Psalms 18 · Verse 25

Psalms 18:25

With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
Psalms 18:25, King James Version

Psalms 18:25 in other translations

BSBTo the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
WEBWith the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man, you will show yourself perfect.
ASVWith the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;
YLTWith the kind Thou showest Thyself kind, With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
DARBYWith the gracious thou dost shew thyself gracious; with the upright man thou dost shew thyself upright;
BBEOn him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright;
WebsterWith the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright;

What does Psalms 18:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 18:25-27
25-27. God renders to men according to their deeds in a penal, not vindictive, sense (Le 26:23, 24). merciful--or, "kind" (Psa 4:3).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful - Thou wilt deal with men as they deal with each other. This is the general tenor of God's providential conduct towards mankind; well expressed by Mr. Pope in his universal prayer: - "Teach me to feel another's wo;To hide the fault I see: The mercy I to others show,That mercy show to me." It is in reference to this that our Lord teaches us to pray: "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." If we act feelingly and mercifully towards our fellow creatures, God will act tenderly and compassionately towards us. The merciful, the upright, and the pure, will ever have the God of mercy, uprightness, and purity, to defend and support them.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Psalms 18:20-28

Those that forsake the ways of the Lord, depart from their God. But though conscious to ourselves of many a false step, let there not be a wicked departure from our God. David kept his eye upon the rule of God's commands. Constant care to keep from that sin, whatever it be, which most easily besets us, proves that we are upright before God. Those who show mercy to others, even they need mercy. Those who are faithful…

Read the full comment on Psalms 18:20-28 →

Psalms 18:25 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

עִם\־'im-withH5973
חָסִ֥ידcha.Sida faithful [person]H2623
תִּתְחַסָּ֑דtit.cha.Sadyou show yourself faithfulH2616
עִם\־'im-withH5973
גְּבַ֥רge.Vara manH1399
תָּ֝מִ֗יםta.Mim<of> blamelessH8549
תִּתַּמָּֽם\׃ti.ta.Mamyou show yourself blamelessH8552

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Psalms 18:25

  • Matthew 5:7

    Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

  • Psalms 62:12

    Also unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.

  • Matthew 18:33-35

    Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

  • 1 Kings 8:32

    Then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

  • Nehemiah 9:17

    And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

  • Ezekiel 18:25-30

    Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. …

  • Psalms 112:4-6

    Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

  • Psalms 41:1-4

    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. I said, Lord, be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.

  • Isaiah 58:7-8

    Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.

  • Romans 9:14

    What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

  • Isaiah 57:1-2

    The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

  • Luke 6:35-38

    But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
With the.
41:1-4; 112:4-6; Ne 9:17; Isa 57:1,2; 58:7,8; Mt 18:33-35
Lu 6:35-38
thou wilt.
Isa 26:7; Eze 18:25-30; Ro 9:14

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Psalms 18:24

    Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.

  • Psalms 18:25

    With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;

  • Psalms 18:26

    With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.

Read all of Psalms 18

Psalms 18:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Con el misericordioso te mostrarás misericordioso, y recto para con el hombre íntegro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et l’ Éternel m’a rendu selon ma justice, selon la pureté de mes mains devant ses yeux.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Gegen den Gütigen erzeigst du dich gütig, gegen den vollkommenen Mann erzeigst du dich vollkommen;