Psalm 26:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.

NIV: LORD, I love the house where you live, the place where your glory dwells.

NASB: Lord, I love the dwelling of Your house, And the place where Your glory remains.

CSB: Lord, I love the house where you dwell, the place where your glory resides.

NLT: I love your sanctuary, Lord, the place where your glorious presence dwells.

KJV: LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.

NKJV: Lord, I have loved the habitation of Your house, And the place where Your glory dwells.

David recognizes that the tabernacle is the place where God reveals His glory. His loving pursuit of holiness (Psalm 26:1–7) includes a joy at being in God's house. After Moses finished the work of building the tabernacle, according to Exodus 40:34, "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle." The glory of the Lord was so brilliant that "Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle" (Exodus 40:35).

In John 1:14 we learn that Jesus dwelt among human beings, and John testifies, "We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." When Christians gather to worship the Lord, they are in the presence of Jesus, who possesses the glory of God. Being in His presence at church is a prime reason to attend regularly. Hebrews 10:25 exhorts believers not to neglect to meet, "as is the habit of some."

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 4/29/2024 9:05:13 AM