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Psalm Fifteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 15
A Psalm of David. As in the preceding psalm, according to
Theodoret, the salvation of the inhabitants of Jerusalem is foretold, and the
liberty of the captives; so in this advice is given to them, and the life they
ought to live proposed, who should share in such benefits.
Psalm 15:1 Lord, who may abide
in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
YLT
1A Psalm of David. Jehovah,
who doth sojourn in Thy tent? Who doth dwell in Thy holy hill?
Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?.... This
question, with the following, is put by the psalmist in a view of the sad
corruption and degeneracy of mankind described in the preceding psalm, which
renders the sons of men unfit for the presence of God, and communion with him;
and it is put to the Lord himself, the founder of Zion, who has set his King
over this holy hill of his; who has enacted laws for the good of it, and brings
his people thither, making them meet for it, and so is most proper to give the
qualifications of such as are admitted here; for by the tabernacle is meant not
the human nature of Christ, as in Hebrews 8:2; as some interpret it, and
apply all the characters in the following verses to Christ; nor heaven itself,
of which the holy place made with hands in the tabernacle and temple were a
figure, Hebrews 9:24; for to "sojourn"F4ינוו "peregrinabitur", Pagninus, Montanus;
"diversabitur", Muis; so Ainsworth; "vel hospitabitur",
Cocceius. or "lodge", as in an inn, as the word rendered abide
signifies, will not suit with that state and place which is fixed and
immovable; but the church of God on earth, called a "tabernacle", in
allusion to the tabernacle of Moses, where God granted his presence, sacrifices
were offered up with acceptance, and the holy vessels were put; and which was
mean without, but rich and glorious within: so God affords his gracious
presence in his church, accepts the spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise
offered to him there; and here are the vessels of mercy placed, which are
sanctified and meet for the master's use; and though it is mean and despicable
in its outward appearance, in the eyes of men, it is all glorious within; see Song of Solomon 1:6; and this is the
tabernacle of God, being of his building and preserving, and the place of his
residence;
who shall dwell in thy holy hill? the same is here
intended as in the preceding clause; the allusion is to Mount Zion, whither the
ark of the Lord was brought in David's time, and on one part of which the temple
was afterwards built: and the church may be compared to this hill, for its
eminence and visibility in the world; for the holiness which God has put upon
it, and for the immovableness of it; for though like, a tabernacle it may be
carried from place to place, yet it is like an hill that can never be removed
out of the world; it is built on a sure foundation, the Rock of ages. Now the
purport of these questions is, who is a proper person to be an inhabitant of
Zion? or to be a member of the church of God? the answer is in the following
verses.
Psalm 15:2 2 He who walks uprightly, And
works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;
YLT
2He who is walking
uprightly, And working righteousness, And speaking truth in his heart.
He that walketh uprightly,.... Or
"perfectly"F5ותמים
"perfectus", Montanus, Gejerus, ; see Genesis 17:1; not so as to be without sin
entirely, but as not to be chargeable with any notorious crime, and living in
it; moreover, perfection and uprightness often signify sincerity, and the
phrase here may design an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile; whose faith is
unfeigned, whose love is without dissimulation, whose hope is without
hypocrisy, and his whole conduct without fraud and deceit; likewise such an one
may be said to walk uprightly who walks according to the truth of the Gospel,
and by faith on Christ and in Christ, as he has received him; and such an one
is fit to be a member of a Gospel church;
and worketh righteousness; not in order to his
justification before God; for not such an one, but he that trusts in the Lord
for righteousness, shall inherit his holy mountain, Isaiah 57:12; but he that works the work of
faith, and believes in the righteousness of Christ; who looks to it and
receives it; that lays hold on it and pleads it as his justifying
righteousness; he that does righteousness in this sense, is righteous as Christ
is righteous, 1 John 3:7; and such an one is a proper
person to dwell in his house; and who also by faith does works of
righteousness, and whose life is a series and course of righteousness, as a
fruit of his faith, and in consequence of his having laid hold on the
righteousness of Christ;
and speaketh the truth in his heart; receives Christ who is
the truth, and the Gospel the word of truth into his heart, and makes an hearty
profession of the same before men; and both speaks according to his light in
the Scriptures of truth, whenever he speaks of divine things; and in common
conversation speaks truth from his heart to his neighbour, and does not speak
with a double heart, or say one thing with his mouth, and intend another in his
heart; see Psalm 12:2; or endeavour to deceive
persons, and impose a falsehood on them, or tell them lies; for as such a
person is not fit to dwell in a private house, or to be in a civil society,
much less is he a proper person to be in the house of God.
Psalm 15:3 3 He who does not
backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a
reproach against his friend;
YLT
3He hath not slandered by
his tongue, He hath not done to his friend evil; And reproach he hath not
lifted up Against his neighbour.
He that backbiteth not
with his tongue,.... Is not a slanderer, a defamer, a tale bearer; a backbiter is
one who privately, secretly, behind a man's back speaks evil of him, devours
and destroys his credit and reputation: the word here used comes from רגל, which signifies the "foot", and denotes such
a person who goes about from house to house, speaking things he should not, 1 Timothy 5:13; and a word from this root
signifies spies; and the phrase here may point at such persons who creep into
houses, pry into the secrets of families, and divulge them, and oftentimes
represent them in a false light. Such are ranked amongst the worst of men, and
are very unfit to be in the society of the saints, or in a church of Christ;
see Romans 1:30, 2 Corinthians 12:20;
nor doeth evil to his neighbour: to any man whatever,
good or bad, friend or foe, whether in a natural, civil, or spiritual relation,
either by words or deeds, to his person, property, or good name;
nor taketh up, a reproach against his neighbour; does not
raise any scandalous report on him himself, nor will he bear to hear one from
another, much less will he spread one; nor will he suffer one to lie upon his
neighbour, but will do all he can to vindicate him, and clear his character.
Psalm 15:4 4 In whose eyes a vile
person is despised, But he honors those who fear the Lord; He who
swears to his own hurt and does not change;
YLT
4Despised in his eyes [is] a
rejected one, And those fearing Jehovah he doth honour. He hath sworn to suffer
evil, and changeth not;
In whose eyes a vile person is contemned,.... A
"vile" man is a very wicked, profligate, and abandoned creature, one
that is to every good work reprobate; and such sometimes are in high places, Psalm 12:8; and are greatly caressed and
esteemed by the men of the world; but then, as they are an abomination to God,
they should be despised by his people, let them be what they will as to their
riches, honours, and wisdom among men; as Haman was by Mordecai, Esther 3:2; and Ahab by Elisha, 2 Kings 3:14; and such who keep company
with, and express a delight and pleasure in such sort of persons, ought by no
means to have a place in the house of God. Some understand this of a good man
being "despised in his own eyes", as it may be renderedF6נבזה בעיניו "qui despicit se
in oculis suis", so some in Vatablus; "ille est despectus in propriis
oculis, reprobatus", Gussetius, p. 453. ; on account of his vileness, and
the imperfection of his obedience, and as expressive of his great humility,
esteeming others better than himself; and who renounces himself, and is
rejected by himself, having a very mean opinion of himself; which is the sense
of the Targum, Aben Ezra, and Kimchi; and which is no bad sense, though the
former is countenanced by what follows;
but he honoureth them that fear the Lord; who have the
covenant grace of fear wrought in their hearts, and serve the Lord with
reverence and godly fear; that is, who are truly religious and godly persons;
these such who are fit members of the church of Christ love heartily, esteem of
highly, and honour them by thinking and speaking well of them, and behaving
with great respect and decency to them; see Romans 12:10;
he that sweareth to his
own hurt, and changeth not; having taken a solemn oath, so sacred is it
with him, and such a regard has he to the name of God, by whom he swears, that
though it is to his civil loss and detriment, yet he will not break it and
depart from it, but punctually observe it: some render it, "he that swears
to his neighbour, and changeth not"F7להרע
τω πλησιον αυτου, Sept.
"proximo suo", V. L. Sic. Syr. Ar. Aethiop. ; he that is just to his
word, faithful to his promises, that exactly fulfils all the obligations he
lays himself under unto others; he that is honest and upright in all his
dealings. The Jewish writers interpret this clause of a man's vowing and
swearing to afflict himself by fasting, which, though it is to the emaciating of
his body, yet he strictly observes his vow or oath; but this is foreign from
the scope of the place: it might be rendered, "he that swears to do evil,
and does not recompense or perform"F8So Ainsworth. , it being
better to break through such an oath than to keep it; see Leviticus 5:4.
Psalm 15:5 5 He who does not put
out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who
does these things shall never be moved.
YLT
5His silver he hath not
given in usury, And a bribe against the innocent Hath not taken; Whoso is doing
these is not moved to the age!
He that putteth not
out his money to usury,.... To the poor, in an extravagant and exorbitant way, by which
he bites, devours, and destroys his little substance, and sadly afflicts and
distresses him; see Exodus 22:25; otherwise, to lend money on
moderate interest, and according to the laws, customs, and usages of nations,
and to take interest for it, is no more unlawful than to take interest for
houses and land; yea, it is according to the law of common justice and equity,
that if one man lends money to another to trade with, and gain by, that he
should have a proportionate share in the gain of such a trade; but the design
of this passage, and the law on which it is founded, is, to forbid all
exactions and oppressions of the poor, and all avaricious practices, and to
encourage liberality and beneficence; and such who are covetous, and bite and
oppress the poor, are not fit for church communion; see 1 Corinthians 5:11;
nor taketh reward against the innocent; either to
swear falsely against him, or to pass a wrong sentence on him; see 1 Samuel 12:3;
he that doeth these things shall never be moved; from the
tabernacle of God, and his holy hill; he is fit to be a member of the church of
God, and an inhabitant of Zion; and he shall dwell and abide there, he shall be
a pillar which shall never go out, Revelation 3:12; he shall finally
persevere, through the grace of God; he shall hold on and out unto the end: and
though he may fall through infirmity and temptation into sin, and that many
times, yet he shall not finally and totally fall, 2 Peter 1:10; but shall be as Mount Zion
which can never be removed, Psalm 125:1; The words should be rendered,
since the accent "athnach" is on אלה,
"these things", thus; "he that doeth these things", not
only what is mentioned in this verse, but in the foregoing, "he", I
say, "shall never be moved".
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》