Text -- Psalms 101:1-6 (NET)

Psalm 101

101:1 A psalm of David. I will sing about loyalty and justice! To you, O Lord, I will sing praises! 101:2 I will walk in the way of integrity. When will you come to me? I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace. 101:3 I will not even consider doing what is dishonest. I hate doing evil; I will have no part of it. 101:4 I will have nothing to do with a perverse person; I will not permit evil. 101:5 I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret. I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude. 101:6 I will favor the honest people of the land, and allow them to live with me. Those who walk in the way of integrity will attend me.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: Psa 101:1

¹ sn Psalm 101. The psalmist, who appears to be a king, promises to promote justice in his land and vows to rid his royal court of evildoers.

NET Notes: Psa 101:2

¹ tn Heb “take notice of.”

² tn Heb “I will walk about in the integrity of my heart in the midst of my house.”

NET Notes: Psa 101:3

¹ tn Heb “I will not set before my eyes a thing of worthlessness.”

² tn Heb “the doing of swerving [deeds] I hate.” The Hebrew term סֵטִים (setim) is probably an alternate spelling of שֵׂטִים (setim), which appears in many medieval Hebrew mss. The form appears to be derived from a verbal root שׂוּט (sut, “to fall away; to swerve”; see Ps 40:4).

³ tn Heb “it [i.e., the doing of evil deeds] does not cling to me.”

NET Notes: Psa 101:4

¹ tn Heb “a perverse heart will turn aside from me.” The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (’iqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse (see Ps 18:26). It appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6).

² tn Heb “know.” The king will not willingly allow perverse individuals to remain in his royal court.

NET Notes: Psa 101:5

¹ tn Heb “[one who has] pride of eyes and wideness [i.e., arrogance] of heart, him I will not endure.”

NET Notes: Psa 101:6

¹ tn Heb “my eyes [are] on the faithful of the land.”

² tn The Hebrew text simply reads, “in order to live with me.”

³ tn Heb “one who walks in the way of integrity, he will minister to me.”