Psalm 101:2-8

2 I will ¹give heed to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the ²integrity of my heart.

3 I will set no ³worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who ⁴fall away; It shall not fasten its grip on me.

4 A ⁵perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know no evil.

5 Whoever secretly ⁶slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; No one who has a ⁷haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure.

6 My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a ⁸blameless way is the one who will minister to me.

7 He who ⁹practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood ¹⁰shall not maintain his position before me.

8 ¹¹Every morning I will ¹²destroy all the wicked of the land, So as to ¹³cut off from the ¹⁴city of the LORD all those who do iniquity.

Psalm 101:2-8 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 101

\\<>\\. The title of this psalm, in the Syriac version, is, ``for Asaph, an exhortation of David, concerning those things which are required in the ministry of the house of the Lord; and a prophecy of the praise of the conqueror, and of the perfect man in God.'' Theodoret thinks it was written by David concerning good Josiah, whom he foresaw, by a spirit of prophecy, would rise up a great reformer of the people, and whom he proposes as a pattern of perfection to others; but it was, no doubt, written by him of himself; very likely, after he was delivered out of his troubles by the death of Saul, and was come to the kingdom, since he resolves to "sing of mercy and judgment": though by the interrogation, "when wilt thou come unto me?" it looks as if he had not arrived to the height of his honour: wherefore, perhaps, this psalm was penned between his being made king over Judah, and his being made king over all the tribes; but, be it as it may, the design of it is to show his resolutions, how he would behave as a king in his court, and as a master in his family; so that it is very instructive to kings and civil magistrates, and to parents and masters of families: and as David was a type of Christ, he seems, throughout the whole, to represent him; and, indeed, there are some things in it which agree with none so well as with him; such as behaving wisely, in a perfect way, and walking in his house with a perfect heart; not suffering any evil thing to cleave unto him, and knowing none, and the like.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 18:5, 14
• 2. 1 Kings 9:4
• 3. Deuteronomy 15:9
• 4. Joshua 23:6; Psalms 40:4
• 5. Proverbs 11:20
• 6. Psalms 50:20; Jeremiah 9:4
• 7. Psalms 10:4; Psalms 18:27; Proverbs 6:17
• 8. Psalms 119:1
• 9. Psalms 43:1; Psalms 52:2
• 10. Psalms 52:4, 5
• 11. Jeremiah 21:12
• 12. Psalms 75:10
• 13. Psalms 118:10-12
• 14. Psalms 46:4; Psalms 48:2, 8

Footnotes

• [a] Or "behave prudently in"
• [b] Or "way of integrity"
• [c] Or "blamelessness"
• [d] Or "practice of apostasy"
• [e] Or "silence"
• [f] Or "way of integrity"
• [g] Lit "be established before my eyes"
• [h] Or "silence"