The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD who takes delight in his journey.
Parallel translations
- WEB A man’s goings are established by Yahweh. He delights in his way.
- KJV The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
- NKJV The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
- NASB ¶The steps of a man are established by the Lord, And He delights in his way.
- NLT The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.
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
A good man's steps are established by the Lord, who delights in his way. God directs and takes pleasure in the path of His people.
Overview
David affirms that God orders the steps of the righteous and delights in their way of life. This providential guidance gives stability and purpose to the believer's walk. The same truth comforts Christians, that God works in and directs those He has saved, fulfilling His good purpose in them (Philippians 2:13).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Prov 16:9A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Ps 119:133Order my steps in Your word; let no sin rule over me.
- Prov 4:26Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
- 1 Sam 2:9He guards the steps of His faithful ones, but the wicked perish in darkness; for by his own strength shall no man prevail.
- Ps 40:2He lifted me up from the pit of despair, out of the miry clay; He set my feet upon a rock, and made my footsteps firm.
- Ps 121:8The LORD will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.
- Ps 85:13Righteousness will go before Him to prepare the way for His steps.
- Jer 10:23I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.
- Ps 121:3He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber.
- Ps 147:10–11He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legpower of the man.
- Job 23:11–12My feet have followed in His tracks; I have kept His way without turning aside.
- Ps 17:5My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped.
- Ps 119:5Oh, that my ways were committed to keeping Your statutes!
- Jer 9:24But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,” declares the LORD.
- Prov 11:1Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but an accurate weight is His delight.
- Prov 11:20The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but the blameless in their walk are His delight.
- Heb 13:16And do not neglect to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
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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 37:23 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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