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Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the path chosen for him.
Psalms 25:12 · Berean Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB What man is he who fears Yahweh? He shall instruct him in the way that he shall choose.
  • KJV What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
  • ESV Who is the man who fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
  • NKJV Who is the man that fears the Lord? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses.
  • NASB ¶Who is the person who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose.
  • NLT Who are those who fear the Lord? He will show them the path they should choose.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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

The one who fears the Lord will be instructed in the way he should choose. Reverence for God opens the door to his guidance.

Overview

David asks who the God-fearing person is and answers that such a one receives instruction from God in the path he should take. The fear of the Lord, reverent awe and trust, is the beginning of wisdom and the condition for divine direction. Those who revere God are led by him, and in Christ believers are taught the way of life everlasting.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 19

  • Ps 37:23The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.
  • Ps 32:8I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you.
  • John 7:17If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.
  • Eccl 12:13When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
  • Ps 111:10The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts gain rich understanding. His praise endures forever!
  • John 8:31–32So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.
  • Isa 50:10Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the voice of His Servant? Who among you walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD; let him lean on his God.
  • John 3:20–21Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
  • Prov 16:6By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
  • Prov 1:7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
  • Prov 15:33The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
  • Acts 10:22“Cornelius the centurion has sent us,” they said. “He is a righteous and God-fearing man with a good reputation among the whole Jewish nation. A holy angel instructed him to request your presence in his home so he could hear a message from you.”
  • 2 Th 2:10–12and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
  • Isa 35:8And there will be a highway called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not travel it—only those who walk in the Way—and fools will not stray onto it.
  • Prov 2:5then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
  • Acts 11:14He will convey to you a message by which you and all your household will be saved.’
  • Acts 13:26Brothers, children of Abraham, and you Gentiles who fear God, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
  • Acts 10:2He and all his household were devout and God-fearing. He gave generously to the people and prayed to God regularly.
  • 1 Jn 2:27And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Psalms videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Psalms 25:12YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on PsalmsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 25:12 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.