teaches that one must choose between two ways of life, the way of wisdom and the way of folly. The psalmist first prays to be shown the way of wisdom, the way of the Lord, and then appeals to God’s covenant love and compassion. Compassion comes from the Hebrew word for “womb” and designates the love a mother has for her child. Here it signifies the intimacy of the covenant bond that unites God and the people. Perhaps the most significant wisdom concept is fear of the Lord.