions (e.g., Eastern Orthodox) speak of God healing the memory of sin in the believer. |
| Does this verse imply that youthful sins are less serious? | All sins require forgiveness; David does not excuse his youth. | Some point out that sins of youth are often committed in ignorance or passion, making them less culpable (Adam Clarke, Cambridge Bible). Others warn against using youth as an excuse; the confession of 'transgressions' shows David also owned his deliberate guilt (Gill, Matthew Henry). |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 25 is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The structure suggests deliberate composition for meditation and memorisation, though Lange notes the absence of the ו-strophe and the use of ר twice, likely due to scribal inaccuracy rather than design. Historically, David appears to be in a time of distress, possibly during Absalom's rebellion (so Gill), when his past sins, especially the murders of Uriah and Bathsheba, returned to torment him. The surrounding verses show a man surrounded by enemies (v.19), afflicted (v.16), and desperate for guidance (vv.4-5).
Culturally, the language of “remembering” and “not remembering” is covenant terminology. To “remember” someone in the Old Testament often means to act toward them in keeping with the relationship. So when David prays “Remember me according to your lovingkindness,” he is not asking God to recall a data point but to act faithfully as the covenant Lord. The word chesed (lovingkindness) carries the weight of covenant loyalty, a commitment God has already shown “from old times” (v.6). David’s appeal to God’s goodness (טוּב) echoes the revelation to Moses in Exodus 33:19, where God’s glory is declared as His goodness. This psalm thus binds together personal confession, covenant faithfulness, and a deep trust that God’s character is the ground of pardon.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 25:7. The surrounding acrostic structure has minor anomalies: the ו-strophe is missing, and the letter ר appears twice (vv. 2 and a later line), which Keil and Delitzsch and Lange attribute to possible authorial liberty or scribal error. These do not affect the meaning of verse 7.
Reception History
Psalm 25 has been used in Christian worship as a penitential psalm from early times. Verse 7 in particular has comforted believers haunted by past sins; Augustine is quoted by Keil and Delitzsch as saying, “Remember me, not according to the anger I deserve, but according to the mercy that befits You.” The pairing of “sins of youth” and “transgressions” appears in later devotional works as a model for comprehensive confession. In the Middle Ages, it was often included in prayers before receiving the Eucharist. During the Reformation, both Luther and Calvin drew on this psalm to illustrate the proper order of confession and trust: first acknowledge sin, then rely wholly on covenant mercy. The verse continues to be recited in many liturgical traditions as part of the Prayer of Humble Access and in personal devotion, reminding the church that no failure, early or late, lies beyond the reach of God’s goodness.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The sins we bring to God. David distinguishes the errors of youth (thoughtless, passionate) from the rebellions of maturity (deliberate, defiant). Both need forgiveness. No one outgrows the need for mercy.
- The ground of our plea. David does not argue from his own righteousness. He pleads God’s lovingkindness and goodness. The only safe basis for prayer is who God is, not who we are.
- The character of God as shelter. God’s goodness is not a concept but a revealed reality. To ask “for your goodness’ sake” is to trust that God’s nature ensures He will act mercifully toward the repentant.
Five-point outline
- Honest inventory of past sin, both early lapses and later rebellions
- Acknowledgment that God would be just to remember such sins
- Appeal to mercy, not justice
- Resting in covenant loyalty (chesed) as the only hope
- Confidence that God’s goodness will honour His character in forgiving
Illustration hooks
- The feeling of regret for something done in teenage years that still carries consequences decades later.
- Someone who has made a clean break from a past lifestyle but finds old patterns resurface in times of stress, needing a fresh assurance of forgiveness.
- A person who struggles to believe God can accept them because of a deliberate betrayal (an affair, a dishonest deal) that feels too big to be covered.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God really forget my sins, or does He just choose not to punish me?
- Are the sins I committed before I became a Christian treated differently from the ones I commit now?
- How can I be sure God will be good to me when I remember how I have failed Him?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 25:7 sits at the heart of a prayer that moves from shame to trust. David names his sins specifically, then turns his eyes toward God’s mercy. This passage invites us to consider how we deal with our own past, both the foolish mistakes we made when young and the more deliberate wrongs we later chose.
Discussion questions
- What does David mean by “sins of my youth” and “transgressions”? How are they different?
- Why does David ask God not to remember these sins? What would it mean if God did remember them?
- Based on Psalm 25:6-7, what is David’s hope for how God will treat him? On what does he base that hope?
- The Hebrew word chesed is often translated “lovingkindness” or “steadfast love.” How does this covenant loyalty differ from mere leniency?
- Why does David appeal to God’s goodness as a reason for mercy? What does that tell us about the character of God?
- Can you think of a time when you were haunted by an old failure? How does this verse address that fear?
- How might the distinction between youthful sins and later transgressions help us in our own prayers of confession?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Job 13:26 | For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth. |
| Job 20:11 | His bones are full of his youth, but youth will lie down with him in the dust. |
| Psalms 6:4 | Return, Yahweh. Deliver my soul, and save me for your loving kindness’ sake. |
| Psalms 31:16 | Make your face to shine on your servant. Save me in your loving kindness. |
| Psalms 51:1 | For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. |
| Psalms 79:8 | Don’t hold the iniquities of our forefathers against us. Let your tender mercies speedily meet us, for we are in desperate need. |
| Psalms 109:14 | Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out. |
| Psalms 109:16 | because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke distinguishes youth's sins from deliberate ones, describing them as acts of thoughtlessness and strong emotion. He then stresses that God's pardon matches the boundless measure of His mercy, which springs directly from His essential goodness.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes highlights the psalmist's plea that God remember His own merciful acts while forgetting the sins of youth. He observes that none of us would want our early f
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin's distinctive point is that David's act of lifting up his soul means he refuses to look anywhere else for help, unlike the ungodly who waver between God and the world. The psalmist directs every desire and prayer to God alone, making this the essence of sincere prayer.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator distinguishes between "sins" as failures or errors of frailty, often thoughtless youthful lapses, and "transgressions" as deliberate rebellions of mature years. Both appeal to God's mercy and goodness, not human merit.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws a clear distinction between two kinds of divine remembrance: God could recall the psalmist's youthful sins for judgment, but instead the prayer asks Him to remember the person Himself, based solely on God's own kindness and goodness rather than any merit.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that David is not excusing his youthful sins as mere follies. Instead, he confesses a lifelong pattern of sin, including later grievous transgressions like murder and adultery. David pleads no personal merit but casts himself entirely on God's mercy and goodness for pardon and deliverance.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch distinguishes two kinds of sin: youthful faults driven by lust and thoughtlessness, and willful transgressions that outright break fellowship with God. The psalmist asks God not to remember either, but to remember him according to grace alone, since God's essential nature is goodness and love.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes the Psalm's deliberate progression: it moves from personal prayer through general principles about how God treats the faithful and faithless, then returns to personal needs, and finally expands into intercession for all Israel. He argues this order proves the Psalm is no mere collection of proverbs but a unified, advancing meditation on the truth that God helps the pious.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that David begins his psalms with professions of desire and dependence not to persuade God but to stir his own heart. Lifting the soul to God is the essence of worship, turning away from vanity and fixing on God as the source of happiness.