So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his 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.
- BSB So David shepherded them with integrity of heart and guided them with skillful 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 if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments:
- 2 Tim 2:15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
- Isa 11:2–4And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
- Acts 13:22And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.
- Ps 101:1–8I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
- 1 Kgs 15:5Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
- Zech 11:15–17And the LORD said unto me, Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish shepherd.
- Jas 1:5If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
- Acts 13:36For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
- Ps 75:2When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly.
- 2 Sam 8:15And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.
- 1 Kgs 3:28And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.
- 1 Kgs 3:6–9And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.
- 2 Cor 3:5–6Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of 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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