Commentary - Psalm 101:3-5

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 101 is a ruler's resolution, a declaration of intent for how a godly leader, in this case David, will conduct himself and his administration. It is a mirror for magistrates, but it is also a pattern for any man who would rule his own house well. David is establishing the moral and spiritual qualifications for those who would be in his inner circle. This is a psalm about applied holiness, beginning in the heart of the leader and extending to his household and, by extension, to the nation. The verses before us, 3 through 5, are the negative side of this commitment. Before you can select the faithful, you must first resolve to reject the wicked. This is not about a sour or merely critical disposition; it is about a holy intolerance for the kinds of sin that rot a nation from the inside out, beginning with the court of the king.

David makes a series of vows concerning what he will not tolerate in his presence. He begins with his own eyes, moves to his associations, and then to the active purging of his administration. He will not set vile things before his eyes, he will hate the works of apostates, he will banish the crooked of heart, he will not know evil, he will destroy slanderers, and he will not suffer the proud. This is a comprehensive commitment to a culture of righteousness, and it is built on the understanding that what a leader tolerates, he encourages. Therefore, David is building a wall of separation, not between church and state, but between righteousness and wickedness within his own jurisdiction.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 101 is a psalm of David, and the contents strongly suggest it was composed as he was ascending to the throne, or perhaps as he was about to make Jerusalem the capital of a united Israel. It is his public declaration of policy, his manifesto. He is setting the tone for his entire reign. This is not a description of how things are, but a resolution of how they will be. It is prescriptive, not descriptive.

This psalm stands as a powerful statement on the necessity of character in leadership. Unlike modern political platforms that focus on economic or foreign policy, David's platform is intensely personal and moral. He understands that the character of the ruler and his court will determine the character of the nation. The psalm moves from the internal (his heart, his eyes) to the domestic (his house) to the civic (the land, the city of the Lord). This progression is crucial. Reformation and righteousness always begin at home.

Key Issues

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 3a I will set no vile thing before my eyes;

David begins with his own eyes. The Hebrew word for "vile" is belial, which means worthless, wicked, or destructive. David is making a commitment to guard his senses. He resolves not to contemplate anything worthless, not to be entertained by what is vile. This is a foundational discipline for any leader. What you allow your eyes to rest on will eventually find its way into your heart. In our day, with screens in every pocket, this resolution is more necessary and more difficult than ever. A man cannot lead a righteous household or a righteous nation if his imagination is being fed a steady diet of filth. He is not just talking about avoiding temptation; he is talking about refusing to even consider it. He will not place it before his eyes as a possibility for entertainment or consideration.

v. 3b I hate the work of those who fall away;

This is not a passive dislike. The word for "hate" is strong. David hates the deeds of apostates, of those who "turn aside" from the straight path. He is not talking about people who stumble in their weakness; he is talking about those who make a practice of unfaithfulness. He recognizes that such work is a contagion. It is a treachery that spreads. Notice he hates the "work," the product of their apostasy. He sees the rotten fruit and despises the tree it came from. This is the necessary flip side of loving God's law. If you love righteousness, you must hate iniquity (Ps. 45:7). A sentimental tolerance of all behaviors is not a Christian virtue; it is a spiritual stupor.

v. 3c It shall not cling to me.

David is determined that this contagion of apostasy will not find any purchase on him. It will not stick to him. He will shake it off like dust. This implies an active resistance. Sin, especially the sin of others that we tolerate, has a sticky quality. It wants to attach itself to us, to become part of our lives through association and familiarity. David is saying he will maintain a clean garment. He will not allow himself to become implicated in the compromises of others. This is a declaration of zero tolerance for spiritual and moral filth in his own life.

p>v. 4a A crooked heart shall depart from me;

From external influences, David moves to his chosen associations. The "crooked heart" refers to someone who is perverse, twisted, or morally distorted. A froward person is obstinately inclined toward disobedience; he has a mind like a corkscrew. Such a person cannot think straight about moral matters. David says this kind of person "shall depart from me." He will be banished from the king's presence. This is not a suggestion that David will try to fix him. He will be removed. A leader cannot afford to have counselors with crooked hearts. Their advice will always be bent, their motives suspect, and their influence corrupting. David refuses to be friends with the headstrong and willful.

v. 4b I will know no evil.

This is a potent statement. The word "know" here implies intimate acquaintance or experience. David is not vowing to be naive or ignorant of the existence of evil. He is a warrior and a king; he knows evil exists. Rather, he is vowing not to have any personal, experiential, intimate dealings with wickedness. He will not entertain it, practice it, or cultivate a taste for it. It will be a stranger to him. He is resolving to keep his hands and his heart clean from any practical involvement in wicked schemes or persons.

v. 5a Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy;

Now David moves from passive separation to active judgment. This is the magistrate speaking. Slander that is done "secretly," in whispers, is particularly cancerous. It destroys reputations and sows division without ever facing the light of day. David's response is not to form a committee. He says, "him I will destroy," or "cut off." This is the proper role of the civil magistrate: to punish evildoers. Slander is not a small thing; it is a form of character assassination, and David treats it with the severity it deserves. He refuses to deal in slanders, which means he will not listen to them, and he will certainly not tolerate those who traffic in them.

v. 5b Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart, I will not endure.

Finally, he addresses the root sin of pride. The "haughty look" and "arrogant heart" describe the man who is puffed up with his own importance. This is the kind of man who looks down on others and who, ultimately, has no room for God. David's response is simple: "I will not endure" him. The Hebrew is literally "I am not able." He cannot stomach it. He will not suffer such a person to be in his court. Pride is the essential sin of Satan, and it is the enemy of all good counsel, all true fellowship, and all humble service. A leader who surrounds himself with arrogant men is asking for disaster. They will flatter him, yes, but they will also betray him for their own advancement. David will have none of it.

Application

This psalm is a manifesto for every Christian head of household, every pastor, every elder, and every civil magistrate. The principles David lays down are timeless because the nature of sin and righteousness is timeless. We must begin where David begins, with ourselves. What are you setting before your eyes? What are you allowing to entertain and shape your imagination? You cannot lead others in righteousness if you are marinating your own soul in wickedness.

We must also learn to hate what God hates. Our generation has been catechized in a soft, effeminate tolerance that calls evil good and good evil. We are told that to hate the work of apostates is to be judgmental. But David, the man after God's own heart, knew that a love for God required a hatred for that which dishonors Him. This does not mean we are to be cantankerous or cruel, but it does mean we must have a holy backbone. We must resolve that the world's filth will not cling to us.

Finally, we must be discerning in our associations and ruthless with certain sins within our jurisdictions. A father must not tolerate a crooked heart in his household's culture. A pastor must not endure arrogance in his session. And we must all refuse to participate in the devil's work of slander. We must cut it off, refusing to listen to it and certainly refusing to repeat it. We are to be a people marked by humility and truth, and that requires us to actively purge the leaven of pride and falsehood from our midst.