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Commentary on Psalms 101 verses 1–8
David here cuts out to himself and others a pattern both of a good magistrate and a good master of a family; and, if these were careful to discharge the duty of their place, it would contribute very much to a universal reformation. Observe,
I. The chosen subject of the psalm (Psa 101:1): I will sing of mercy and judgment, that is,
1.Of God's mercy and judgment, and then it looks back upon the dispensations of Providence concerning David since he was first anointed to be king, during which time he had met with many a rebuke and much hardship on the one hand, and yet, on the other hand, had had many wonderful deliverances wrought for him and favours bestowed upon him; of these he will sing unto God. Note, (1.) God's providences concerning his people are commonly mixed - mercy and judgment; God has set the one over-against the other, and appointed them April-days, showers and sunshine. It was so with David and his family; when there was mercy in the return of the ark there was judgment in the death of Uzza. (2.) When God in his providence exercises us with a mixture of mercy and judgment it is our duty to sing, and sing unto him, both of the one and of the other; we must be suitably affected with both, and make suitable acknowledgments to God for both. The Chaldee-paraphrase of this is observable: If thou bestowest mercy upon me, or If thou bring any judgment upon me, before thee, O Lord! will I sing my hymns for all. Whatever our outward condition is, whether joyful or sorrowful, still we must give glory to God, and sing praises to him; neither the laughter of a prosperous condition nor the tears of an afflicted condition must put us out of tune for sacred songs. Or,
2.It may be understood of David's mercy and judgment; he would, in this psalm, promise to be merciful, and just, or wise, for judgment is often put for discretion. To do justly and love mercy is the sum of our duty; these he would covenant to make conscience of in that place and relation to which God had called him and this in consideration of the various providences of God that had occurred to him. Family-mercies and family-afflictions are both of them calls to family-religion. David put his vow into a song or psalm, that he might the better keep it in his own mind and frequently repeat it, and that it might the better be communicated to others and preserved in his family, for a pattern to his sons and successors.
II. The general resolution David took up to conduct himself carefully and conscientiously in his court, Psa 101:2. We have here,
1.A good purpose concerning his conversation - concerning his conversation in general (how he would behave himself in every thing; he would live by rule, and not at large, not walk at all adventures; he would, though a king, by a solemn covenant bind himself to his good behaviour), and concerning his conversation in his family particularly, not only how he would walk when he appeared in public, when he sat in the throne, but how he would walk within his house, where he was more out of the eye of the world, but where he still saw himself under the eye of God. It is not enough to put on our religion when we go abroad and appear before men; but we must govern ourselves by it in our families. Those that are in public stations are not thereby excused from care in governing their families; nay, rather, they are more concerned to set a good example of ruling their own houses well, Ti1 3:4. When David had his hands full of public affairs, yet he returned to bless his house, Sa2 6:20. He resolves, (1.) To act conscientiously and with integrity, to walk in a perfect way, in the way of God's commandments; that is a perfect way, for the law of the Lord is perfect. This he will walk in with a perfect heart, with all sincerity, not dissembling either with God or men. When we make the word of God our rule, and are ruled by it, the glory of God our end, and aim at it, then we walk in a perfect way with a perfect heart. (2.) To act considerately and with discretion: I will behave myself wisely; I will understand or instruct myself in a perfect way, so some. I will walk circumspectly. Note, We must all resolve to walk by the rules of Christian prudence in the ways of Christian piety. We must never turn aside out of the perfect way, under pretence of behaving ourselves wisely; but, while we keep to the good way, we must be wise as serpents.
2.A good prayer: O when wilt thou come unto me? Note, It is a desirable thing, when a man has a house of his own, to have God come to him and dwell with him in it; and those may expect God's presence that walk with a perfect heart in a perfect way. If we compare the account which the historian gives of David (Sa1 18:14), we shall find how exactly it answers his purpose and prayer, and that neither was in vain. David, as he purposed, behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and, as he prayed, the Lord was with him.
III. His particular resolution to practise no evil himself (Psa 101:3): "I will set no wicked thing before my eyes; I will not design nor aim at any thing but what is for the glory of God and the public welfare." He will never have it in his eye to enrich himself by impoverishing his subjects, or enlarge his own prerogative by encroaching on their property. In all our worldly business we must see that what we set our eyes upon be right and good and not any forbidden fruit, and that we never seek that which we cannot have without sin. It is the character of a good man that he shuts his eyes from seeing evil, Isa 33:15. "Nay, I hate the work of those that turn aside from the paths of equity (Job 31:7), not only I avoid it, but I abhor it; it shall not cleave to me. If any blot of injustice should come on my hands, it shall be washed off quickly."
IV. His further resolution not to keep bad servants, nor to employ those about him that were vicious. He will not countenance them, nor show them any favour, lest thereby he should harden them in their wickedness, and encourage others to do like them. He will not converse with them himself, nor admit them into the company of his other servants, lest they should spread the infection of sin in his family. He will not confide in them, nor put them in power under him; for those who hated to be reformed would certainly hinder every thing that is good. When he comes to mention particulars he does not mention drunkards, adulterers, murderers or blasphemers; such gross sinners as these he was in no danger of admitting into his house, nor did he need to covenant particularly against having fellowship with them; but he mentions those whose sins were less scandalous, but no less dangerous, and in reference to whom he needed to stand upon his guard with caution and to behave himself wisely. He will have nothing to do, 1. With spiteful malicious people, who are ill-natured, and will bear a grudge a great while, and care not what mischief they do to those they have a pique against (Psa 101:4): "A froward heart (one that delights to be cross and perverse) shall depart from me, as not fit for society, the bond of which is love. I will not know," that is, "I will have no acquaintance or conversation, if I can help it, with such a wicked person; for a little of the leaven of malice and wickedness will leaven the whole lump." 2. With slanderers, and those who take a pleasure in wounding their neighbour's reputation secretly (Psa 101:5): "Whoso privily slanders his neighbour, either raises or spreads false stories, to the prejudice of his good name, him will I cut off from my family and court." Many endeavour to raise themselves into the favour of princes by unjust representations of persons and things, which they think will please their prince. If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked, Pro 29:12. But David will not only not hearken to them, but will prevent the preferment of those that hope thus to curry favour with him: he will punish not only him that falsely accuses another in open court, but him that privily slanders another. I wish David had remembered this vow in the case of Mephibosheth and Ziba. 3. With haughty, conceited, ambitious people; none do more mischief in a family, in a court, in a church, for only by pride comes contention: "Therefore him that has a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer; I will have no patience with those that are still grasping at all preferments, for it is certain that they do not aim at doing good, but only at aggrandizing themselves and their families." God resists the proud, and so will David. 4. With false deceitful people, that scruple not to tell lies, or commit frauds (Psa 101:7): "He that worketh deceit, though he may insinuate himself into my family, yet, as soon as he is discovered, shall not dwell within my house." Some great men know how to serve their own purposes by such as are skilful to deceive, and they are fit tools for them to work by; but David will make use of no such persons as agents for him: He that tells lies shall not tarry in my sight, but shall be expelled the house with indignation. Herein David was a man after God's own heart, for a proud look and a lying tongue are things which God hates; and he was also a type of Christ, who will, in the great day, banish from his presence all that love and make a lie, Rev 22:15.
V. His resolution to put those in trust under him that were honest and good (Psa 101:6): My eyes shall be upon the faithful in the land. In choosing his servants and ministers of state he kept to the land of Israel and would not employ foreigners; none shall be preferred but true-born Israelites, and those such as were Israelites indeed, the faithful in the land; for even in that land there were those that were unfaithful. These faithful ones his eyes shall be upon, to discover them and find them out; for they were modest, did not crowd into the city to court preferment, but lived retired in the land, in the country, out of the way of it. Those are commonly most fit for places of honour and trust that are least fond of them; and therefore wise princes will spy out such in their recesses and privacies, and take them to dwell with them and act under them. He that walks in a perfect way, that makes conscience of what he says and does, shall serve me. The kingdom must be searched for honest men to make courtiers of; and, if any man is better than another, he must be preferred. This was a good resolution of David's; but either he did not keep to it or else his judgment was imposed upon when he made Ahithophel his right hand. It should be the care and endeavour of all masters of families, for their own sakes and their children's, to take such servants into their families as they have reason to hope fear God. The Son of David has his eyes upon the faithful in the land; his secret is with them, and they shall dwell with him. Saul chose servants for their goodliness (Sa1 8:16), but David for their goodness.
VI. His resolution to extend his zeal to the reformation of the city and country, as well as of the court (Psa 101:8): "I will early destroy all the wicked of the land, all that are discovered and convicted; the law shall have its course against them." He would do his utmost to destroy all the wicked, so that there might be none left that were notoriously wicked. He would do it early; he would lose no time and spare no pains; he would be forward and zealous in promoting the reformation of manners and suppression of vice; and those must rise betimes that will do anything to purpose in the work. That which he aimed at was not only the securing of his own government and the peace of the country, but the honour of God in the purity of his church, That I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord. Not Jerusalem only, but the whole land, was the city of the Lord; so is the gospel-church. It is the interest of the city of the Lord to be purged from wicked doers, who both blemish it and weaken it; and it is therefore the duty of all to do what they can, in their places, towards so good a work, and to be zealously affected in it. The day is coming when the Son of David shall cut off all wicked doers from the new Jerusalem, for there shall not enter into it any that do iniquity.
Now if these words in the law, "You shall have dominion over many nations, and no one shall rule over you," were simply a promise to them of dominion, and if these words contain no deeper meaning than this, then it is certain that the people would have had still stronger grounds for despising the promises of the law. Celsus brings forward another passage, although he changes its terms, where it is said that the whole earth shall be filled with the Hebrew race; which indeed, according to the testimony of history, did actually happen after the coming of Christ, although rather as a result of God's anger, if I may say so, than of his blessing. As to the promise made to the Jews that they should slay their enemies, it may be answered that anyone who examines carefully into the meaning of this passage will find himself unable to interpret it literally. It is sufficient at present to refer to the manner in which in the Psalms the just person is represented as saying, among other things, "Every morning will I destroy the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all workers of iniquity from the city of the Lord." Judge, then, from the words and spirit of the speaker, whether it is conceivable that, after having in the preceding part of the psalm, as anyone may read for himself, he uttered the noblest thoughts and purposes, he should in the sequel, according to the literal rendering of his words, say that in the morning, and at no other period of the day, he would destroy all sinners from the earth and leave none of them alive, and that he would slay every one in Jerusalem who did iniquity. And there are many similar expressions to be found in the law, as this, for example: "We did not leave anything alive."
"In the morning I destroyed all the ungodly that were in the land. That I may root out all wicked doers from the city of the Lord" [Psalm 101:8]. This is obscure. There are then wicked doers in the city of the Lord, and they at present, seemingly, spared. Why so? Because it is the season of mercy: but that of judgment will come; for the Psalm thus began, "Of mercy and judgment will I sing unto You, O Lord."...
If we return to our psalms rather frequently, brothers, we shut off the approach to worldly thoughts; the spiritual song dominates, and carnal thoughts depart. The psalms are the weapons of the servants of God. The one who clings to the psalms does not fear the enemy, for our Lord says concerning this adversary, “Your adversary is the devil.” The devil suggests adverse thoughts, in order that he may kill us if he can; on the other hand, we have right thoughts, if we read the psalms aloud quite frequently. The devil says, Be proud; I repeat with the psalm what our Lord says: “He shall not dwell within my house who practices pride”; and elsewhere: “God resists the proud”;38 also in Solomon: “A proud person knows nothing. He has a morbid passion for contention.” He [the devil] would not encourage pride, if he knew that it had a place among the servants of God in paradise. This is why the devil especially encourages monks to be proud, in order that they may afterwards be excluded from the place from which he was expelled. If he had not been proud, he would have kept his preeminence in heaven. He encourages quarrels, he excites hatred, he himself stirs up people, but you should resist him like the true psalmist by saying, “O Lord, set a watch before my mouth, and let not my heart incline to evil words.”
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SUMMARY
Psalms 101:8 encapsulates King David's unwavering commitment to righteous governance and the active purification of his kingdom, particularly within Jerusalem, the designated "city of the LORD." This verse is a powerful declaration of his resolve to swiftly and decisively eliminate all forms of wickedness and corrupt practices from his administration and the land, reflecting his deeply held conviction that a holy God demands a holy people and a righteous leadership. It serves as a personal vow to uphold divine standards of justice and integrity in the exercise of his royal authority.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 101:8 employs several potent literary devices to convey David's resolute commitment to justice. The most prominent is Hyperbole, as David declares he will "destroy all the wicked of the land" and "cut off all wicked doers." While expressing an absolute commitment to justice, it's understood as a strong rhetorical statement of intent rather than a literal claim of achieving perfect eradication of every single wicked person. This emphasizes the king's zeal and the severity of his stance against evil. Metonymy is evident in "the city of the LORD," where Jerusalem stands for the entire spiritual and governmental center of Israel, implying that the purification of the capital would have a ripple effect throughout the nation. The entire psalm, including this verse, functions as a Royal Vow or Pledge, a formal declaration of principles and intentions, which is a common literary form in ancient Near Eastern kingship, underscoring the solemnity and binding nature of David's commitment before God and his people.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 101:8 powerfully articulates the biblical principle that righteous governance is intrinsically linked to the active suppression of wickedness. It underscores the divine expectation for leaders to be instruments of God's justice, not merely by personal piety, but by ensuring that the societal structures and the very heart of the nation reflect God's holiness. David's zeal for purifying "the city of the LORD" prefigures the ultimate vision of a holy city, free from all defilement, a recurring theme in prophetic literature and the New Testament. This verse reminds us that God's kingdom is characterized by righteousness and that those who represent Him, whether kings or common believers, are called to contend against evil in their spheres of influence.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While Psalms 101:8 is a king's vow, its underlying principles of integrity, active justice, and the pursuit of purity resonate deeply with believers today. We are called not only to avoid evil personally but to actively contend against it in our spheres of influence, whether in our homes, workplaces, or communities. Just as David sought to purify his kingdom, we are to strive for personal holiness, recognizing that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, and to promote righteousness in a world often consumed by corruption. This verse challenges us to be vigilant, proactive, and uncompromising in our stand against sin, reflecting God's character in our daily lives and working towards a world that increasingly reflects the values of His coming kingdom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "early destroy" mean in a practical sense for King David?
Answer: For King David, "early destroy" (from the Hebrew word bôqer, meaning "morning") signifies a commitment to swift, decisive, and consistent administration of justice. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, it was common for kings to hold court and address legal matters first thing in the morning. Therefore, David's vow implies that he would not delay in confronting and rooting out wickedness. It speaks to a proactive and vigilant approach to governance, ensuring that corruption and unrighteousness were dealt with promptly, preventing them from festering and undermining the moral fabric of his kingdom, particularly in the critical administrative and spiritual center of Jerusalem, the city of the LORD.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 101:8 finds its ultimate and perfect fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the true and eternal King. While David, as an earthly monarch, could only aspire to purify his kingdom and "cut off all wicked doers," his efforts were limited by human imperfection and the pervasive nature of sin. Jesus, however, is the righteous King who truly "early destroys" all wickedness, not merely from a physical city, but from the hearts of His people and ultimately from the entire cosmos. His first advent initiated the spiritual cutting off of sin's dominion through His atoning sacrifice, as He became the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. His second advent will bring the final and complete eradication of all evil, establishing a kingdom where "nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false" (Revelation 21:27). Christ's reign is one of absolute righteousness and justice, where He will judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1) and ensure that His "city of the LORD," the New Jerusalem, is perfectly pure, a dwelling place for those who have been cleansed by His blood (Hebrews 12:22-24). Thus, David's kingly vow is a prophetic echo of the perfect and complete purification accomplished by the King of kings.