Psalms 23:6
in Psalms 23Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Surely goodness and lovingkindness shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for ever.
KJV
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
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This verse in Psalms 23
Commentary
4 notes on this verse"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." This is a fact as indisputable as it is encouraging, and therefore a heavenly verily, or "surely" is set as a seal upon it. This sentence may be read, "only goodness and mercy," for there shall be unmingled mercy in our history. These twin guardian angels will always be with me at my back and my beck. Just as when great princes go abroad they must not go unattended, so it is with the believer.
This site's exposition
Surely goodness and mercy
The verb behind follow is radaph, the word for a hunter running down his prey. Goodness and mercy chase the psalmist all the days of his life. He ends in God's house, and the psalm says forever.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
We are saved by hope, and that hope will not make us ashamed, because it is well grounded. It is the duty of Christians to encourage themselves in the Lord their God; and we are here directed to take that encouragement both from the relation wherein he stands to us and from the experience we have had of his goodness according to that relation.
His hope rises, and his faith is strengthened, by being exercised. Observe, (1.) What he promises himself--goodness and mercy, all the streams of mercy flowing from the fountain, pardoning mercy, protecting mercy, sustaining mercy, supplying mercy.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
You anointed my head with oil I have already been anointed king by Your orders.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
12 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אַ֤ךְ׀ | ʾakh | surely | H389 → | 161 times |
| ט֤וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| וָחֶ֣סֶד | vachesed | and covenant loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| יִ֭רְדְּפוּנִי | yirdefuni | they will pursue me | H7291 → | 143 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵ֣י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| חַיָּ֑י | chaiyai | life my | H2416 → | 498 times |
| וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י | veshavti | and I will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| בְּבֵית־ | beveit- | in [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְ֝הוָ֗ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לְאֹ֣רֶךְ | leorekh | for length of | H753 → | 95 times |
| יָמִֽים׃ | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
אַ֤ךְ׀surely
ʾakhH389 →161 times
ט֤וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
וָחֶ֣סֶדand covenant loyalty
vachesedH2617 →247 times
יִ֭רְדְּפוּנִיthey will pursue me
yirdefuniH7291 →143 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יְמֵ֣י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
חַיָּ֑יlife my
chaiyaiH2416 →498 times
וְשַׁבְתִּ֥יand I will return
veshavtiH7725 →1056 times
בְּבֵית־in [the] house of
beveit-H1004 →2046 times
יְ֝הוָ֗הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לְאֹ֣רֶךְfor length of
leorekhH753 →95 times
יָמִֽים׃days
yamimH3117 →2304 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 16:11You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
it leads to
- Acts 2:28
You have made known to me the paths of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence.’
- Jude 1:24
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you unblemished in His glorious presence, with great joy—
- Psalms 36:7–8
How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!
- Acts 2:28
Through
Psalms 27:4One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the…
it leads to
- Psalms 26:8
O LORD, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides.
- Psalms 65:4
Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts! We are filled with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.
- Psalms 84:4
How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah
- Psalms 84:10
For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
- Psalms 26:8
Through
2 Timothy 4:18And the Lord will rescue me from every evil action and bring me safely into His heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
it leads to
- Psalms 121:7
The LORD will guard you from all evil; He will preserve your soul.
- Psalms 121:7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on Alexander Maclaren, The Psalms, Expositor's Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 1; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.