Psalm 26:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, O LORD,

NIV: I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, LORD,

NASB: I will wash my hands in innocence, And I will go around Your altar, Lord,

CSB: I wash my hands in innocence and go around your altar, Lord,

NLT: I wash my hands to declare my innocence. I come to your altar, O Lord,

KJV: I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:

NKJV: I will wash my hands in innocence; So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,

In this verse David avows his innocence. He is free of hypocrisy. The wicked tried to hide their sins when they visited the tabernacle, but David was innocent. His worship is pure as he goes around the Lord's altar in the tabernacle.

In Psalm 43:3–4, the psalmist prays: "Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God." According to Exodus 30:17–21, the priests were commanded to wash their hands and feet before performing their duties. This was not only practical, but it was also powerful symbolism: they needed to pursue purity to render sincere worship and service to the Lord.

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 5/2/2024 12:04:10 PM