Psalms 26:5-12

5 I have hated the assembly of evildoers, And will not sit with the wicked.

6 I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,

7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, And tell of all Your wondrous works.

8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells.

9 Do not gather my soul with sinners, Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,

10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme, And whose right hand is full of bribes.

11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.

12 My foot stands in an even place; In the congregations I will bless the Lord.

Psalms 26:5-12 Meaning and Commentary

Psalm of David. The occasion of this psalm seems to be the quarrel between Saul and David, the former listening to calumnies and reproaches cast upon the latter, and persecuting him in a violent manner. The argument of it is the same, in a great measure, with the seventh psalm, and is an appeal made to God, the Judge of the whole earth, by the psalmist, for his innocence and integrity; Theodoret thinks it was written by David when he fled from Saul.