Psalms 26

1 Clear my name, God; I've kept an honest shop. I've thrown in my lot with you, God, and I'm not budging.
2 Examine me, God, from head to foot, order your battery of tests. Make sure I'm fit inside and out
3 So I never lose sight of your love, But keep in step with you, never missing a beat.
4 I don't hang out with tricksters, I don't pal around with thugs;
5 I hate that pack of gangsters, I don't deal with double-dealers.
6 I scrub my hands with purest soap, then join hands with the others in the great circle, dancing around your altar, God,
7 Singing God-songs at the top of my lungs, telling God-stories.
8 God, I love living with you; your house glows with your glory.
9 When it's time for spring cleaning, don't sweep me out with the quacks and crooks,
10 Men with bags of dirty tricks, women with purses stuffed with bribe-money.
11 You know I've been aboveboard with you; now be aboveboard with me.
12 I'm on the level with you, God; I bless you every chance I get.

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.

Psalms 26 Commentaries

Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.