Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 26:11

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 26:11. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity — Whatever I may have to do with public affairs, shall be done with the strictest attention to truth, justice, and mercy.

Redeem me — From all snares and plots laid against my life and my soul.

And be merciful unto me. — I deserve no good, but thou art merciful; deal with me ever in thy mercy.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 26-28 Living uprightly

David appeals to God to support him against those who plot evil against him. God has done a work of grace in his life, and this causes him to hate the company of worthless people and make every effort to live the sort of life that pleases God (26:1-5). He desires righteousness, delights in worship, loves to spend hours in the house of God and enjoys telling others about God (6-8). He therefore asks that he will not suffer the same end as the wicked (9-10). Though determined to do right, he knows that he will not succeed without God’s help (11-12).
The psalmist is fully confident in the power of God and in God’s willingness to protect him (27:1-3). His desire is to live his life as if he is in the presence of God continually. Thereby he will have protection, and his life will be one of constant strength and joy (4-6). He prays that God will hear his prayers and never turn away from him. Others might reject him, but he is confident that God’s care of him will never fail (7-10). In view of the persecution he suffers, he asks that God will teach him more about the way he should live (11-12). He remains confident in God and this gives him patience. Whatever may happen, he knows that he can always depend on God’s help (13-14).
In the next psalm David again is in great distress and cries out to God to save his life. He does not want to die like the wicked, for whom an early death is a fitting punishment (28:1-3). His prayer to God to punish the wicked is not because of personal bitterness or the desire for revenge. It is because they are the enemies of God and they disregard all that he has done (4-5). David knows that God will answer his prayer and thereby strengthen David’s trust in him (6-7). This will also strengthen the faith of the people, who will have a better understanding of God as their defender and shepherd (8-9).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Gather not my soul with sinners, Nor my life with men of blood; In whose hands is wickedness, And their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: Redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot standeth in an even place: In the congregations will I bless Jehovah."

"Their right hand is full of bribes" "This is a reference to persons in office who took bribes to pervert judgment and justice."Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (London: T. Mason and G. Lane, 1837), Vol. III, p. 306.

Adam Clarke also tabulated the several references to wicked men in this psalm.

They are vain, irreligious persons (Psalms 26:4).

They are deep, dark men, saying one thing, meaning something else (Psalms 26:4).

They are malignant, doing everything for their own ends (Psalms 26:5).

They regard neither God nor holy religion (Psalms 26:5).

They are blood-thirsty murderers, "men of blood" (Psalms 26:9).

They are traffickers in wickedness (Psalms 26:9).

They are ready with their hands to execute the wicked schemes of their hearts (Psalms 26:10).

They are lovers of bribes, perverting judgment for the sake of money.Ibid.

All of these verses are a plea from David that God will not appoint his portion with the wicked; and Psalms 26:12 carries the assurance that God has heard his prayer.

"My foot standeth on an even place" (Psalms 26:12). "These words are a symbol of comfort and safety."J. R. Dummelow's Commentary, p. 340. "The psalmist is sure that his desire of compassing God's altar with praise will be fulfilled, and that, instead of compulsory association with `the congregation of evil-doers,' he will bless Jehovah `in the congregation' where God's name is loved and that he will find himself among those who, like himself, delight in the praise of God."Alexander Maclaren, Vol. 1, p. 257.

Delitzsch also agreed that, "The prayer here changes to rejoicing due to the certainty that the answer shall be given. Hitherto, as it were, shut in by deep trackless gorges, he now feels himself to be standing upon a pleasant plain."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V, p. 353.

Note: The notion that God's "habitation" mentioned in Psalms 26:8 is the Jewish Temple is sometimes advanced as proof that David could not have written this psalm; but the American Standard Version margin reveals that the Hebrew text in Psalms 26:8 actually has the words, "The house of the tabernacle of thy glory."

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

But as for me - The Hebrew is, “and I.” But there is evidently a contrast between what he purposed to do, and the course of life pursued by those to whom he had just referred; and this is correctly expressed in our translation, “But as for me.” It is a statement of his profession of piety, and of his purpose to lead a religious life. He “meant” - he solemnly “purposed” - to lead a holy life.

I will walk - I will live a life of integrity. See the notes at Psalms 1:1.

In mine integrity - Hebrew, in my “perfection.” See Psalms 7:8, note; Job 1:1, note. The idea is that he intended to live a life of uprightness.

Redeem me - From sin; from trouble; from death. The word “redeem” here implies that he did not claim to be “perfect” in the most absolute sense, even when he expressed his purpose to lead a life of integrity. He felt still that he was a sinner, and that he was dependent on redeeming mercy for salvation. On the word “redeem,” see Psalms 25:22, note; Isaiah 29:22, note. Compare the notes at Isaiah 43:3.

And be merciful to me - In connection with redemption. The prayer for mercy is always an acknowledgment of guilt, and the plea here shows that with all his purposes of holy living, and notwithstanding all that he had referred to in the psalm as evidence of uprightness of intention and integrity of life, he still felt that he was a sinner, and that his only hope was in the mercy of God.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

11.But I will walk in mine integrity. In this repetition there is to be remarked a circumstance which more clearly illustrates David’s righteousness; namely, that, in the midst of so many temptations, he steadily held on his way. He saw many become suddenly rich by gifts, as we still see those who sit at the helm of affairs accumulating to themselves, in a very brief space, a great abundance of wealth, building sumptuous palaces, and extending their lands far and wide. As no allurements could induce him to imitate their example in this, he gave a proof of rare and heroic virtue. He therefore affirms with truth, that although the world accounted them happy, he had not been seduced from his wonted integrity, that thus it might appear that he ascribed more to the providence of God than to evil practices. He, therefore, beseeches God to redeem him, because, being oppressed with wrongs, and tempted in various ways, he relied only on God, trusting that he would deliver him. From this we may conclude, that he was at this time reduced to great straits. He adds, Be merciful to me, by which he shows that this deliverance flows from the grace of God, as its true source; and we have already seen that the cause is often put for the effect.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 26:1-12

In Psalms 26:1-12 , another psalm of David. The first is,

Judge me, O LORD; I have walked in my integrity ( Psalms 26:1 ):

The second:

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For thy loving-kindness is before my eyes: and I have walked in your truth. And I have not sat with vain persons, neither do I go in with dissemblers [with disgruntles]. I have hated the congregation of evildoers; I will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocency ( Psalms 26:2-6 ):

In the seventy-third psalm he said, "I have cleansed my hands in vain in innocency." But here, "I will wash my hands and"

so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of your wondrous works. LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where your honor dwells. Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with murderous men: In whose hands is mischief, in their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot stands in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD ( Psalms 26:6-12 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 26

In this individual lament psalm, which is similar to Psalms 25 but does not contain confession, David asked for God’s vindication because of his personal integrity. Psalms 26 (Psalms 26:6-8), 27 (Psalms 26:4-7), and 28 (Psalms 26:2) all reveal David’s love for God’s sanctuary and so uncover his love for the Lord.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

3. Prayer for reward 26:9-12

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Having called on God to do right, the psalmist promised to do the same. He would continue to do right as he waited for God to redeem him from his trouble. "Redeem" (Heb. padah) means to ransom or purchase out of trouble. This word often refers to the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt in the Old Testament (e.g., Deuteronomy 7:8; 2 Samuel 7:23; Micah 6:4). David felt he was on solid footing in his request, and looked forward to praising God publicly for saving him from his accusers.

The people of God can appeal confidently for vindication from the false accusations of spiritual enemies because they have a righteous standing before Him. This is not a claim to being sinless but to being righteous because of God’s work for them. The upright behavior of the righteous is evidence that they are, by God’s grace, different from the wicked. [Note: See Swindoll, pp. 83-93.]

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity,.... In which he had hitherto walked, Psalms 26:1; or it may express his faith, that after he was gathered by death he should walk in uprightness and righteousness, in purity and perfection, with Christ in white, and behold the face of God in righteousness; see Isaiah 57:1;

redeem me; from the vain conversation of the wicked, from all troubles, and out of the hands of all enemies;

and be merciful unto me; who was now in distress, being persecuted by Saul, and at a distance from the house of God: this shows that mercy is the source and spring of redemption, both temporal and spiritual; and that the psalmist did not trust in and depend upon his present upright walk and conversation, but in redemption by Christ, and upon the mercy of God in Christ.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:   7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.   8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.   9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:   10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.   11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.   12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.

      In these verses,

      I. David mentions, as further evidence of his integrity, the sincere affection he had to the ordinances of God, the constant care he took about them, and the pleasure he took in them. Hypocrites and dissemblers may indeed be found attending on God's ordinances, as the proud Pharisee went up to the temple to pray with the penitent publican; but it is a good sign of sincerity if we attend upon them as David here tells us he did, Psalms 26:6-8; Psalms 26:6-8.

      1. He was very careful and conscientious in his preparation for holy ordinances: I will wash my hands in innocency. He not only refrained from the society of sinners, but kept himself clean from the pollutions of sin, and this with an eye to the place he had among those that compassed God's altar. "I will wash, and so will I compass the altar, knowing that otherwise I shall not be welcome." This is like that (1 Corinthians 11:28), Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat, so prepared. This denotes, (1.) Habitual preparation: "I will wash my hands in innocency; I will carefully watch against all sin, and keep my conscience pure from those dead works which defile it and forbid my drawing nigh to God." See Psalms 24:3; Psalms 24:4. (2.) Actual preparation. It alludes to the ceremony of the priests' washing when they went in to minister, Exodus 30:20; Exodus 30:21. Though David was no priest, yet, as every worshipper ought, he would look to the substance of that which the priests were enjoined the shadow of. In our preparation for solemn ordinances we must not only be able to clear ourselves from the charge of reigning infidelity or hypocrisy, and to protest our innocency of that (which was signified by washing the hands,Deuteronomy 21:6), but we must take pains to cleanse ourselves from the spots of remaining iniquity by renewing our repentance, and making fresh application of the blood of Christ to our consciences for the purifying and pacifying of them. He that is washed (that is, in a justified state) has need thus to wash his feet (John 13:10), to wash his hands, to wash them in innocency; he that is penitent is pene innocens--almost innocent; and he that is pardoned is so far innocent that his sins shall not be mentioned against him.

      2. He was very diligent and serious in his attendance upon them: I will compass thy altar, alluding to the custom of the priests, who, while the sacrifice was in offering, walked round the altar, and probably the offerers likewise did so at some distance, denoting a diligent regard to what was done and a dutiful attendance in the service. "I will compass it; I will be among the crowds that do compass it, among the thickest of them." David, a man of honour, a man of business, a man of war, thought it not below him to attend with the multitude on God's altars and could find time for that attendance. Note, (1.) All God's people will be sure to wait on God's altar, in obedience to his commands and in pursuance of his favour. Christ is our altar, not as the altar in the Jewish church, which was fed by them, but an altar that we eat of and live upon,Hebrews 13:10. (2.) It is a pleasant sight to see God's altar compassed and to see ourselves among those that compass it.

      3. In all his attendance on God's ordinances he aimed at the glory of God and was much in the thankful praise and adoration of him. He had an eye to the place of worship as the place where God's honor dwelt (Psalms 26:8; Psalms 26:8), and therefore made it his business there to honour God and to give him the glory due to his name, to publish with the voice of thanksgiving all God's wondrous works. God's gracious works, which call for thanksgiving, are all wondrous works, which call for our admiration. We ought to publish them, and tell of them, for his glory, and the excitement of others to praise him; and we ought to do it with the voice of thanksgiving, as those that are sensible of our obligations, by all ways possible, to acknowledge with gratitude the favours we have received from God.

      4. He did this with delight and from a principle of true affection to God and his institutions. Touching this he appeals to God: "Lord, thou knowest how dearly I have loved the habitation of thy house (Psalms 26:8; Psalms 26:8), the tabernacle where thou art pleased to manifest thy residence among thy people and receive their homage, the place where thy honour dwells." David was sometimes forced by persecution into the countries of idolaters and was hindered from attending God's altars, which perhaps his persecutors, that laid him under that restraint, did themselves upbraid him with as his crime. See 1 Samuel 20:27. "But, Lord," says he, "though I cannot come to the habitation of thy house, I love it; my heart is there, and it is my greatest trouble that I am not there." Note, All that truly love God truly love the ordinances of God, and therefore love them because in them he manifests his honour and they have an opportunity of honoring him. Our Lord Jesus loved his Father's honour, and made it his business to glorify him; he loved the habitation of his house, his church among men, loved it and gave himself for it, that he might build and consecrate it. Those who love communion with God, and delight in approaching him, find it to be a constant pleasure, a comfortable evidence of their integrity, and a comfortable earnest of their endless felicity.

      II. David, having given proofs of his integrity, earnestly prays, with a humble confidence towards God (such as those have whose hearts condemn them not), that he might not fall under the doom of the wicked (Psalms 26:9; Psalms 26:10). Gather not my soul with sinners, Here, 1. David describes these sinners, whom he looked upon to be in a miserable condition, so miserable that he could not wish the worst enemy he had in the world to be in a worse. "They are bloody men, that thirst after blood and lie under a great deal of the guilt of blood. They do mischief, and mischief is always in their hands. Though they get by their wickedness (for their right hand is full of bribes which they have taken to pervert justice), yet that will make their case never the better; for what is a man profited if he gain the world and lose his soul?" 2. He dread having his lot with them. He never loved them, nor associated with them, in this world, and therefore could in faith pray that he might not have his lot with them in the other world. Our souls must shortly be gathered, to return to God that gave them and will call for them again. See Job 34:14. It concerns us to consider whether our souls will then be gathered with saints or with sinners, whether bound in the bundle of life with the Lord for ever, as the souls of the faithful are (1 Samuel 25:29), or bound in the bundle of tares for the fire, Matthew 13:30. Death gathers us to our people, to those that are our people while we live, whom we choose to associate with, and with whom we cast in our lot, to those death will gather us, and with them we must take our lot, to eternity. Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous; David dreaded dying the death of the wicked; so that both sides were of that mind, which if we be of, and will live up to it, we are happy for ever. Those that will not be companions with sinners in their mirth, nor eat of their dainties, may in faith pray not to be companions with them in their misery, nor to drink of their cup, their cup of trembling.

      III. David, with a holy humble confidence, commits himself to the grace of God, Psalms 26:11; Psalms 26:12. 1. He promises that by the grace of God he would persevere in his duty: "As for me, whatever others do, I will walk in my integrity." Note, When the testimony of our consciences for us that we have walked in our integrity is comfortable to us this should confirm our resolutions to continue therein. 2. He prays for the divine grace both to enable him to do so and to give him the comfort of it: "Redeem me out of the hands of my enemies, and be merciful to me, living and dying." Be we ever so confident of our integrity, yet still we must rely upon God's mercy and the great redemption Christ has wrought out, and pray for the benefit of them. 3. He pleases himself with his steadiness: "My foot stands in an even place, where I shall not stumble and whence I shall not fall." This he speaks as one that found his resolutions fixed for God and godliness, not to be shaken by the temptations of the world, and his comforts firm in God and his grace, not to be disturbed by the crosses and troubles of the world. 4. He promises himself that he should yet have occasion to praise the Lord, that he should be furnished with matter for praise, that he should have a heart for praises, and that, though he was now perhaps banished from public ordinances, yet he should again have an opportunity of blessing God in the congregation of his people. Those that hate the congregation of evil-doers shall be joined to the congregation of the righteous and join with them in praising God; and it is pleasant doing that in good company; the more the better; it is the more like heaven.