Rāḏap̄: Follow me

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”

These words come from the final verse of Psalm 23.

"Follow me" is the Hebrew word rāḏap̄ (pronounced: raw-daf).

The image of following can often evoke a sense of delay or lagging behind, but that is not the case here.

When God follows us, it is not a passive toddling behind that never seems to catch up.

Rāḏap̄ is an act of ardent pursuit - a chasing after with the intent to secure.

The term has been used in the context of chasing after a dog or sheep or something that belongs to an owner.

The Lord who is our shepherd seeks us out fervently, and He will not be outran.

We belong to his goodness and mercy.