“But as for me,
I walk in my integrity.
Redeem me!
Be gracious to me!
My foot stands on level ground.
In the great congregation
I will bless Yahweh.”
This psalm ends with the innocent David’s self-righteous plea that he had always walked in integrity. He wanted Yahweh to redeem him. He wanted Yahweh to be gracious to him. He had kept his feet on the level right path. In the congregations he blessed Yahweh. Therefore he was on the right side with Yahweh.
“Yahweh!
I love the house in which you dwell.
I love the place where your glory abides.
Do not sweep me away with sinners!
Do not let my life be with
The bloodthirsty!
Do not let my life be with
Those in whose hands are evil devices!
Do not let my life be with
Those whose right hands are full of bribes!”
David loved the house of Yahweh, where Yahweh’s glory lived, the Temple. He did not want to be swept away with the other sinners. These were the bloodthirsty, the evildoers, and the takers of bribes. David did not want to have anything to do with these sinners.
“I wash my hands in innocence.
I go around your altar.
Yahweh!
I sing aloud a song of thanksgiving.
I tell all your wondrous deeds.”
David once again maintained his innocence. He washed his hands in innocence in some sort of liturgical worship action in the Temple. He walked around the altar of Yahweh. Theoretically only a Levite could do this. He sang a song of thanksgiving that told all about the wondrous deeds of Yahweh.
“I do not sit with the worthless.
I do not consort with hyprocrites.
I hate the company of evildoers.
I will not sit with the wicked.”
David would not sit with worthless people or hypocrites. He hated the company of evildoers. He would not sit with the wicked ones. Clearly this was the cry of the innocent pure man who would not hang out or consort with the wicked evil people.
“A psalm of David
“Vindicate me!
Yahweh!
I have walked in my integrity.
I have trusted in Yahweh
I have not wavered.
Prove me!
Yahweh!
Try me!
Test my heart!
Test my mind!
Your steadfast love is before my eyes.
I walk in faithfulness to you.”
Psalm 26 is another lament or prayer for deliverance from personal enemies like the preceding Psalm 25. It is more like Psalm 7 and Psalm 17 in that it is a cry of the innocent like Job. Once again the notation is simply that of a psalm of David. David maintained that he was innocent. He wanted to be vindicated. He walked in integrity. He had trusted in Yahweh, never wavering. He wanted both his heart and mind tested. He always had the steadfast love of Yahweh before his eyes. He was always faithful.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 