What does Psalm 25:16 mean?
David needed the Lord's friendship especially because he felt lonely and distressed. His sons had turned against him (2 Samuel 15:13–15), and Ahithophel, his friend and counselor, had also turned against him (2 Samuel 15:31). However, David knew the Lord would not abandon him. Loneliness is common, but it can be very distressing, especially if circumstances are harsh. In Psalm 23 David expressed his confidence that God was present with him even as David walked through the valley of the shadow of death.Now, in Psalm 25, he is facing dark shadows—dangerous circumstances—and therefore needs a fresh sense of the Lord's presence. The patriarch Joseph must have felt lonely in Egypt. He was far from the comfort of his father Jacob's home, and he was in prison, but the Lord was with him (Genesis 39:21, 23). Regardless of how distressing circumstances are for God's people, they cannot force God to forsake us (Romans 8:35–39). He is with us always as our closest friend.
Psalm 25:15–22 records more of David's prayer. He is facing multiple dangers, but he trusts the Lord to deliver him. In this regard, his plea resembles that of his prayer for deliverance in Psalm 22. The concluding section of Psalm 25 naturally follows David's description of the Lord's steadfast love and mercy. The Lord cares for those who obey Him, so He will not disappoint David in David's time of great need.
This prayer of David uses the Hebrew alphabet as a pattern. This is an acrostic, where verses each begin with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. The final verse, however, repeats the letter used in verse 16. David declares his trust in God and the value of the Lord's wisdom. Mixed into these praises of God's truth are multiple requests that David be forgiven of his sins. The psalm ends with David asking for rescue from his enemies, and for a similar redemption for the nation of Israel.
