Psalms 25:4

25:4 Make me understand your ways, O Lord!

Teach me your paths! ¹ 

Psalms 27:11

27:11 Teach me how you want me to live; ² 

lead me along a level path ³  because of those who wait to ambush me! ⁴ 

Proverbs 4:25

4:25 Let your eyes look directly ⁵  in front of you

and let your gaze ⁶  look straight before you.

Matthew 3:3

3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: ⁷ 

“The voice ⁸  of one shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make ⁹  his paths straight.’” ¹⁰ 

Hebrews 12:13

12:13 and make straight paths for your feet, ¹¹  so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but be healed.

[25:4]  ¹ sn Teach me your paths. In this context the Lord’s “ways” and “paths” refer to the moral principles which the Lord prescribes for his followers. See vv. 8-10.

[27:11]  ² tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles which he expects the psalmist to follow. See Ps 25:4.

[27:11]  ³ sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).

[27:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.

[4:25]  ⁵ tn The jussives in this verse are both Hiphil, the first from the verb “to gaze; to look intently [or, carefully],” (נָבַט, navat) and the second from the verb “to be smooth, straight” (יָשָׁר, yashar).

[4:25]  ⁶ tn Heb “your eyelids.” The term “eyelids” is often a poetic synonym for “eye” (it is a metonymy of adjunct, something connected with the eye put for the eye that sees); it may intensify the idea as one might squint to gain a clearer look.

[3:3]  ⁷ tn Grk “was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated. The passive construction has also been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.

[3:3]  ⁸ tn Or “A voice.”

[3:3]  ⁹ sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

[3:3]  ¹⁰ sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

[12:13]  ¹¹ sn A quotation from Prov 4:26. The phrase make straight paths for your feet is figurative for “stay on God’s paths.”