Psalms 26:6-8

Context

26:6 I maintain a pure lifestyle,¹

so I can appear before your altar,² O Lord,

26:7 to give you thanks,³

and to tell about all your amazing deeds.⁴

26:8 O Lord, I love the temple where you live,⁵

the place where your splendor is revealed.⁶

[26:6] ¹tn Heb “I wash my hands in innocence.” The psalmist uses an image from cultic ritual to picture his moral lifestyle. The imperfect verbal emphasizes that this is his habit.

[26:6] ²tn Heb “so I can go around your altar” (probably in ritual procession). Following the imperfect of the preceding line, the cohortative with vav (ו) conjunctive indicates purpose or result.

[26:7] ³tn Heb “to cause to be heard the sound of thanksgiving.”

[26:7] ⁴tn The two infinitival forms (both with prefixed preposition -לְ, lamed) give the purpose for his appearance at the altar.

[26:8] ⁵tn Heb “the dwelling of your house.”

[26:8] ⁶tn Heb “the place of the abode of your splendor.”