He that walketh uprightly walketh surely
Or, "that walketh in perfection" F3 as the Targum. Not that walks
without sin, no man does that; but that walks in the sincerity,
integrity, and uprightness of his heart, both before God and men;
who worships God in spirit and in truth, and speaks the truth in
his heart to his neighbour; who is an Israelite indeed, in whom
is no guile; who walks uprightly according to the truth of the
Gospel; who makes the word of God the rule of his life and
actions; who walks by faith on Christ, using him as the way to
the Father; believing in him for salvation; walking on in him as
he has received him, and especially dealing with his uprightness
or righteousness for his justification before God; who walks, as
Christ did, in imitation of him; who walks in love, as he did,
and in all humility, meekness, patience, and self-denial; who
walks in and after the Spirit of Christ; and in the truths of the
Gospel, and in all the ordinances thereof; and in all holy
conversation and godliness, studying to exercise a conscience
void of offence towards God and men. Such a man "walks surely",
or securely, safely, confidently, as the Septuagint, Vulgate
Latin, and all the Oriental versions, interpret the word. Such an
one has nothing to fear in his walk; he walks on "terra firma",
on good ground, in a good way, which leads to life eternal: he
has a good guide, the Spirit of God, which goes before him, and
will be his guide even unto death, and lead him in the way
everlasting, unto the land of uprightness; he has a good guard
about him, not only the angels of God that encamp around him, but
God himself is a wall of fire to him, and his power surrounds and
protects him; he has many precious promises to support him; not
only that the Lord will be a buckler to him, but will withhold no
good thing from him, ( Proverbs 2:7
) ( Psalms
84:11 ) ; he has the gracious and supporting presence of God,
when he passes through the fire and water of afflictions, and
even through the valley of the shadow of death, so that he has
nothing to fear; and has moreover the testimony of a good
conscience; and having a good hope through grace, he "walks in
hope", as the Targum is; yea, rejoices in hope of the glory of
God, and holds fast that rejoicing to the end;
but he that perverteth his ways shall be known;
who does not walk in a plain, direct, and even path, according to
the rule of the word, as the upright man; but winds about here
and there, goes into crooked paths, walks in craftiness as
deceitful workers, whose folly shall be made manifest; though
they think to hide it, and deceive men, they and their wickedness
shall be exposed, their tricks and artful methods shall be laid
open, and they be known to be what they are; if not in this life,
yet at the last judgment, ( 1 Timothy
5:24 ) ( 2 Timothy
3:9 ) . Jarchi and Aben Ezra observe another sense of the
word, "he shall be broken", and compare with it ( Judges 8:16 ) (
Isaiah 53:3 )
.