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Psalm 101

A Sovereign’s Pledge of Integrity and Justice

Of David. A Psalm.

I will sing of loyalty and of justice;

to you, O L ord, I will sing.

I will study the way that is blameless.

When shall I attain it?

I will walk with integrity of heart

within my house;

I will not set before my eyes

anything that is base.

I hate the work of those who fall away;

it shall not cling to me.

Perverseness of heart shall be far from me;

I will know nothing of evil.

One who secretly slanders a neighbor

I will destroy.

A haughty look and an arrogant heart

I will not tolerate.

I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,

so that they may live with me;

whoever walks in the way that is blameless

shall minister to me.

No one who practices deceit

shall remain in my house;

no one who utters lies

shall continue in my presence.

Morning by morning I will destroy

all the wicked in the land,

cutting off all evildoers

from the city of the L ord.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

3 I will not set a wicked thing before my eyes After having protested, that in leading a private life, he would practice virtue and righteousness, even as it becomes good princes to begin with this, he now adds, that in executing the office of prince, he will be the enemy of all injustice and wickedness. To set a wicked thing before one’s eyes, is equivalent to purposing to do something that is wicked. He therefore declares, that he will turn away from all wickedness; and it is certain, that no man can be a just and an impartial punisher of wrongdoing, but he who abhors it with all his heart. Whence it follows that kings, in order to the performance of their duty, must keep themselves entirely free from all consent to wickedness. Some join to the first sentence the word עשוה, asoh, which we translate work, and supply the letter ל, lamed; as if it had been said, I will not set before my eyes any wickedness to do it, or, nothing wicked will be acceptable to me to execute it. But the other sense is more probable, which is, that David, after having declared that he will not suffer any iniquity before his eyes, immediately adds for the sake of confirmation, that he will be an enemy to all injustice. If the last clause is referred to the persons who turn aside, there is a change of the number. It may, however, be explained of the work itself, implying that he would never have any share in wicked defections from the path of rectitude.