John Calvin Commentary Psalms 101

I will sing of mercy and of judgment—what David here says about singing must be understood by the reader as indicating that this psalm contains the substance of his own meditations about what kind of king he would be, whenever he would be put in possession of the sovereign power that had been promised him.

To sing, therefore, of mercy and of judgment is equivalent to declaring in solemn terms that he would be a just and upright king. Augustine understands this as meaning that God is to be praised, whether He punishes people with severity or whether He shows Himself merciful to them; but this interpretation is too refined.

David does not speak of God’s secret judgments, but of the due administration of the kingdom, so that he might fulfill his vocation both by words and deeds. When he asserts, Unto thee, O Jehovah! will I sing psalms, he acknowledges that it was by the favor of God that he was appointed to so distinguished and honorable an office; for it would have been an act of presumptuous rashness for him to have thrust himself into it at the mere impulse of his own mind.

He very properly comprehends all princely virtues under these two particulars, mercy and judgment; for as it is the principal duty of a king to grant to every person their own right, so he is also required to possess a considerate love and compassion towards his subjects. Solomon therefore justly says, (Proverbs 16:12) The throne is established by righteousness.

I will behave myself prudently in a perfect way. David here shows that he carefully considered how weighty a charge was laid upon him when he was made king. We know, and it is a truth taught us by experience, that almost all kings are intoxicated with the splendors of royalty; and the proverb was not without foundation in ancient times, “A king must be born either a king or a fool.” It is indeed a mistake to say that kings are born fools.

Men were led to speak in this manner because it commonly happens that those who are invested with the government of kingdoms and empires are fools and blockheads. And surely it is a remarkable instance of God’s vengeance that beasts, and those who are altogether unworthy to be numbered among men, commonly possess the highest authority.

But although kings are not born fools, they are so blinded by their dignity that they think themselves in no way indebted to their subjects, become arrogant and haughty in their demeanor, recklessly plunge into their pleasures, and eventually utterly forget themselves. David therefore says, I will behave myself prudently, or, which amounts to the same thing, I will watch myself carefully. For it is a rare virtue when a man who can do as he pleases exercises such moderation as not to allow himself any liberty to do evil.

Therefore, he who is exalted to sovereign power and yet, instead of attempting to go as far as he can in doing mischief, restrains himself by self-control, is endowed with true understanding. In short, David declares that he will not be like other kings who are infatuated by their own dignity, but that according to the greatness of the charge imposed upon him, he would endeavor wisely to perform his duty.

It should be observed that he represents wisdom as consisting in a perfect way, or in uprightness. From this we learn that tyrants who employ their talents in devising wicked schemes, and who are daily contriving new methods for burdening and oppressing their subjects—in short, who are ingenious only in doing mischief—are not wise towards God.

Many people, it is true, dislike such craftiness; but still, it is undeniable that if kings are intent on enlarging the boundaries of their kingdom and are masters of refined policy for accomplishing such a purpose, this is considered the most perfect wisdom they can possess and is extolled to the skies.

David, on the contrary, covets no other wisdom but that which is the mistress of integrity. The words Till thou comest to me may be read in two ways. Some translate them interrogatively, When wilt thou come? as if David implored God not to subject him to any longer delay.

And truly he had just cause to groan and lament when he saw himself so long oppressed with poverty and driven from place to place as a wretched exile. It would have been better for him to have lived obscurely and unnoticed in his father’s cottage, following his former occupation as a shepherd, than to be anointed king, only to be driven out of his country and live in utter dishonor and hatred.

But I prefer reading the sentence without interrogation, as until or when thou comest. Yet even this I interpret somewhat differently from the majority of commentators. I understand it to mean that although David still continued as a private person and did not enjoy the royal power that had been promised him, he nevertheless did not cease in the meantime to pursue uprightness.

Thus he sets the midst of his house in opposition to palaces and public buildings, as if he had said, Within my private house or in my family.

I will not set a wicked thing before my eyes. After having declared that in leading a private life, he would practice virtue and righteousness, just as it is fitting for good rulers to begin with this, he now adds that in carrying out his duties as a ruler, he will be the enemy of all injustice and wickedness.

To set a wicked thing before one’s eyes is equivalent to intending to do something wicked. He therefore declares that he will turn away from all wickedness. It is certain that no one can be a just and impartial punisher of wrongdoing unless he abhors it with all his heart.

From this it follows that rulers, to perform their duty, must keep themselves entirely free from consenting to any wickedness. Some connect to the first sentence the word עשוה, asoh, which we translate work, and supply the letter ל, lamed; as if it meant: "I will not set before my eyes any wickedness to do it," or, "nothing wicked will be acceptable to me to execute it." But the other meaning is more probable: that David, after having declared that he will not tolerate any iniquity before his eyes, immediately adds to confirm this, that he will be an enemy to all injustice. If the last clause is referred to the people who turn aside, there is a change of number. It may, however, be explained as referring to the work itself, implying that he would never have any part in wicked departures from the path of righteousness.

The perverse heart shall depart from me. Some understand perverse heart to mean perfidious men; but I reject this interpretation as too forced, and it is moreover inconsistent with the context. As David has added in the second clause by way of exposition, I will not know evil, he doubtless protests in the first clause that he will be free from all perfidiousness and wickedness. The meaning is that he will strive to keep himself from all wrongdoing, and that he will not even know what it is to do wrong to his neighbors.

Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I destroy. In this verse, he speaks more distinctly of the duty of a king who is armed with the sword for the purpose of restraining evildoers. Slander, pride, and vices of every description are justly offensive to all good people; but not all people have the power or right to cut off the proud or slanderers, because they are not invested with public authority and consequently have their hands bound.

It is important to note this distinction, so that the children of God may keep themselves within the bounds of moderation, and that no one may go beyond the sphere of his own calling. It is certain that as long as David lived merely as a private citizen, he never dared to attempt any such thing.

But after being placed on the royal throne, he received a sword from the hand of God, which he used in punishing evil deeds. He specifies certain kinds of wickedness so that, by mentioning one type (using the figure of speech synecdoche), he might indicate his determination to punish all sorts of wickedness.

To slander another's reputation secretly and by stealth is an exceedingly destructive plague. It is as if a person killed a fellow human being from a place of ambush; or rather, a slanderer, like one who administers poison to an unsuspecting victim, destroys people unawares. It is a sign of a perverse and treacherous disposition to damage the good name of another when that person has no opportunity to defend himself. This vice, which is too prevalent everywhere, yet ought not to be tolerated among people, David undertakes to punish.

He next characterizes the proud using two expressions. He describes them as those whose eyes are lofty—not because all who are proud look with a lofty countenance, but because they commonly betray the arrogance of their proud hearts by the loftiness of their countenance. He further describes them as wide of heart, because those who aspire to great things must necessarily be puffed up and swollen.

They are never satisfied unless they swallow up the whole world. From this we learn that good order cannot exist unless princes are diligently on watch to repress pride, which necessarily brings with it and engenders outrage and cruelty, contemptuous language, plunder, and all kinds of ill-treatment. Thus it would happen that the simple and the peaceable would be at the mercy of the more powerful, if the authority of princes did not intervene to curb the audacity of the latter.

Since it is the will of God that good and faithful kings should hold pride in detestation, this vice is unquestionably the object of his own hatred. What he therefore requires from his children is gentleness and meekness, for he is the declared enemy of all who strive to elevate themselves above their condition.