David
was certainly the penman of this psalm, and it has in it the genuine spirit
of the man after God's own heart; it is a solemn vow which he made to God
when he took upon him the charge of a family and of the kingdom. Whether it
was penned when he entered upon the government, immediately after the death
of Saul (as some think), or when he began to reign over all Israel, and
brought up the ark to the city of David (as others think), is not material;
it is an excellent plan or model for the good government of a court, or the
keeping up of virtue and piety, and, by that means, good order, in it: but
it is applicable to private families; it is the householder's psalm. It
instructs all that are in any sphere of power, whether larger or narrower,
to use their power so as to make it a terror to evil-doers, but a praise to
those that do well. Here is, I. The general scope of David's vow, ver. 1, 2.
II. The particulars of it, that he would detest and discountenance all
manner of wickedness (ver. 3-5, 7, 8) and that he would favour and encourage
such as were virtuous, ver. 6. Some think this may fitly be accommodated to
Christ, the Son of David, who governs his church, the city of the Lord, by
these rules, and who loves righteousness and hates wickedness. In singing
this psalm families, both governors and governed, should teach, and
admonish, and engage themselves and one another to walk by the rule of it,
that peace may be upon them and God's presence with them.
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Mercy and Judgment; David's Pious Resolution.
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A psalm of David.
1 I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto
thee, O LORD,
will I sing. 2 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O
when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect
heart. 3 I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the
work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4 A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath
a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer. 6 Mine eyes shall
be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that
walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. 7 He that worketh
deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry
in my sight. 8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the land;
that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
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 (v. 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, v. 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,
1 Tim. iii. 4. When David had his hands full of public affairs, yet he
returned to bless his house, 2 Sam. vi. 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 (1 Sam. xviii. 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 (v. 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. xxxiii. 15. "Nay, I hate
the work of those that turn aside from the paths of equity (Job xxxi.
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 (v. 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 (v.
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, Prov. xxix. 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 (v. 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. xxii. 15.
V. His resolution to put those in trust under him that were honest and good
(v. 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 (1 Sam. viii. 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 (v. 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.
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