Psalm 26:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But as for me, I shall walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.

NIV: I lead a blameless life; deliver me and be merciful to me.

NASB: But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me, and be gracious to me.

CSB: But I live with integrity; redeem me and be gracious to me.

NLT: But I am not like that; I live with integrity. So redeem me and show me mercy.

KJV: But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.

NKJV: But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.

A person's "walk" refers his lifestyle. After pointing out the sinfulness of the hypocritical evildoers, David returns to his earlier affirmation of his integrity (Psalm 26:1–3). David's pursuit of holiness was not sporadic, nor was it temporary. Sincere devotion to God was the regular pattern of his life.

David also asks the Lord to redeem him. The meaning of "redeem" in this context is not a deliverance from sin but a deliverance from David's enemies. The word is often used in reference to Israel's deliverance from Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:8; 9:26; 13:5; 15:15; 24:18; 2 Samuel 7:23; Micah 6:4).

To be "gracious" is to be kind or to favor a person. The Lord is gracious to all His people, not because they deserve it, but because He loves them unconditionally. Because Jonah knew the Lord is gracious and would pardon the repentant, he initially refused the Lord's commission to preach in Nineveh (Jonah 4:2).

Psalm 26:4–12 is practical evidence of the commitment David expressed in this psalm's introduction. While imperfect, David's life demonstrated consistent emphasis on godliness and obedience to the Lord. David draws a contrast between him and the evildoers that corrupted the worship of God (Psalm 26:5). David loves God's house and thanks the Lord for His miracles. David notes that because he does not associate with those who are evil, he does not expect to be caught up in their judgment.

Some of David's psalms connect directly to events recorded in Scripture. Psalm 26, however, does not seem to match any biblical events in David's life. This might have been David's response to a specific challenge, or a general plea for God to preserve him from deceptive attacks. In this psalm, David reaffirms his lifestyle of godliness and integrity. He is confident that he will not be judged with the wicked; the psalm offers evidence that he honors the Lord.

This Davidic psalm affirms David's integrity and his deliberate separation from evildoers. It also reveals his love for the tabernacle on Mount Zion. In several ways Psalms 26 resembles Psalm 25, though this song does not include a request for forgiveness (Psalm 25:18). David declares his sincere pursuit of the Lord, including attention to genuine worship. He does not participate with evildoers—likely meaningfalse worship —and he recognizes that the Lord will sweep away the souls of sinners.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/7/2024 3:33:38 AM