Psalm 101 - A Song of Personal Integrity

David's private vow to walk blamelessly and keep evil out of his house.

Psalms 101: David's Vow of Personal Integrity

After the communal thanksgiving of Psalms 100, Psalm 101 turns personal, with David vowing 'I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way' and 'walk within my house with a perfect heart.'


A Psalme of David. I will sing mercie and iudgement: vnto thee, O Lord, will I sing.

I will doe wisely in the perfite way, till thou commest to me: I will walke in the vprightnes of mine heart in the middes of mine house.

I wil set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the worke of them that fall away: it shall not cleaue vnto me.

A froward heart shall depart from me: I will knowe none euill.

Him that priuily slandereth his neighbour, wil I destroy: him that hath a proude looke and hie heart, I cannot suffer.

Mine eyes shalbe vnto the faithfull of the lande, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfite way, he shall serue me.

There shall no deceitful person dwell within mine house: he that telleth lyes, shall not remaine in my sight.

Betimes will I destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all the workers of iniquitie from the Citie of the Lord.

His resolve to 'set no wicked thing before mine eyes' parallels the prayer in <a href="/bible/geneva1599/psalms/chapter-119/37">Psalms 119:37</a> to turn the eyes from vanity. The psalm's closing vow to cut off wicked doers from the city of the LORD gives way to the raw lament of <a href="/bible/geneva1599/psalms/chapter-102">Psalms 102</a>.