Annotations Upon the Books of Poetry, Psalms · Psalm 26
PSALM XXVI.
Verſ. 1. JVdge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity, &c.] That is, in that integrity wherewith I carried my ſelf from the beginning, both towards Saul, and the reſt of mine enemies; as I was guiltleſſe at firſt, ſo I have ſtill continued, though never ſo much provoked by them. See alſo the Notes Deut. 32.36. Pſal. 7.8, and 17.2, and 4.1, and 2 Sam. 22.21. I have truſted alſo in the Lord, therefore I shall not ſlide; that is, I ſhall not fall from mine integrity, and from mine endeavour to doe only that which is juſt in thine eyes, or from my ſtedfaſt hope that thou wilt defend me and my juſt cauſe.
Verſ. 2. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.] As if he had ſaid, I appeal to thee; take exact notice whether I be not inwardly ſuch as I profeſſe my ſelf to be. See the Note upon a like expreſſion Job 31.6. And for the word reins, ſee the Notes Pſal. 7.9, and 16.7.
Verſ. 3. For thy loving kindneſs is before mine eyes, &c.] In two ſeverall reſpects David might ſet Gods goodneſs before his eyes, by meditating frequently & ſeriouſly thereon: namely, 1. that he might be render'd thereby the more carefull to obey God in all things, and the more fearfull to offend him, even becauſe he is ſo good and gracious, according to that Hoſ. 3.5. they shall fear the Lord and his goodneſſe in the later daies; and 2. that being hereby confirmed in his faith, that God would be good to him, as he uſeth to be to all his, eſpecially to the afflicted and oppreſſed, and that he would help and protect him, this might keep him from recompencing evil for evil, and taking any unlawfull courſe to help himſelf. And in both theſe reſpects therefore David might here alledge his continuall ſetting of Gods goodneſſe before his eyes, both as a proof of his integrity, and that he was far from thoſe ſinfull practiſes which his enemies charged him with; and to ſhew with what confidence he might therefore well appeal to God to be judged by him. And accordingly we muſt alſo underſtand the following clauſe, and I have walked in thy truth; to wit, either that he had lived according to the direction of Gods word, which is truth, Joh. 17.17; or elſe, that he had continually walked in the confidence of Gods faithfulneſſe, and lived by faith in his promiſes, continually meditating on the promiſes which God had made both to the righteous in generall, and to him in particular concerning the kingdome, and ſo waiting upon God in the way of righteouſneſſe, whom he knew to be a God of truth to make good his promiſes, and not ſeeking by any unlawfull courſes to help himſelf. I know there are ſome that underſtand both clauſes of imitating Gods goodneſſe and truth: thy loving kindneſſe is before mine eyes, to wit, as a pattern which I deſire to imitate; and I have walked in thy truth, that is, I have endeavoured to imitate thy truth and faithfulneſſe: and others underſtand it of the goodneſſe and truth which God requires in his people; For thy loving kindneſſe is before mine eyes, &c. that is, the loving kindneſſe which thou requireſt, I have endeavoured to practice, and to walk in the truth which thou haſt preſcribed. But the former Expoſition is clearly the beſt.
Verſ. 4. I have not ſat with vain perſons, &c.] Some by vain perſons underſtand lying, falſe, deceitfull men, and ſo hold that the next clauſe doth explain this, neither will I goe in with diſſemblers; others, ſuch as are not what they pretend themſelves to be, as magiſtrates and counſellors of State, that pretend to be for the publick good, but do indeed mind no ſuch thing, being as clouds without rain, and fountains without water. But doubtleſſe David meant it more generally of all wicked men, who are called vain perſons, becauſe they were void of all true piety, and gave themſelves wholly to vanity, that is, to ſeek after earthly things, which are vain and tranſitory, and to follow ſinfull courſes, which would never yield them any ſolid comfort or benefit, Rom. 6.21. What fruit had ye then in thoſe things whereof ye are now ashamed? ſee alſo the Notes Judg. 9.4, and Job 11.11. However this is here added as a farther proof of his integrity; the intention of theſe words being to ſignifie, either that he had not ſat plotting with wicked men, and taking crafty counſell againſt his enemies, as they had againſt him; or more generally, that he had not converſed with ſuch kind of men, which indeed is a clear ſign of a good heart: ſee the Note Pſal. 1.1. Yea and by joyning this with that which went before, concerning his ſetting Gods goodneſſe before his eyes, and walking in his truth, he implyes, that his truſting in Gods goodneſſe and truth had kept him from joyning and converſing with ſuch kind of perſons.
Verſ. 6. I will wash mine hands in innocency; ſo will I compaſse thine altar, O Lord.] Having profeſſed, in the two foregoing verſes, that he had carefully ſhunned the ſociety of all wicked men, he adds here, that yet he would not becauſe of them avoid the place of Gods publick worſhip; only he would not come thither, as many did, in their ſins, but would be carefull to purge himſelf from all filthineſſe of the fleſh and ſpirit, & ſo he would come with his ſacrifices to Gods altar. And thus theſe words may alſo include, firſt, a farther profeſſion of his integrity, propounded before ver. 1, & ſecondly, an engagement of offering gratulatory ſacrifices to the Lord, if the Lord would plead his cauſe againſt his enemies, as he had there alſo deſired. However, in this expreſſion of waſhing his hands in innocency, which probably he ſpake in reference to the lifting up of his hands in prayer unto God, either he alluded to the cuſtome of mens waſhing their hands, thereby to profeſſe their innocency in any thing, as Pilate did to clear himſelf of the guilt of our Saviours death Matth. 27.24. whence it is uſuall with men ſtill to ſay, I will waſh mine hands of ſuch or ſuch a thing, meaning that they have had or will have nothing to doe in it: or elſe to thoſe legall waſhings that were uſed before men approached to Gods altar to offer ſacrifices; not only by the prieſts, of whom it is ſaid Exod. 40.32. when they came near unto the altar, they waſhed, but alſo by the people, eſpecially if they had contracted any legall pollution; whence it is that the Apoſtle, amongſt other their legall rites, mentions their divers waſhings, Heb. 9.10. and that to ſignify what ſpirituall purity God required in thoſe that would worſhip him; ſee alſo the Note Job 9.30. And then for the next clauſe, ſo will I compaſſe thine altar, this expreſſion, I conceive, is uſed either in reference to the multitude of ſacrifices he would bring, or elſe to his going together with many others to offer their ſacrifices on Gods altar. Yet ſome hold, that becauſe the people might not approach to the altar, but were to ſtand ſome diſtance off, they that were zealous in Gods ſervice, that they might the more affect themſelves with ſeeing what was done when their ſacrifices were offered, uſed not to ſtand ſtill in one place, but to move from one place to another round about, as occaſion was, that they might ſee what was done; and that hence David, to ſet forth his diligence and alacrity in that ſervice, uſeth this expreſſion, ſo will I compaſſe thine altar, O Lord.
Verſ. 8. I have loved the habitation of thine houſe, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.] That is, where thy Majeſtie dwelleth, or where thine Ark is: ſee the Note 1 Samuel 4.21. This is alſo added as an evidence of his integritie.
Verſ. 9. Gather not my ſoul with ſinners, nor my life with bloudy men.] That is, Keep me ſtill, as thou haſt done, from the ſociety of ſuch perſons, that I may not be wonne to partake with them in their wicked waies: or rather thus, Let me not fall into the hands of ſuch perſons; or, Involve me not in their curſe and ruine. We have the contrary to this expreſſed in a contrary phraſe, 1 Sam, 25.29. the ſoul of my Lord shall be bound in the bundle of life.
Verſ. 12. My foot ſtandeth in an even place.] That is, I am in a ſure and ſafe condition, to wit, becauſe I walk in my integrity, and do not turn aſide from the way of thy commandements, and ſo am ſure that thou doſt and wilt preſerve me. The ground of this expreſſion is, becauſe in even ground there is ſure footing.