Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 26

Judge me, O Lord — That is, determine in regard to my case whether I am truly your friend, or whether the evidences of my piety are genuine. The psalmist asks for an examination of his own case; he brings the matter before God for Him to decide; he submits the facts about himself to God, so that He may pronounce upon them whether they constitute evidence of real piety.

For I have walked in my integrity — On the word “walk,” see the notes at (Psalms 1:1). The word “integrity” here is the same that is elsewhere rendered “perfection.” See the notes at (Job 1:1). . (Psalms 25:21), where the word is rendered, as here, “integrity.” It means here “uprightness, sincerity.” This is the first thing that he brings before God for Him to examine: the consciousness that he had endeavored to live an upright life. Yet, it is referred to as if he was aware that he “might” have deceived himself, and therefore, he prays that God would determine whether his life had been really upright.

I have trusted also in the Lord — Of this, likewise, he felt conscious, but this too he desired to submit to God. Trust in Yahweh and an upright life constituted the evidence of piety, or were the constituents of true religion according to the views of the Hebrews. These are also the constituents of true religion everywhere, and the psalmist's purpose was to ascertain whether his piety was really of that character.

Therefore I shall not slide — If these are really traits of my character, if I really possess these, I shall not be moved. My feet will be firm, and I shall be secure. Alternatively, this may be regarded as a further declaration about himself, indicating firm confidence in God. It could mean that he was conscious that he would not be moved or would not swerve in this purpose of life. And yet, the next verse shows that, with all this confidence regarding his own character, he felt that there was a “possibility” of his having deceived himself; and, therefore, he pleaded that God would search and test him.

Examine me, O Lord — The meaning of this verse is that he asked of God a strict and rigid examination of his case. To express this, the psalmist uses three words — “examine; prove; try.” These words are designed to include the modes in which the reality of anything is tested, and they imply together that he wished the most “thorough” investigation to be made; he did not shrink from any test.

He evidently felt that it was essential to his welfare that the most rigid examination should be made and that the exact truth should be known. If he was deceived, it was best for himself that he should not be left under the delusion, but that, understanding his own case, he might be led to secure his salvation.

The word rendered “examine” means “to try, to prove,” and is applicable especially to metals (Jeremiah 9:7; Zechariah 13:9). It means here, “Apply to me such tests as are applied to metals in order to determine their genuineness and their value.”

And prove me — A word of similar import. In the original meaning of the word there is a reference to “smell;” to try by the smell; to ascertain the qualities of an object by the smell. Hence, it comes to be used in a more general sense to denote any way of ascertaining the quality of an object.

Try my reins — The word here rendered “try” (test) is one that is most commonly applied to metals. The three words together express the earnest desire of the psalmist that God would examine into the evidences of his piety — those evidences to which he immediately refers — and apply the proper kind of tests to determine whether that piety was genuine.

The word rendered “reins” means properly the “kidneys,” and hence, it is used to denote the inward part, the mind, the soul — the seat of the desires and the affections (see Psalm 7:9, note; Psalms 16:7, note). We speak now of the “heart” as the seat of the affections or of love. The Hebrews more commonly spoke of the heart as the seat of intelligence or knowledge, and the reins or the “bowels” as the seat of the affections.

In itself there was no more impropriety in their speaking of the reins or kidneys as the seat of the affections than there is of our speaking of the heart in that manner. Neither of them is strictly correct, and both modes of speech are founded on popular usage.

For thy loving-kindness is before mine eyes - Your favor or friendship is constantly before me, in the sense that it is the object of my desire. I wish to secure it; I long to know whether I have sufficient evidence that it is mine. This is a reason why he desires that God would search him.

The favor or the friendship of God was an object of intense desire with him. He had evidence upon which he relied, and which seemed to him to be satisfactory, that God was his friend. But the object was so great, the matter was so important, the danger of self-deception was so imminent, that he did not dare to trust his own judgment, and he prayed that God would search him.

The thought here is that it was a steady purpose of his life to secure the favor of God. His eye was never turned from this.

It was always before him.

And I have walked in thy truth - I have embraced the truth; I have regulated my life by the truth. This is the first thing to which he refers. He was certain that this had been his aim.

Compare the notes at (3 John 1:4). See also (2 Kings 20:3). One of the first characteristics of piety is a desire to know what is true, and to live in accordance with the truth.

The psalmist was conscious that he had "arrived" at this, and that he had endeavored to make it a ruling principle in his conduct. Whether he had done this, or whether he had deceived himself in the matter, was what he now wished to submit to the all-searching eye of God.

I have not sat with vain persons - That is, I have not been found among them; I have not made them my companions. See the notes at (Psalms 1:1). The word “vain” here is in contrast with those who are sincere and true. The expression would be applied to people who are false and hollow; to those who have no sincerity or solidity of character; to those who are hypocrites and pretenders. The psalmist urges it as one evidence of his attachment to God that he had not been found among that class of persons, either as making them his companions, or as taking part with them in their counsels.

Neither will I go in with dissemblers - Neither will I walk with them; neither will I be found in their company. The word here rendered “dissemblers” means properly those who are “hidden” or “concealed;” then, those who hide their purposes or designs from others, or who conceal their real character and intentions. Thus used, the word denotes hypocrites, whose real character is “concealed” or “hidden” from the world. The psalmist says that he had not associated with such people, but that his companionship had been with the open, the frank, the sincere. On this he relied as one evidence of his piety; and this is always an evidence of true religion. See the notes at (Psalms 1:1).

I have hated - We have here the same evidence of his piety repeated in another and a stronger form. In the previous verse he had merely stated that he had not been found among that class of persons, or that he had not made them his companions. He here says positively that he disapproved of their principles; that he hated the purpose for which they gathered themselves together; that he had no sympathy whatever with them.

The congregation of evil-doers - All such assemblages as were gathered together for wicked purposes, for sin and revelry; to plot wickedness; to injure men; to oppose God.

And will not sit with the wicked - That is, I will not be associated with them. This was the fixed purpose of his soul; and this was then, as it is now, an evidence of true piety. This, moreover, is an indispensable evidence of piety.

He who does thus sit with the wicked, who makes them his companions and friends, who unites with them in their plans and purposes, who partakes with them in their special amusements and pursuits, cannot possibly be a pious man. If he mingles with such people at all, it must be only as demanded by the necessities of social or civil life, or in the transactions of business, or for the purpose of doing them good.

If it is for other purposes, if he makes them his chosen companions and friends, he gives the clearest evidence that his heart is with them, and that it is not with God.