Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Parallel translations
- WEB Surely goodness and loving kindness shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in Yahweh’s house forever.
- BSB Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
- NKJV Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
- NASB Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.
- NLT Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
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
Goodness and steadfast love will pursue the believer all his days, and he will dwell in God's house forever. The psalm ends in confident hope of eternal fellowship with God.
Overview
David is assured that God's goodness and covenant love will follow, even chase after, him throughout life, and that he will dwell in the Lord's house forever. This points beyond the earthly sanctuary to everlasting communion with God. Through Christ this hope is secured, for he has gone to prepare a place so that his people may dwell with God eternally.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Ps 27:4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
- 2 Tim 4:18And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Cor 5:1For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
- Ps 36:7–10How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
- Ps 16:11Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
- Ps 73:24–26Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
- 2 Cor 1:10Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
- Ps 103:17But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children’s children;
- Ps 30:11–12Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
- Ps 17:15As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
- Phil 1:23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
- Ps 21:4He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.
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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 23:6 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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