He cared for them with a true heart and led 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.
- 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.
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 9:4As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;
- 2 Tim 2:15Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth.
- Isa 11:2–4Yahweh’s Spirit will rest on him: the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Yahweh.
- Acts 13:22When he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, to whom he also testified, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’
- Ps 101:1–8A Psalm by David. I will sing of loving kindness and justice. To you, Yahweh, I will sing praises.
- 1 Kgs 15:5because David did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, and didn’t turn aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life, except only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
- Zech 11:15–17Yahweh said to me, “Take for yourself yet again the equipment of a foolish shepherd.
- Jas 1:5But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him.
- Acts 13:36For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay.
- Ps 75:2When I choose the appointed time, I will judge blamelessly.
- 2 Sam 8:15David reigned over all Israel; and David executed justice and righteousness for all his people.
- 1 Kgs 3:28All 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 justice.
- 1 Kgs 3:6–9Solomon said, “You have shown to your servant David my father great loving kindness, because he walked before you in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have kept for him this great loving kindness, that you have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is today.
- 2 Cor 3:5–6not that we are sufficient of ourselves, to account anything as from ourselves; but our sufficiency is 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
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.