Salmi 26:9 Commento

Holy David is in this psalm putting himself upon a solemn trial, not by God and his country, but by God and his own conscience, to both which he appeals touching his integrity (Psa 26:1, Psa 26:2), for the proof of which he alleges, I. His constant regard to God and his grace (Psa 26:3). II. His rooted antipathy to sin and sinners (Psa 26:4, Psa 26:5). III. His sincere affection to the ordinances of God, and his care about them (Psa 26:6-8). Having thus proved his integrity, 1. He deprecates the doom of the wicked (Psa 26:9, Psa 26:10). 2. He casts himself upon the mercy and grace of God, with a resolution to hold fast his integrity, and his hope in God (Psa 26:11, Psa 26:12). In singing this psalm we must teach and admonish ourselves, and one another, what we must be and do that we may have the favour of God, and comfort in our own consciences, and comfort ourselves with it, as David does, if we can say that in any measure we have, through grace, answered to these characters. The learned Amyraldus, in his argument of his psalm, suggests that David is here, by the spirit of prophecy, carried out to speak of himself as a type of Christ, of whom what he here says of his spotless innocence, was fully and eminently true, and of him only, and to him we may apply it in singing this psalm. "We are complete in him." A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 26 Psalm of David. The occasion of this psalm seems to be the quarrel between Saul and David, the former listening to calumnies and reproaches cast upon the latter, and persecuting him in a violent manner. The argument of it is the same, in a great measure, with the seventh psalm, and is an appeal made to God, the Judge of the whole earth, by the psalmist, for his innocence and integrity; Theodoret thinks it was written by David when he fled from Saul.

Gather not my soul with sinners,.... Profligate and abandoned ones, such as are notoriously profane, and who live and die impenitent ones; otherwise all men are sinners: the sense is, either that he desires that he might not, by any means, be brought into the company of such persons, be joined unto them, and have a conversation with them, which would be uncomfortable, dishonourable, and dangerous; or that God would not destroy him with them; and that he might not die the death of the wicked, nor be gathered with them at death: death is often expressed by a man's being gathered to his people, and to his fathers; see Kg2 22:20; the body is gathered to the grave, the soul returns to God that gave it, and has its place assigned by him; the souls of the righteous are gathered into heaven, Christ's garner; the souls of the wicked into hell; the psalmist deprecates being gathered with them; nor my life with bloody men; that thirst after blood, lie in wait for it, shed it, and are drunk with it, as the antichristian party; these God abhors and detests; nor shall they live out half their days, and their end is miserable.

"Destroy not my soul with the ungodly" [Psalm 26:9]. Destroy not then, together with them that hate You, my soul, which has loved the beauty of Your house. "And my life with the men of blood." And with them that hate their neighbour. For Your house is beautified with the two commandments.

Here he explains the petition for judgment that he seeks: and he explains what kind of judgment he sought: and he asks two things. First he asks to be separated from evils that may come in the future. Second, from evils he suffers in the present, at "Redeem me." First, therefore, he sets forth the petition. Where it should be known that punishment is reserved by God for two kinds of men: namely those who are wicked or sinners against God: Ez. 18: "The wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." And therefore he says, "Do not destroy," etc.: as if to say, if I am afflicted here and suffer earthly evils with the wicked, nevertheless do not destroy my soul with them. Likewise, punishment is reserved for the wicked against their neighbor: therefore he says, "And with men of blood, my life": Ps. 54: "Men of blood and deceit." Here are counted all who offend against their neighbor, in whatever way. There is, moreover, a threefold blood. One which is caused by food and drink: hence food and drink is called the blood of the poor: Sir. 34: "The bread of the needy is the life of the poor man; he who defrauds him is a man of blood." The second is the blood of a man; and this the murderer sheds. The third is the blood of seed for the preservation of the species, and this the fornicator sheds, because he does not act for the sake of offspring.

After appealing to God's judgment on his avowed integrity and innocence of the charges laid by his enemies, the Psalmist professes delight in God's worship, and prays for exemption from the fate of the wicked, expressing assurance of God's favor. (Psa 26:1-12) Judge--decide on my case; the appeal of innocence. in mine integrity--freedom from blemish (compare Psa 25:21). His confidence of perseverance results from trust in God's sustaining grace.

Gather not, &c.--Bring me not to death. bloody men--(compare Psa 5:6).

It is now, for the first time, that the petition compressed into the one word שׁפטני (Psa 26:1) is divided out. He prays (as in Psa 28:3), that God may not connect him in one common lot with those whose fellowship of sentiment and conduct he has always shunned. אנשׁי דּמים, as in Psa 5:7, cf. ἄνθρωποι αἱμάτων, Sir. 31:25. Elsewhere זמּה signifies purpose, and more particularly in a bad sense; but in this passage it means infamy, and not unnatural unchastity, to which בּידיהם is inappropriate, but scum of whatever is vicious in general: they are full of cunning and roguery, and their right hand, which ought to uphold the right - David has the lords of his people in his eye - is filled (מלאה, not מלאה) with accursed (Deu 27:25) bribery to the condemnation of the innocent. He, on the contrary, now, as he always has done, walks in his uprightness, so that now he can with all the more joyful conscience intreat God to interpose judicially in his behalf.