Old Testament Commentary - Psalms 26

by Don R. Hender

DAVID was a Psalmist from his youth and a man after the Lord's own heart. In his youth and as a young King, David did walk in integrity and obedience before the Lord. Just where and when David's path deviated is not completely understood. Certainly at the time of what David did in respect to Bathsheba and Uriah, David had departed from the way of the Lord and did not act nor walk in integrity and obedience before the Lord. Whether the seeds of this was planted from the pride and power of the King's throne once solidly obtained can only be surmised. David never did stop loving the Lord in the sense that he did not turn completely therefrom, but certainly David had began to walk in the ways of the world in many respects as a number of scriptural references do attest.
As is the case of many of the Psalms, this Psalm seems to draw upon scriptural references as to what is deemed to be the right ways of the Lord. And while many of these 'references' are no longer readily seen in the Bible of today, one must consider and contemplate their existance. Many such writings and sayings of the prophets of old are lost to us and perhaps only in the hymns of the Old Testament can we today obtain their flavor and find glimps of their context.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

CHAPTER 26
David says he has walked in integrity and obedience—He loves the Lord's house.
David in his youth has walked in integrity and obedience unto the Lord—He has loved the Lord and the Lord's house—David seems to never totally turn from the Lord though in his life he does fail in many respects and does enter into grevious sins

A Psalm of David [David's Youth]

1 Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have ^atrusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide^a.
2 Examine me, O LORD, and ^aprove me; try my reins and my heart.
3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth.

Lead Me Not Into Temptation While the Lord's prayer states a plea to God to not be led into temptation, it quickly adds an additional plea to be delivered from evil (Matt. 6:13, Luke 11:4, 3 Nephi 13:12). We are to pray as those all depends upon the Lord and then work ourselves as though all depends upon us. The Lord taught us that we much always be on guard and watch and pray that we enter not into temptation (Matt. 25:41, Mark 14;38, Luke 22:40) to begin with. But we cannot pray one way and then of our own volition do just the opposite and think to blame the Lord or to be protected due to our own strength without him. In the Doctrine and Covenants a very strong link between pride and entering into and becoming subject to temptations power are linked together. It states, '... beware of pride, lest thou shouldest enter into temptation ..." (D&C 23:1).
1^a I shall not slide It is one thing to have a determination against falling into sin and short comings, but it is another to be over confident in stating in absolute terms that one 'will not slide' into them. No man is without sin. He who thinks himself above it is usually primed and ready to fall into it. A contant vigilance and seeking the Lord's help against it is needed. We are here in this estate to come to understand our weaknesses which we all do have. God has 'given unto us' to be in this carnal and natural estate that we might know of our natural weakness and need for total reliance upon and undiviating course in the ways of God. In this life we will stumble and fall. We will need to repent. If we are vigilant and fearful of sin and trust in the Lord, with the Lord's help our sins will not be such that we cannot overcome them and will not be of the type and nature which will prohibit our Eternal exaltation. To this end we must be vigilant and continually repent and pray in humility and submissive meekness unto the Lord, that the Lord, through the power of his spirit, help us through and guard us against the temptations of this world. Temptations will come our way. We must be determinded not to intertain them thinking ourselves above them but allowing our minds to ponder them. For as a man thinketh, there forms the pathway of thought out action that might well follow. Put temptation from us, shun the very thought of evil. Cast it away from us even as the thought first comes our way. Think not that one is strong in and of themselves to resist while in the vary association with it. With the aid and help of God's assistance continue to always remove one's self from it.

4 I have not sat with ^avain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
5 I have ^ahated the congregation of ^bevil doers; and will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will ^awash 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 ^awondrous works.
8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine ^ahonour dwelleth.

9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with ^abloody men:
10 In whose hands is mischief^a, and their right hand is full of ^abribes.
10^a In whose hands is mischief It is quite easy to distain that which one can accuse another of. But the test is not to be better than another. The test is to always be true thyself and continually guard in fear and trembling before the Lord that you fall not into temptation's way. David's distain for other's who acted in sin's mischievous ways did not stop David from falling in that same pit in breaking the commandments of the Lord. It would seem that one needs to spend less time worrying about the sins of others and to continually guard against such themselves by continual and constant living in tune with the spirit and in the ways of God. Only through one's own constant vigilance and meekness and submissiveness unto the Lord, his will, mind and ways can one find the aid he needs to meet the challenges of this life's temptations and mishaps.

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 ^acongregations will I bless the LORD.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 26 David says he has walked in integrity and obedience—He loves the Lord's house.	David in his youth has walked in integrity and obedience unto the Lord—He has loved the Lord and the Lord's house—David seems to never totally turn from the Lord though in his life he does fail in many respects and does enter into grevious sins
A Psalm of David [David's Youth]
1 Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity: I have ^atrusted also in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide^a. 2 Examine me, O LORD, and ^aprove me; try my reins and my heart. 3 For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes: and I have walked in thy truth. Lead Me Not Into Temptation While the Lord's prayer states a plea to God to not be led into temptation, it quickly adds an additional plea to be delivered from evil (Matt. 6:13, Luke 11:4, 3 Nephi 13:12). We are to pray as those all depends upon the Lord and then work ourselves as though all depends upon us. The Lord taught us that we much always be on guard and watch and pray that we enter not into temptation (Matt. 25:41, Mark 14;38, Luke 22:40) to begin with. But we cannot pray one way and then of our own volition do just the opposite and think to blame the Lord or to be protected due to our own strength without him. In the Doctrine and Covenants a very strong link between pride and entering into and becoming subject to temptations power are linked together. It states, '... beware of pride, lest thou shouldest enter into temptation ..." (D&C 23:1).	1^a I shall not slide It is one thing to have a determination against falling into sin and short comings, but it is another to be over confident in stating in absolute terms that one 'will not slide' into them. No man is without sin. He who thinks himself above it is usually primed and ready to fall into it. A contant vigilance and seeking the Lord's help against it is needed. We are here in this estate to come to understand our weaknesses which we all do have. God has 'given unto us' to be in this carnal and natural estate that we might know of our natural weakness and need for total reliance upon and undiviating course in the ways of God. In this life we will stumble and fall. We will need to repent. If we are vigilant and fearful of sin and trust in the Lord, with the Lord's help our sins will not be such that we cannot overcome them and will not be of the type and nature which will prohibit our Eternal exaltation. To this end we must be vigilant and continually repent and pray in humility and submissive meekness unto the Lord, that the Lord, through the power of his spirit, help us through and guard us against the temptations of this world. Temptations will come our way. We must be determinded not to intertain them thinking ourselves above them but allowing our minds to ponder them. For as a man thinketh, there forms the pathway of thought out action that might well follow. Put temptation from us, shun the very thought of evil. Cast it away from us even as the thought first comes our way. Think not that one is strong in and of themselves to resist while in the vary association with it. With the aid and help of God's assistance continue to always remove one's self from it.
4 I have not sat with ^avain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers. 5 I have ^ahated the congregation of ^bevil doers; and will not sit with the wicked. 6 I will ^awash 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 ^awondrous works. 8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine ^ahonour dwelleth.
9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with ^abloody men: 10 In whose hands is mischief^a, and their right hand is full of ^abribes.	10^a In whose hands is mischief It is quite easy to distain that which one can accuse another of. But the test is not to be better than another. The test is to always be true thyself and continually guard in fear and trembling before the Lord that you fall not into temptation's way. David's distain for other's who acted in sin's mischievous ways did not stop David from falling in that same pit in breaking the commandments of the Lord. It would seem that one needs to spend less time worrying about the sins of others and to continually guard against such themselves by continual and constant living in tune with the spirit and in the ways of God. Only through one's own constant vigilance and meekness and submissiveness unto the Lord, his will, mind and ways can one find the aid he needs to meet the challenges of this life's temptations and mishaps.
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 ^acongregations will I bless the LORD.