Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 15

Abide ... dwell. —Properly, as in margin, sojourn like a passing guest, and dwell like a resident. But here the two terms are apparently used as synonyms. It was the natural form in which to put the question at Jerusalem, where God had His abode in the Temple, and we may paraphrase it as follows: “What constitutes a true and genuine citizen of the kingdom of God?” The form of Wordsworth’s poem, “Who is the happy warrior? who is he,” etc., was possibly suggested by the Psalm, and it may be read with advantage alongside it.

Uprightly. —Literally, he whose walking is perfect rectitude. In Proverbs 28:18 the same phrase occurs. Compare to Isaiah 33:15.

Speaks the truth in his heart— i.e., both thinks and speaks the truth.

“This above all: to your own self be true,
And it must follow as the night the day,
You cannot then be false to any man.”

SHAKESPEARE: Hamlet.

He that backbiteth not. —Literally, he has not footed it on his tongue. It is very expressive of those who go about from house to house carrying tittle-tattle. (Compare to 1 Timothy 5:13).

Reproach. —The Hebrew word has a striking derivation. Properly, the stripping of the trees of autumn fruit; so, stripping honour and reputation from a person. Two different words are in the Hebrew for “neighbour.” Translate: Who does no ill to his friend, nor carries a reproach against his neighbour. The marginal receiveth, or endureth, is quite against the context.

In whose eyes. —The first clause is obscure. The subject and predicate are not clearly marked; but the Authorised Version gives the right sense. It is quite out of keeping with the context to make both verbs predicates, and to translate, “He is despised and rejected in his own eyes,” i.e., thinks humbly of himself. The meaning is, “Those deserving contempt are despised; but the good who fear Jehovah are honoured.”

To his own hurt. —Literally, to do evil, i.e., to himself . The Septuagint, by transposing the letters, read, “to his neighbour;” and the English Prayer Book version has apparently combined the two thoughts: “Who swears to his neighbour, and does not disappoint him, even if it were to his own hindrance.”

“His words are bonds, his oaths are oracles,
His love sincere, his thoughts immaculate;
His tears pure messengers sent from his heart,
His heart is far from fraud as heaven from earth.”

Shakespeare: Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Usury was not forbidden in legitimate commercial dealings with foreigners (Deuteronomy 23:20); and the laws against it seem to have referred exclusively to dealings among the Israelites themselves and were evidently enacted more for the protection of the poor than because the idea of usury in itself was considered wrong (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36). Thus, the context here plainly seems to limit the sin of usury to an unjust application of the principle, especially when connected with bribery.

Against “biting” usury (the Hebrew word primarily means “bite”), all governments find it necessary to legislate, as we see with modern money-lenders. However, neither general Hebrew sentiment (as their entire history demonstrates) nor the more discerning minds among them (as seen in our Lord’s parable of the talents) were opposed to the employment of capital lent at interest for legitimate trade purposes. The best illustrations of the invectives of prophets and psalmists against extortionate usurers are found in Shakespeare’s play, The Merchant of Venice.