Salmos 101

ARC · Chapter 101/150

1Cantarei a misericordia e o juizo: a ti, Senhor, cantarei.

2Portar me-hei com intelligencia no caminho recto. Quando virás a mim? Andarei em minha casa com um coração sincero.

3Não porei coisa má diante dos meus olhos: aborreço a obra d'aquelles que se desviam; não se me pegará a mim.

4Um coração perverso se apartará de mim: não conhecerei o homem mau

5Aquelle que murmura do seu proximo ás escondidas, eu o destruirei: aquelle que tem olhar altivo, e coração soberbo, não soffrerei.

6Os meus olhos estarão sobre os fieis da terra, para que se assentem comigo: o que anda n'um caminho recto esse me servirá.

7O que usa de engano não ficará dentro da minha casa: o que falla mentiras não está firme perante os meus olhos.

8Pela manhã destruirei todos os impios da terra, para desarreigar da cidade do Senhor todos os que obram a iniquidade.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

David makes a personal vow of integrity: he promises to walk with a sincere heart within his own house, to avoid corrupt company, and not to tolerate deceit or pride among those who serve him.

Explanation

This psalm is known as a 'royal psalm' with a strong ethical tone — David describes the kind of ruler he intends to be, prioritizing personal integrity and the careful choice of loyal, honest advisors and servants. It is a rare biblical example of a leader publicly committing to clear ethical standards even before failing (something David himself would later do, as in the Bathsheba episode). The application today is that anyone in a position of leadership — family, professional, or spiritual — benefits from setting clear commitments of character in advance.

Fun facts

  • This psalm is traditionally known as the 'mirror for princes,' a genre of text used to instruct rulers on ethics and conduct.
  • The emphasis on choosing faithful servants (v. 6-7) reflects a practical concern of ancient government: the king's court was made up of trusted people who could make or break the integrity of the reign.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Salmos 101:1The king promises to govern by joining two things that rarely go together: kindness toward those who suffer and firm rigor toward those who do wrong. It is the kind of vow a ruler made on taking the throne, promising a specific way of exercising power.
  2. Salmos 101:2“O when wilt thou come unto me?” is a question dropped in the middle of the vow of good government, almost an impatient plea for help to fulfill what he promises. “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart” extends integrity beyond public life: it applies alone, at home, too.
  3. Salmos 101:3“Before mine eyes” is quite concrete: the king promises not even to let bad scenes enter his field of vision. It is a vow against being contaminated by what he sees every day, not only against doing evil himself.
  4. Salmos 101:4“I will not know a wicked person” is not literal ignorance, it is a refusal of association: the king promises to keep his distance from anyone with a crooked heart, even if he has to act as though that person does not exist.
  5. Salmos 101:5Slandering in secret and having a haughty look appear side by side in the verse. In an ancient court, both vices destroyed the trust between ruler and ruled: the whispered lie and the open arrogance both receive the same ban from the king.
  6. Salmos 101:6After listing who will be barred from court, the king flips the coin: he also promises to actively seek out faithful people to sit near him and serve. A government is defined as much by who it turns away as by who it chooses to keep close.
  7. Salmos 101:7Deceit and lying were capable of destroying any trust in a king's court. That is why he closes his door to that kind of person before the harm is even done.
  8. Salmos 101:8“Early” was, in ancient practice, the hour when kings and judges sat to hear cases and pass sentences. The verse describes a daily commitment to doing justice, not a one-time act on some particular morning.

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