Psalm 18:26

ESV with the purified you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
NIV to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
NASB With the pure You show Yourself pure, And with the crooked You show Yourself astute.
CSB with the pure you prove yourself pure; but with the crooked you prove yourself shrewd.
NLT To the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd.
KJV With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
NKJV With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

What does Psalm 18:26 mean?

David testifies that the Lord shows Himself pure to those who are purified. The purified are those whose sins have been forgiven, and they are therefore led to pursue a clean life before God (John 14:15). Matthew 5:8 promises that the pure in heart will see God. Believers have the assurance that they will see God in heaven because the blood of Jesus has made them pure. The apostle John writes praise "to him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood" (Revelation 1:5).

Still, "purified" believers must decide to maintain that purity of life. The apostle John said whoever entertains the hope of seeing Jesus at His appearing "purifies himself as he [Jesus] is pure" (1 John 3:3). And Paul counseled Timothy to keep himself pure (1 Timothy 5:22). Those whose hearts are pure discover that the Lord is pure, but those whose lives are perverse will learn that God will deal harshly with them.

Saul's actions toward David were perverse (2 Samuel 22:1), and the Lord harshly punished Saul by allowing the Philistines to destroy him (1 Samuel 31:1–4).
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