Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Parallel translations
- WEB Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
- BSB Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
- NKJV Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.
- NASB ¶Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
- NLT Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David asks God to teach him to do His will and lead him by His good Spirit on level ground. It joins desire for obedience with dependence on the Spirit.
Overview
David wants not merely rescue but holiness, asking to be taught God's will because God is his God. The mention of God's good Spirit leading him anticipates the Spirit's work in guiding and sanctifying believers. In the new covenant the Spirit writes God's law on hearts and leads God's children (Ezekiel 36:27; Romans 8:14).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 34
- Ps 25:4–5Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
- John 14:26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
- Heb 13:21Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- Ps 23:3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
- Ps 119:12Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
- Neh 9:20Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
- 2 Tim 1:7For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
- John 16:13–15Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
- Rom 15:13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
- Ps 25:8–9Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
- 1 Jn 2:27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
- Rom 8:26Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
- Col 1:9–10For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
- Rom 5:5And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
- Ps 31:14But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.
- Ps 119:35Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.
- Ps 25:12What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
- Rom 8:2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
- Ps 140:6I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.
- Eph 4:30And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
- Gal 5:22–23But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
- Isa 63:14As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to make thyself a glorious name.
- Ps 63:1O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
- Mic 4:2And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
- Ps 119:5–7O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
- Eph 5:9(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
- Ps 118:28Thou art my God, and I will praise thee: thou art my God, I will exalt thee.
- Ps 139:24And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
- Ps 22:1My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?
- 1 Th 4:1–2Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
- Rom 15:30Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ’s sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;
- Rom 8:14–16For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
- Matt 28:20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
- Isa 29:10For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 143:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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