Psalms 101:3

3 I will not set before my eyes anything 1that is worthless. I hate the work of those who 2fall away; it shall not cling to me.

Psalms 101:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 101:3

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes,
Either the eyes of the body, which are the inlets of lust and are easily caught with objects that inflame the heart, and should be turned aside from beholding vanity; or the eyes of the mind; so the Targum,

``I will not propose to my heart;''

or, as Kimchi,

``in my thought'',

that is, I will not set up an evil thing in my imagination, to dwell upon in my thoughts, and take delight and pleasure in meditating upon it; or set it before me, to imitate as a pattern, to work by, and copy after: Christ did not so; he set the Lord always before him, ( Psalms 16:8 ) , not anything of Belial F11 or Satan, as the phrase here may be rendered; no, he always bid Satan, or anything of his, be gone, and get behind him, ( Matthew 4:10 ) ( 16:23 ) .

I hate the work of them that turn aside;
from God, and from his law; from the paths of religion, truth, and virtue; and from the Gospel, and a profession of it; such are not fit for the kingdom of God, and in these God and Christ have no pleasure, ( Hebrews 10:38 ) ,

it shall not cleave to me;
neither the wicked thing, or thing of Belial, nor the work of apostasy; that is, he would have no familiarity nor fellowship with it; not come near it, nor connive at it, but hate and abhor it: the Jews said, an evil disease, or a thing of Belial, "cleaveth fast unto him", ( Psalms 41:8 ) , but they were mistaken.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (leylb rbd) "verbum Belijahal", Montanus; so Cocceius, Gejerus, Ainsworth.

Psalms 101:3 In-Context

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice; to you, O LORD, I will make music.
2 I will ponder the way that is blameless. Oh when will you come to me? I will walk with integrity of heart within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Deuteronomy 15:9
  • 2. See Psalms 40:4
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.