The Book of Psalms

Psalm 101

Psalm CI · Vol. II, pp. 1052–1053

David maketh a vow and profession of godliness.

Margin referencesNotes ↓

A psalm of David.

1 I will ^asing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.

B.C. cir. 1055 or 1048.

a Ps.89.1; 48.11; 97.8; 103.1-17; 105.1-45; 107.1-42. Re.15.3,4; 19.1-7.

2 I^b will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. ^cO when wilt thou come unto me? ^dI will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

b 1 Sa.18.14. Ps.75.2.

c Ps.40.17; 70.5; 143.7.

d 1 Ki.9.4. 2 Sa.23.3. 1 Ti.3.4,5.

3 I^e will set no wicked thing¹ before mine eyes: I ^ghate the work of them that ^hturn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

e Is.33.15. Job 31.1. Ps.39.1; 18.21-23.

1 Heb. thing of Belial.

g Ps.97.10; 119.104,113.

h Ps.125.5; 78.57.

4 Aⁱ froward heart shall depart from me; I will not ^jknow² a wicked person.

i Pr.2.12,15; 3.32. Ps.18.26. De.32.20.

j 1 Co.15.33. Ps.6.8; 119.115. Pr.6.9. Mat.7.23.

2 Know—I will not acknowledge as mine any hypocritical pretender to Christianity, Mat.7.23.—C.

5 Whoso^k privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off:³ him ^lthat hath an high look, and a proud heart will not I suffer.

k Pr.25.23. 1 Co.5.11.

3 Cut off—excommunicate from my church, and exclude from my kingdom, 2 Co.12.20; 13.2. Re.22.15.—C.

l Pr.6.16-19; 30.13. Ps.138.6. Job 40.11,12.

6 Mineⁿ eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way,⁴ he shall serve me.

n Ps.15.4; 119.63. Ro.13.4. Re.17.14.

A.M. cir. 2949 or 2956. B.C. cir. 1055 or 1048.

4 Or, perfect in the way, Ps.119.1.—[That is, he that walketh in Christ Jesus, the only way to the Father, Col.2.6.—C.]

Vol. II, p. 1053

7 He^o that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.⁵

o Ps.55.3; 58.2,3. Pr.29.12; 20.8,26; 16.12. Re.21.27.

5 Heb. shall not be established.

8 I^p will early destroy all the wicked of the land;⁶ that I may cut off all wicked doers from the ^qcity of the LORD.

p Ps.75.10. Je.21.12.

6 This resolve can be true in the lips of Christ alone; and though wicked men deem him 'slack concerning his promise,' his promise will be fulfilled at a time they think not of.—C.

q Ps.48.2,8. 2 Ch.6.6. Ho.9.3.

Notes

Ver. 2. In a perfect way . . . with a perfect heart. Surely he that so resolves, if he do it not in self-ignorance, as Peter resolved never to forsake his Master, must be the Christ. C.——This is a noble resolution, well worthy of 'the man after God's own heart.' Wisdom, divine wisdom, should guide him in everything. His principles and motives would be wise; his conduct and acts in all the relations of life, private as well as public, would be regulated by wisdom; his words and his very thoughts would be wise; his companions and friends would be selected wisely. In the verses which follow, the psalmist shows how he was resolved to carry out his noble resolution. What a lesson does this psalm teach us! P.

Reflections.—The lot of saints on earth is a strange mixture of mercies and judgments. But all of them, taken in their connection and tendency, are to be improved as matter of praise and thanksgiving. Fellowship with and influences from God must strengthen and animate us to every holy practice. Serious godliness is the most substantial wisdom; and to act for God in the religious management of families, kingdoms, or in other relative stations, is a noted branch of it. With the utmost care ought men, by whatever power they have, to discourage everything wicked, and to encourage everything virtuous and holy. But it is in vain to attempt instructing or reforming others if we do not set them an example in our own practice.