Psalms 101 Study Notes: A King Resolves to Rule Justly
In this psalm David praises God's loyal love and justice and then vows to live blamelessly, beginning within his own household. He promises to keep slanderers, the proud, and liars away from his court, to favor the faithful as his servants, and to remove evildoers from God's city.
General
According to 101:6, whom does David want to serve him in his court?
Answer: Those whose manner of life is blameless
David describes the people he will and will not keep around him as king. He will silence anyone who secretly slanders a neighbor, and he will not put up with the proud and arrogant (101:5). Instead he looks with favor on the faithful in the land, so that they may live near him, and the one whose way is blameless will serve him (101:6). No liar or deceiver will have a place in his household (101:7). The LORD hates proud eyes and a lying tongue (Proverbs 6:16-17), a ruler who listens to lies soon has wicked officials (Proverbs 29:12), and the person who may dwell with God does not slander (Psalm 15:1-3).
- Psalm 101:5-7 (BSB)“Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not endure. My eyes favor the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way of integrity shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who tells lies shall stand in my presence.”David rejects slanderers, the proud, and liars from his court, and chooses the faithful to serve him.
- Proverbs 6:16-17 (BSB)“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,”Proud eyes and a lying tongue are among the things the LORD hates.
- Proverbs 29:12 (BSB)“If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.”A ruler who listens to lies ends up with wicked officials, so the king's choice of servants matters.
- Psalm 15:1-3 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain? He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart, who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,”The one who may dwell with God walks in integrity and does not slander his neighbor.
Theological
According to 101:6, whom does the king choose to minister to him?
Answer: Those whose manner of life is blameless
The king's court is to reflect God's own standards. Secret slanderers are silenced and the arrogant are not tolerated (101:5); the trustworthy in the land are sought out to dwell with him, and the one whose way is blameless will serve him (101:6); deceit and falsehood are barred from his house (101:7). The criteria match what the LORD hates in Proverbs 6:16-17, the warning of Proverbs 29:12 that a ruler's tolerance of lies corrupts his officials, and the entrance requirements for dwelling with God in Psalm 15:1-3.
- Psalm 101:5-7 (BSB)“Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not endure. My eyes favor the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way of integrity shall minister to me. No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who tells lies shall stand in my presence.”David rejects slanderers, the proud, and liars from his court, and chooses the faithful to serve him.
- Proverbs 6:16-17 (BSB)“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,”Proud eyes and a lying tongue are among the things the LORD hates.
- Proverbs 29:12 (BSB)“If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.”A ruler who listens to lies ends up with wicked officials, so the king's choice of servants matters.
- Psalm 15:1-3 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain? He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart, who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,”The one who may dwell with God walks in integrity and does not slander his neighbor.
General
True or False: In 101:8 David resolves that, as king, he will act against the wicked each morning so that evildoers are removed from the LORD's city.
Answer: True
This is true. The psalm ends with the king's public duty. Every morning David will deal with the wicked in the land so that evildoers are removed from Jerusalem, the city belonging to God (101:8). This is the task of a king who judges on God's behalf in Israel, not a license for private people to punish others. Proverbs describes the king on his judgment seat sifting out evil (Proverbs 20:8) and says a throne is made secure when the wicked are taken away from the king's court (Proverbs 25:5). Paul likewise says the ruler is God's servant to punish wrongdoing (Romans 13:3-4).
- Psalm 101:8 (BSB)“Every morning I will remove all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.”David closes by resolving, as king, to deal with the wicked continually so that evildoers have no place in the city of the LORD.
- Proverbs 20:8 (BSB)“A king who sits on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes.”A king who sits in judgment sifts out evil, the royal duty David takes up.
- Proverbs 25:5 (BSB)“Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.”Removing the wicked from the king's presence establishes his throne in righteousness.
- Romans 13:3-4 (BSB)“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.”Paul says the one in authority is God's servant to punish wrongdoing.
Theological
True or False: 101:8 closes the psalm with the king's resolve to deal with the wicked morning by morning, removing evildoers from the LORD's city.
Answer: True
This is true. The psalm culminates in the king's judicial office: morning by morning he will remove the wicked throughout the land and remove evildoers from the city that belongs to the LORD (101:8). This is the God-given duty of Israel's king as judge and ruler, not a pattern for private retribution. Proverbs 20:8 depicts the enthroned king sifting out evil by his discerning gaze, Proverbs 25:5 ties the stability of the throne to the removal of the wicked, and Romans 13:3-4 describes the civil ruler as God's servant who carries the sword against wrongdoing.
- Psalm 101:8 (BSB)“Every morning I will remove all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off every evildoer from the city of the LORD.”David closes by resolving, as king, to deal with the wicked continually so that evildoers have no place in the city of the LORD.
- Proverbs 20:8 (BSB)“A king who sits on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes.”A king who sits in judgment sifts out evil, the royal duty David takes up.
- Proverbs 25:5 (BSB)“Remove the wicked from the king’s presence, and his throne will be established in righteousness.”Removing the wicked from the king's presence establishes his throne in righteousness.
- Romans 13:3-4 (BSB)“For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Then do what is right, and you will have his approval. For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer.”Paul says the one in authority is God's servant to punish wrongdoing.
General
Where does David first resolve to live with a sincere heart in 101:2?
Answer: Within his own household
Before David speaks about his officials or his city, he begins with himself. He will give careful thought to a blameless way of life and walk with a sincere heart inside his own home (101:2). He will not put anything worthless in front of his eyes, he hates what those who turn aside do, and he wants no part in a twisted heart or in evil (101:3-4). Integrity starts in private, not only in public. God later pointed to David as a man who lived before Him with an upright, sincere heart (1 Kings 9:4). Another psalmist asks God to turn his eyes from worthless things (Psalm 119:37), and Paul tells believers to fill their minds with what is true and pure (Philippians 4:8).
- Psalm 101:2-4 (BSB)“I will ponder the way that is blameless—when will You come to me? I will walk in my house with integrity of heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know nothing of evil.”David resolves to live blamelessly in his own household and to keep worthless and evil things away from himself.
- 1 Kings 9:4 (BSB)“And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,”God later holds up David as one who walked before Him with a heart of integrity.
- Psalm 119:37 (BSB)“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.”Another psalmist prays for God to turn his eyes away from worthless things.
- Philippians 4:8 (BSB)“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.”Paul directs believers to fix their thoughts on what is true, pure, and praiseworthy.
Theological
In 101:2, what sphere does David name first for walking with a whole heart?
Answer: Within his own household
The king's program begins with personal and domestic holiness. He resolves to attend to the blameless way and to conduct himself with a whole heart within his own house (101:2), refusing to set anything base before his eyes, detesting the deeds of those who turn aside, and disowning a perverse heart and evil (101:3-4). Public righteousness flows from private integrity. 1 Kings 9:4 commends David's integrity of heart, Psalm 119:37 prays for eyes turned from worthless things, and Philippians 4:8 directs the mind toward what is true and pure.
- Psalm 101:2-4 (BSB)“I will ponder the way that is blameless—when will You come to me? I will walk in my house with integrity of heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes. I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will know nothing of evil.”David resolves to live blamelessly in his own household and to keep worthless and evil things away from himself.
- 1 Kings 9:4 (BSB)“And as for you, if you walk before Me as your father David walked, with a heart of integrity and uprightness, doing all I have commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and ordinances,”God later holds up David as one who walked before Him with a heart of integrity.
- Psalm 119:37 (BSB)“Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.”Another psalmist prays for God to turn his eyes away from worthless things.
- Philippians 4:8 (BSB)“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things.”Paul directs believers to fix their thoughts on what is true, pure, and praiseworthy.
General
With what theme does David begin Psalm 101, before he makes his promises about how he will live and rule?
Answer: A song about God's loyal love and justice
The heading attributes this psalm to David, and it begins with praise. David will sing of the LORD's loving devotion, His loyal, covenant-keeping love, and of His justice (101:1). The rest of the psalm is a king's promise to rule in a way that reflects these same qualities. Another psalm says God's throne is founded on justice while His loyal love and faithfulness lead the way before Him (Psalm 89:14). Micah joins justice and mercy as what God asks of His people (Micah 6:8), and in his last words David describes a ruler who governs justly and reveres God as bright as morning light (2 Samuel 23:3-4).
- Psalm 101:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. I will sing of Your loving devotion and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praises.”David opens by praising God for His loving devotion and His justice before stating his own resolves.
- Psalm 89:14 (BSB)“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; loving devotion and faithfulness go before You.”God's throne rests on righteousness and justice, with loving devotion and faithfulness going before Him.
- Micah 6:8 (BSB)“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”Micah joins justice and mercy as what God requires of His people, the pairing David praises in God.
- 2 Samuel 23:3-4 (BSB)“The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’”David's last words describe the ruler who governs justly in the fear of God as a morning light.
Theological
What does David praise in 101:1 as the theme that frames the resolves of the rest of the psalm?
Answer: A song about God's loyal love and justice
Headed as Davidic, the psalm opens with a vow of praise celebrating the LORD's justice and His loving devotion (101:1). The royal resolves that follow mirror these divine attributes in the king's own household and administration. Psalm 89:14 places justice at the foundation of God's throne with His loyal love and faithfulness going ahead of Him, Micah 6:8 couples justice and mercy as God's requirement, and 2 Samuel 23:3-4 portrays the ruler who governs justly out of reverence for God.
- Psalm 101:1 (BSB)“A Psalm of David. I will sing of Your loving devotion and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praises.”David opens by praising God for His loving devotion and His justice before stating his own resolves.
- Psalm 89:14 (BSB)“Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; loving devotion and faithfulness go before You.”God's throne rests on righteousness and justice, with loving devotion and faithfulness going before Him.
- Micah 6:8 (BSB)“He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”Micah joins justice and mercy as what God requires of His people, the pairing David praises in God.
- 2 Samuel 23:3-4 (BSB)“The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, ‘He who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God, is like the light of the morning at sunrise of a cloudless dawn, the glistening after the rain on the sprouting grass of the earth.’”David's last words describe the ruler who governs justly in the fear of God as a morning light.