So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful hands.
Parallel translations
- WEB So he was their shepherd according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
- KJV So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.
- NKJV So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.
- NASB So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them with his skillful hands.
- NLT He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands.
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 shepherded Israel with integrity and skill. He led God's people with a sincere heart and capable hand.
Overview
The psalm concludes by praising David's leadership 'according to the integrity of his heart' and 'skillfulness of his hands.' His reign embodied the godly shepherd-king Israel needed. Yet David's imperfections point beyond himself to the perfect Shepherd-King, Christ, whose integrity and care are without flaw.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Kgs 9:4And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,
- 2 Tim 2:15Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.
- Isa 11:2–4The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.
- Acts 13:22After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’
- Ps 101:1–8A Psalm of David. I will sing of Your loving devotion and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praises.
- 1 Kgs 15:5For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
- Zech 11:15–17And the LORD said to me: “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
- Jas 1:5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- Acts 13:36For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.
- Ps 75:2“When I choose a time, I will judge fairly.
- 2 Sam 8:15Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:
- 1 Kgs 3:28When all Israel heard of the judgment the king had given, they stood in awe of him, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to administer justice.
- 1 Kgs 3:6–9Solomon replied, “You have shown much loving devotion to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and uprightness of heart. And You have maintained this loving devotion by giving him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
- 2 Cor 3:5–6Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
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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 78:72 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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