Seventh-day Adventist Bible CommentaryPsalms 101

Mercy. Heb. chesed (see Additional Note on Ps. 36).

Behave myself wisely. A kingly resolution, worthy of a kingly soul. When? The question is the sudden outburst of the devout soul, longing for the fulfillment of his resolution, which is possible only when God comes fully into his life. David had a strong desire for fellowship with God. Within my house. Godliness begins at home.

Wicked thing. Literally, “thing of Belial” (see on Deut. 13:13). Before mine eyes. David resolves not to look upon evil (see 1 John 2:16; cf. 2 Cor. 3:18), that his life may not imitate what he would see. To a great extent we are what we habitually behold. “Hear no evil; see no evil; speak no evil.” Concerning Job’s high estimate of personal purity see Job 31:1, 7. Not cleave. Though I come into contact with evil, I shall immediately separate myself from it. “We cannot keep the birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from building nests in our hair.”

Froward. Heb. ‘iqqesh, “crooked,” “perverted” (see Prov. 11:20). At this point the psalmist turns from resolutions of a private nature to resolutions that concern his public life as ruler.

Privily. Privately, secretly. Not I suffer. As king, David resolves not to tolerate in his official household those who are characterized as above.

Mine eyes. David resolves to keep on the watch for faithful men who will make worthy members of his court.

In a perfect way. See v. 2. David desires his official associates to be like him. They will be chosen for inherent worth, not for high birth or talent. What David requires in himself, he requires in others.

He that worketh deceit. Compare Rev. 14:1, 5; see on Prov. 12:17; 20:17.

Early destroy. No evil will be allowed to persist. At its first appearance, it will be destroyed. City of the Lord. Jerusalem, David’s capital. If a nation’s capital is morally clean, the example thus set will probably be followed in the nation. Surely the high resolutions of this psalm, if kept, would make a king worthy of David’s praise as expressed in 2 Sam. 23:3, 4.