New Living Translation
Psalms 18:21
21For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil.
Psalms 18:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
- New International Version (NIV)For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I am not guilty of turning from my God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
Context of Psalms 18:21
19He led me to a place of safety; he rescued me because he delights in me. 20The Lord rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not turned from my God to follow evil. 22I have followed all his regulations; I have never abandoned his decrees. 23I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.
Read all of Psalms 18Psalms 18:21 word by word
כִּֽי־שָׁ֭מַרְתִּי דַּרְכֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹֽא־רָ֝שַׁ֗עְתִּי מֵאֱלֹהָֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 18:21
- Psalms 17:4I have followed your commands, which keep me from following cruel and evil people.
- Psalms 26:1Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord without wavering.
- Psalms 119:10I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands.
- Acts 24:16Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and all people.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:10You yourselves are our witnesses—and so is God—that we were devout and honest and faultless toward all of you believers.
- Psalms 119:102I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well.
- 1 Samuel 15:11“I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.
- 1 John 2:19These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
Commentaries on Psalms 18:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21I have kept the ways of the Lord - I was neither an infidel nor a profligate; I trusted in God, and carefully observed all the ordinances of his religion.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21For I have kept the ways of the Lord - I have obeyed his laws. I have not so violated the laws which God has given to regulate my conduct with my fellow-men as to deserve to be treated by them as a guilty man. And have not wickedly departed from my God - “I have not been a sinner from my God;” an apostate; an open violator of his law. The treatment which I have received, though it would be justly rendered to an open violator of law, is not that which I…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-28Verses 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 to God, shall find him all…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21kept the ways of the LORD: The psalmist follows God's instructions faithfully (see Psalm 25:8–10). have not wickedly departed: The psalmist avoids foolishness (see Psalms 1 and 14) and chooses wisdom (see Psalms 1 and 15).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2420-24. The statements of innocence, righteousness, &c., refer, doubtless, to his personal and official conduct and his purposes, during all the trials to which he was subjected in Saul's persecutions and Absalom's rebellions, as well as the various wars in which he had been engaged as the head and defender of God's Church and people.Read the comment
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries