Psalms 26

1 David priusquam liniretur Dominus inluminatio mea et salus mea quem timebo Dominus protector vitae meae a quo trepidabo

2 dum adpropiant super me nocentes ut edant carnes meas qui tribulant me et inimici mei ipsi infirmati sunt et ceciderunt

3 si consistant adversus me castra non timebit cor meum si exsurgat adversus me proelium in hoc ego sperabo

4 unam petii a Domino hanc requiram ut inhabitem in domo Domini omnes dies vitae meae ut videam voluntatem Domini et visitem templum eius

5 quoniam abscondit me in tabernaculo in die malorum protexit me in abscondito tabernaculi sui

6 in petra exaltavit me et nunc exaltavit caput meum super inimicos meos circuivi et immolavi in tabernaculo eius hostiam vociferationis cantabo et psalmum dicam Domino

7 exaudi Domine vocem meam qua clamavi miserere mei et exaudi me

8 tibi dixit cor meum exquisivit facies mea faciem tuam Domine requiram

9 ne avertas faciem tuam a me ne declines in ira a servo tuo adiutor meus esto ne derelinquas me neque dispicias me Deus salvator meus

10 quoniam pater meus et mater mea dereliquerunt me Dominus autem adsumpsit me

11 legem pone mihi Domine in via tua et dirige me in semita recta propter inimicos meos

12 ne tradideris me in animas tribulantium me quoniam insurrexerunt in me testes iniqui et mentita est iniquitas sibi

13 credo videre bona Domini in terra viventium

14 expecta Dominum viriliter age et confortetur cor tuum et sustine Dominum

Psalms 26 Commentary

Chapter 26

David, in this psalm, appeals to God touching his integrity.

- David here, by the Spirit of prophecy, speaks of himself as a type of Christ, of whom what he here says of his spotless innocence was fully and eminently true, and of Christ only, and to Him we may apply it. We are complete in him. The man that walks in his integrity, yet trusting wholly in the grace of God, is in a state of acceptance, according to the covenant of which Jesus was the Mediator, in virtue of his spotless obedience even unto death. This man desires to have his inmost soul searched and proved by the Lord. He is aware of the deceitfulness of his own heart; he desires to detect and mortify every sin; and he longs to be satisfied of his being a true believer, and to practise the holy commands of God. Great care to avoid bad company, is both a good evidence of our integrity, and a good means to keep us in it. Hypocrites and dissemblers may be found attending on God's ordinances; but it is a good sign of sincerity, if we attend upon them, as the psalmist here tells us he did, in the exercise of repentance and conscientious obedience. He feels his ground firm under him; and, as he delights in blessing the Lord with his congregations on earth, he trusts that shortly he shall join the great assembly in heaven, in singing praises to God and to the Lamb for evermore.

Chapter Summary

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.