For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not acted wickedly against my God.
Parallel translations
- WEB For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
- KJV For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
- BSB For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.
- NKJV For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
- NLT For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
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 affirms he has kept the ways of the Lord and not turned away in wickedness. It matters because faithful obedience marks the life of one God blesses.
Overview
David explains his vindication by his having kept God's ways and not departed wickedly from him. His covenant loyalty, though imperfect, was real and sincere. The verse upholds the value of faithful obedience, perfectly fulfilled in Christ, whose flawless faithfulness becomes the believer's righteousness.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Ps 119:102I have not turned aside from your ordinances, for you have taught me.
- Acts 24:16Herein I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.
- Prov 8:32“Now therefore, my sons, listen to me, for blessed are those who keep my ways.
- Ps 17:4As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
- 1 Jn 2:19They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us.
- Ps 26:1By David. Judge me, Yahweh, for I have walked in my integrity. I have trusted also in Yahweh without wavering.
- 2 Chr 34:33Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were found in Israel to serve, even to serve Yahweh their God. All his days they didn’t depart from following Yahweh, the God of their fathers.
- 1 Th 2:10You are witnesses with God, how holy, righteously, and blamelessly we behaved ourselves toward you who believe.
- Ps 119:10–11With my whole heart, I have sought you. Don’t let me wander from your commandments.
- 1 Sam 15:11“It grieves me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he has turned back from following me, and has not performed my commandments.” Samuel was angry; and he cried to Yahweh all night.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 18:21 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.