The Pulpit Commentary — Psalms — Volume 1 — Section 190

EXPOSITION. literally, with men of vanity; i.e. he has PSALM XXVI. not consorted (Pa. i. 1) with light and DAvm, about to sacrifice at God's altar, frivolous persons-those whose hearts are protests his integrity, but still prays for set upou vaiu and wortliless thingd (see Pa. xxiv. 4, and the comment). Neither will I God's protection (ver. 9) and for his redeem- go in with dissemblers. Nor will he go in ing mercy (ver. 11). The psalm has all the with (nor has he, we may conclucle, gone in notes of David's style, is full of his thoughts with) dissemblers, i.e. hypocrites. He has and imagery, and is allowed to be his by neither thrown in hie lot with the light, almost all critics. It must belong to the vain persons who make no pretence to time following the removal of the 11rk to religion, nor with tho pretenders, who" have the form of godliness, hut deny the power Monnt Zion, and preceding the committnl thereof" (2 'l'im. iii. 5). of the great otfenco. Ver. 5.-I h'lve hated the congregation of evil-doers. Fifthly, he has hated, and Ver. 1.-Judge me, 0 Lord; for I have hates, with a holy and strong abhorrence walked in mine integrity. It seems to (comp. Pd. cxxxix. 22), tho congregation ol Christians a bvld act to call on God for evil-doers-the gatherings e.nd assemblies judgment, but the saints of the earlier dis- of those wlio meet only for wicked purposes J•cnsation, having, pt·rhaps, ·a less keen seuse -to sin tl1emsdves, aud to draw others into of human impcrf~ction, were wont to do so. like evil courses. This is a positive trait It is Job's cry from his first utterance until of a very marked charact.er, and goes for J,is "words are ended;" and here we find beyond the explanation which has been David taking it up and re-echoing it. Man given of it: "I take no part in e.sscmbliea longs to hear the sentence of ncquittnl from for the ruin of others" (Hengatenberg), the great Judge. Like Job, David asserts Sixthly and lastly, he will not sit with the his "inwgrity," and in tlie same qualified wicke:i. Tbfa only goes beyond the declara- sense. Ho is sincere in his endeavours to tions in ver. 4 by extending to all wicked do right. Yet still he needs mercy and persons of every kind the ovoidance there reJemption (see ver. 11). I have trusted limited to "vain persona," and "dissem- also in the Lord ; therefore I shall not slide. blers." The spirit is that indicated by (comp. Pos. :niii. 36; xxxvii. 31). David is Jacob iu Gen. xlix. G; by St. Paul, in I Cor. confident of his past; for the future he v. 9-11 and Eph. v. 7, 11; and by St. John, trusts in God to uphold his steps, and save on the celebrated occasion when he avoided l1im from slips and falls. contact with Cerinthus (Iren., iii. 3, § 4). Ver. 2.-Examine me, 0 Lord, and prova Ver. 6.-I will wash mine hand■ in me. He desires to be examined and proved innocency; so will I compass thine altar, -tested, as a metal is tested (comp. Ps. O Lord. This seems to be the key-note of x~ii. 3)-that his sincerity may fully appear. the psalm. If not a. necessary, it is at any Try my reins and my heart; i.e. my rote a proboble, exegesis, that David com- emotional and my intellectual natures. posed this psalm on an occasion when he Ver. 3.-For thy loving-kindness is before was about to otfer a sacrifice of praise and mine eyes. Tbe psalmist now enters upon thanksgiving to God for some mercy recently an enumeration of the points of conduct on voudsafed him (ver. 7). Defore offering, whicli his confidence in his integrity rests. he feels tl10 necessity of doing spiritually They are six-three positive and three that which tl1e priest who c,fficiated would ueg-a.tive. First of all, he keeps God's have to do ceremonially (Exocl. xxx. 17-21) h,ving-k:indness, or mercy (19,;i), ever before -to "wash his hunds in innoconcy, and so bia eyes-reflects on it, meditates 011 it, to go to God's altar." His self-juslilicotion presents it to hie thought-continually. from ver. 1 to ver. 5 has had for its object And I have walked in thy truth. Secondly, to clear him from guilt. he walks-he has always walked-in God's Ver. 7.-The.t I me.y publish with the truth. God's L<tw is the truth (Pd. cxix. voica of thanksgiving ; mthcr, to sound 42); and walking in God's truth is walking forth the voice of thanksgiving (Kny); or, in tLe Law which he has given to men; as to malre the voice of thanksgiving to be heard liitzig, Maurer, and others have seen, (Revised Version). And tell of all thy licngstenberg's exposition, "I have con- wondrous works; or, recount them, lnume• stantly thougl,t upon thy faitl1fulucas," rate them. cannot be admitted. Ver. 8.-Lord, I have loved the habitation Ver. 4.-I have net sa.t with vain persons. of thy house ; i.e. " the home that thy house Thirdly, he has not sat with vain persona; afforc!a me," lt has been rny delight io PB, XXVI, 1-12.] THE BOOK OF PSALMS. 193