Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
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.
- KJV 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.
- 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.
- 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 I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple.
- 2 Tim 4:18And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me for his heavenly Kingdom; to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Cor 5:1For we know that if the earthly house of our tent is dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in the heavens.
- Ps 36:7–10How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
- Ps 16:11You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. In your right hand there are pleasures forever more.
- Ps 73:24–26You will guide me with your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
- 2 Cor 1:10who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;
- Ps 103:17But Yahweh’s loving kindness is from everlasting to everlasting with those who fear him, his righteousness to children’s children;
- Ps 30:11–12You have turned my mourning into dancing for me. You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,
- Ps 17:15As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
- Phil 1:23But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
- Ps 21:4He asked life of you, you gave it to him, even length of days forever 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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