Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 26:8

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 26:8. Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house — I have carefully used thine ordinances, that I might obtain more grace to help me to persevere. And I have not been attentive to those duties, merely because they were incumbent on me; but I have loved the place where thine honour dwelleth; and my delight in thy ordinances has made my attendance as pleasant as it was profitable. This verse would be better translated, Jehovah, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place of the tabernacle of thy glory. The habitation must mean the holy of holies, where the Divine Presence was manifest; and the place of the tabernacle must refer to the mercy-seat, or the place where the glory of the Lord appeared between the cherubim, upon the lid or cover of the ark of the covenant. From his dwelling there, משכן mishcan, the place and the appearance were called שכינה shechinah; the dwelling of Jehovah, or that glorious appearance which was the symbol of the Divine Presence.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 26-28 Living uprightly

David appeals to God to support him against those who plot evil against him. God has done a work of grace in his life, and this causes him to hate the company of worthless people and make every effort to live the sort of life that pleases God (26:1-5). He desires righteousness, delights in worship, loves to spend hours in the house of God and enjoys telling others about God (6-8). He therefore asks that he will not suffer the same end as the wicked (9-10). Though determined to do right, he knows that he will not succeed without God’s help (11-12).
The psalmist is fully confident in the power of God and in God’s willingness to protect him (27:1-3). His desire is to live his life as if he is in the presence of God continually. Thereby he will have protection, and his life will be one of constant strength and joy (4-6). He prays that God will hear his prayers and never turn away from him. Others might reject him, but he is confident that God’s care of him will never fail (7-10). In view of the persecution he suffers, he asks that God will teach him more about the way he should live (11-12). He remains confident in God and this gives him patience. Whatever may happen, he knows that he can always depend on God’s help (13-14).
In the next psalm David again is in great distress and cries out to God to save his life. He does not want to die like the wicked, for whom an early death is a fitting punishment (28:1-3). His prayer to God to punish the wicked is not because of personal bitterness or the desire for revenge. It is because they are the enemies of God and they disregard all that he has done (4-5). David knows that God will answer his prayer and thereby strengthen David’s trust in him (6-7). This will also strengthen the faith of the people, who will have a better understanding of God as their defender and shepherd (8-9).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

“Judge me, O Jehovah, for I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in Jehovah without wavering. Examine me, O Jehovah, and prove me; Try my heart and my mind. For thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes; And I have walked in thy truth. I have not sat with men of falsehood; Neither will I go in with dissemblers. I hate the assembly of evil-doers, And will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocency: So will I compass thy alter, O Jehovah; That I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be heard, And tell all thy wondrous works. Jehovah, I love the habitation of thy house, And the place where thy glory dwelleth.”

As Maclaren said, such extravagant claims of integrity and innocence, “Grate upon the ears of one accustomed to the tone of the New Testament.”Alexander Maclaren, p. 252. Such a view fails to take in consideration of the fact that David is not here speaking of “his sinless life,” but of his innocence in a given situation, and as contrasted with the wickedness of his enemies.

The absolute certainty of David’s confidence regarding his innocence in this situation is emphasized by such words as “Judge me,” “Prove me” and “Try me.”

Psalms 26:3-5 give five masons why the psalmist believes God will vindicate him against all charges of wrong doing:

(1) “Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes” He does this continually, never allowing it out of his sight.

(2) “I have walked in thy truth” He clings to faith in God.

(3) “I have not sat with men of falsehood” He has not cultivated nor received the friendship of wicked men. The word here rendered “falsehood” in the Hebrew is “vanity.”The Pulpit Commentary, p. 192.

(4) “Neither will I go in with dissemblers” This is a reference to hypocrites (dissemblers). “This verse (Psalms 26:4) argues that the psalmist, has neither thrown in his lot with light, vain persons who make no presence of religion, nor with the hypocrites, the pretenders, who have a form of religion but who have denied the power thereof.”Ibid.

(5) “I hate the assembly of evil-doers” As Spurgeon interpreted these verses, “We must needs see, and speak, and trade with the men of this world, but we must on no account take our rest and solace in their empty society. Not only the profane, but the vain are to be shunned by us. All those who live for this life only are vain, chaffy, frothy men, quite unworthy of a Christian’s friendship.”Charles Haddon Spurgeon, p. 132.

“I will wash my hands in innocency” “This figure is probably taken from the practice of the priests (Exodus 30:17-21) or from that of the city elders (Deuteronomy 21:6-7).”J. R. Dummelow’s Commentary, p. 340. We recall also the maneuver of Pilate (Matthew 27:4).

“So will I compass thine altar O Jehovah” The psalmist truly desires to worship God, but here he may only contemplate such worship as something that he will do in the future. This fits the thought that David was at that time fleeing either from King Saul, or because of the rebellion of Absalom.

“The voice of thanksgiving… all thy wondrous works” Again, these words envision a time when the psalmist will again be privileged to come to God’s altar with a sacrifice, shouting his words of thanksgiving and telling of God’s wonderful works.

“Jehovah, I love the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy glory dwelleth” Delitzsch noted that, “The poet supports his position by declaring his motive to be his love for the sanctuary of God, from which he is now far removed, without any fault of his own.”F. Delitzsch, Vol. V, p. 351. See additional note on this at the end of the chapter.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house - I have loved to dwell in Thy house. See the notes at Psalms 23:6. The psalmist often refers to his delight in the house of God - the place of public worship; his love to be there united with the people of God in the solemn services of religion. Compare Psalms 84:1-2, Psalms 84:4,Psalms 84:10; Psalms 27:4.

And the place where thine honour dwelleth - Margin, “the tabernacle of thine honor.” This might indeed refer to the tabernacle; and the idea might be that he loved the place where that rested in its wanderings. But the more correct meaning is, that he loved the place where the “glory” of God - the Shekinah - the symbol of His presence - rested; that is, the place where God was pleased to manifest Himself, and where He dwelt. Wherever that was, he found pleasure in being there; and that he did thus love the place where God manifested Himself, was to his own mind an evidence of true piety. It is always an evidence of piety, for there can be no true religion where the soul does not find pleasure in the worship of God. A person who does not delight in such a service here, is not prepared for heaven, where God eternally dwells.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

8.O Jehovah! I have loved, etc In this verse he confirms what he had said before, that he came not into the sanctuary in a careless manner, but with serious devotion. Irreligious men, although they often resort to the sacred assemblies, frequent them merely as lurking places, where they may escape the eye of God. On the contrary, the truly pious and pure in heart resort to them, not for the sake of vain ostentation, but as they are sincerely bent on seeking God, they willingly and affectionately employ the helps which he there affords them; and the advantage which they derive from them creates love to them in their hearts, and longings after them. This declaration farther shows, that however David excelled others in faith, yet he was not without fear lest the violence of his enemies might deprive him of the ordinary means of instruction which God had conferred on his Church. He felt his need of the Church’s common discipline and order, and he therefore anxiously labored to retain his enjoyment of them. From this we infer the impious pride of those who look with contempt on the services of religion as unnecessary, although David himself could not live without them. Another consideration, indeed, existed in those days, I confess, while the law, like a schoolmaster, held the ancient people in a state of servitude compared with ours. Our case, however, is one with theirs in this respect, that the weakness of our faith requires help as well as theirs. And as God for this purpose has appointed the sacraments, as well as the whole order of the Church, woe to the pride of those who recklessly desert the services which we perceive to have been held in such high esteem by the pious servants of God. The Hebrew word מעון, me-on, according to some, is derived from a word ⁽⁵⁷⁵⁾ which signifies an eye; and they translate it comeliness, or appearance. This is the translation of the Septuagint. ⁽⁵⁷⁶⁾ But as the word is almost every where used to signify a dwelling-place, which is more simple, I prefer to retain it. The sanctuary is called God’s house, and the dwelling-place of his glory; and we know how frequently expressions of this kind are employed in Scripture to bear testimony to the presence of God. Not that God either dwelt in a tent, or wished to confine the minds of his people to earthly symbols; but it was needful to remind the faithful of God’s present goodness, that they might not think they sought him in vain, as we have elsewhere already said. Now, that God’s glory may dwell among us, it is necessary that a lively image of it should shine forth in word and sacraments. From this it follows, that the temples which are reckoned such among Papists are only filthy brothels of Satan.

(575) Namely עיך, ayin.

(576) The word which it employs is ἐυπρέρπεια

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 26:1-12

In Psalms 26:1-12 , another psalm of David. The first is,

Judge me, O LORD; I have walked in my integrity ( Psalms 26:1 ):

The second:

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my mind and my heart. For thy loving-kindness is before my eyes: and I have walked in your truth. And I have not sat with vain persons, neither do I go in with dissemblers [with disgruntles]. I have hated the congregation of evildoers; I will not sit with the wicked. I will wash my hands in innocency ( Psalms 26:2-6 ):

In the seventy-third psalm he said, "I have cleansed my hands in vain in innocency." But here, "I will wash my hands and"

so will I compass thine altar, O LORD: that I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving and tell of your wondrous works. LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where your honor dwells. Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with murderous men: In whose hands is mischief, in their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot stands in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD ( Psalms 26:6-12 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 26

In this individual lament psalm, which is similar to Psalms 25 but does not contain confession, David asked for God’s vindication because of his personal integrity. Psalms 26 (Psalms 26:6-8), 27 (Psalms 26:4-7), and 28 (Psalms 26:2) all reveal David’s love for God’s sanctuary and so uncover his love for the Lord.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. Proof of integrity 26:4-8

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

He preferred the sanctuary of the Lord to the meeting places of the wicked (cf. Psalms 26:5). Washing the hands in innocence is a figurative way of saying that his actions were righteous (cf. Matthew 27:24). He offered sacrifices to God in worship, and praised God, rather than ignoring Him as the wicked did.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house,.... Meaning the tabernacle, for as yet the temple was not built; which was an habitation for the saints, where they chose to dwell, and reckoned it their happiness, and was the habitation of the Lord himself: the sanctuary was built for that purpose; and between the cherubim, over the mercy seat, he took up his residence; hence it follows,

and the place where thine honour dwelleth: or "glory" a: when the tabernacle was set up, the glory of the Lord filled it, as it did the temple, when it was dedicated, Exodus 40:35. The psalmist expresses his love to this place, in opposition to the, congregation of evildoers, which he hated, Psalms 26:5; and to remove a calumny from him, that being among the Philistines, and at a distance from the house of God, his affections were alienated from it; whereas it was his greatest concern that he was debarred the privileges of it; see Psalms 42:1; besides, he had showed his great regard to it by his constant attendance before his exile, as he did after it,

Psalms 42:3; and it was out of pure love to the worship of God, and with real pleasure and delight, that he did attend; and not through custom, and in mere form, Psalms 122:1. The Lord's house is loved by his people, because of his word and ordinances, which are ministered there, and because of his presence in it: or else what was typified by the tabernacle in here designed; either the tabernacle of Christ's human nature, called the true tabernacle, Hebrews 8:2; in which the fulness of the Godhead dwells; which the Son of God, the brightness of his Father's glory, inhabits; and in the redemption and salvation wrought out in it the glory of all the divine attributes is displayed; and Christ incarnate is the mercy seat from which God communes with his people, and is their way of access unto him, and whereby they have fellowship with him; and who is loved by the saints sincerely, above all creatures and things, and in the most ardent and affectionate manner: or heaven itself, of which the tabernacle was a figure, Hebrews 9:24; which is the habitation of the holiness and glory of God, and in which are many mansions or dwelling places for his people; and is the continuing city they seek, the heavenly and better country they are desirous of, and where their hearts and affections are; because there their God, their Saviour, and their treasure be; which sense seems to be confirmed by what follows.

a כבוכך "gloria tua", Musculus, Piscator; "tabernaculum gloriae tuae", Junius Tremellius, Cocceius, Gejerus so Ainsworth.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      6 I will wash mine hands in innocency: so will I compass thine altar, O LORD:   7 That I may publish with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous works.   8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth.   9 Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men:   10 In whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.   11 But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity: redeem me, and be merciful unto me.   12 My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.

      In these verses,

      I. David mentions, as further evidence of his integrity, the sincere affection he had to the ordinances of God, the constant care he took about them, and the pleasure he took in them. Hypocrites and dissemblers may indeed be found attending on God's ordinances, as the proud Pharisee went up to the temple to pray with the penitent publican; but it is a good sign of sincerity if we attend upon them as David here tells us he did, Psalms 26:6-8; Psalms 26:6-8.

      1. He was very careful and conscientious in his preparation for holy ordinances: I will wash my hands in innocency. He not only refrained from the society of sinners, but kept himself clean from the pollutions of sin, and this with an eye to the place he had among those that compassed God's altar. "I will wash, and so will I compass the altar, knowing that otherwise I shall not be welcome." This is like that (1 Corinthians 11:28), Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat, so prepared. This denotes, (1.) Habitual preparation: "I will wash my hands in innocency; I will carefully watch against all sin, and keep my conscience pure from those dead works which defile it and forbid my drawing nigh to God." See Psalms 24:3; Psalms 24:4. (2.) Actual preparation. It alludes to the ceremony of the priests' washing when they went in to minister, Exodus 30:20; Exodus 30:21. Though David was no priest, yet, as every worshipper ought, he would look to the substance of that which the priests were enjoined the shadow of. In our preparation for solemn ordinances we must not only be able to clear ourselves from the charge of reigning infidelity or hypocrisy, and to protest our innocency of that (which was signified by washing the hands,Deuteronomy 21:6), but we must take pains to cleanse ourselves from the spots of remaining iniquity by renewing our repentance, and making fresh application of the blood of Christ to our consciences for the purifying and pacifying of them. He that is washed (that is, in a justified state) has need thus to wash his feet (John 13:10), to wash his hands, to wash them in innocency; he that is penitent is pene innocens--almost innocent; and he that is pardoned is so far innocent that his sins shall not be mentioned against him.

      2. He was very diligent and serious in his attendance upon them: I will compass thy altar, alluding to the custom of the priests, who, while the sacrifice was in offering, walked round the altar, and probably the offerers likewise did so at some distance, denoting a diligent regard to what was done and a dutiful attendance in the service. "I will compass it; I will be among the crowds that do compass it, among the thickest of them." David, a man of honour, a man of business, a man of war, thought it not below him to attend with the multitude on God's altars and could find time for that attendance. Note, (1.) All God's people will be sure to wait on God's altar, in obedience to his commands and in pursuance of his favour. Christ is our altar, not as the altar in the Jewish church, which was fed by them, but an altar that we eat of and live upon,Hebrews 13:10. (2.) It is a pleasant sight to see God's altar compassed and to see ourselves among those that compass it.

      3. In all his attendance on God's ordinances he aimed at the glory of God and was much in the thankful praise and adoration of him. He had an eye to the place of worship as the place where God's honor dwelt (Psalms 26:8; Psalms 26:8), and therefore made it his business there to honour God and to give him the glory due to his name, to publish with the voice of thanksgiving all God's wondrous works. God's gracious works, which call for thanksgiving, are all wondrous works, which call for our admiration. We ought to publish them, and tell of them, for his glory, and the excitement of others to praise him; and we ought to do it with the voice of thanksgiving, as those that are sensible of our obligations, by all ways possible, to acknowledge with gratitude the favours we have received from God.

      4. He did this with delight and from a principle of true affection to God and his institutions. Touching this he appeals to God: "Lord, thou knowest how dearly I have loved the habitation of thy house (Psalms 26:8; Psalms 26:8), the tabernacle where thou art pleased to manifest thy residence among thy people and receive their homage, the place where thy honour dwells." David was sometimes forced by persecution into the countries of idolaters and was hindered from attending God's altars, which perhaps his persecutors, that laid him under that restraint, did themselves upbraid him with as his crime. See 1 Samuel 20:27. "But, Lord," says he, "though I cannot come to the habitation of thy house, I love it; my heart is there, and it is my greatest trouble that I am not there." Note, All that truly love God truly love the ordinances of God, and therefore love them because in them he manifests his honour and they have an opportunity of honoring him. Our Lord Jesus loved his Father's honour, and made it his business to glorify him; he loved the habitation of his house, his church among men, loved it and gave himself for it, that he might build and consecrate it. Those who love communion with God, and delight in approaching him, find it to be a constant pleasure, a comfortable evidence of their integrity, and a comfortable earnest of their endless felicity.

      II. David, having given proofs of his integrity, earnestly prays, with a humble confidence towards God (such as those have whose hearts condemn them not), that he might not fall under the doom of the wicked (Psalms 26:9; Psalms 26:10). Gather not my soul with sinners, Here, 1. David describes these sinners, whom he looked upon to be in a miserable condition, so miserable that he could not wish the worst enemy he had in the world to be in a worse. "They are bloody men, that thirst after blood and lie under a great deal of the guilt of blood. They do mischief, and mischief is always in their hands. Though they get by their wickedness (for their right hand is full of bribes which they have taken to pervert justice), yet that will make their case never the better; for what is a man profited if he gain the world and lose his soul?" 2. He dread having his lot with them. He never loved them, nor associated with them, in this world, and therefore could in faith pray that he might not have his lot with them in the other world. Our souls must shortly be gathered, to return to God that gave them and will call for them again. See Job 34:14. It concerns us to consider whether our souls will then be gathered with saints or with sinners, whether bound in the bundle of life with the Lord for ever, as the souls of the faithful are (1 Samuel 25:29), or bound in the bundle of tares for the fire, Matthew 13:30. Death gathers us to our people, to those that are our people while we live, whom we choose to associate with, and with whom we cast in our lot, to those death will gather us, and with them we must take our lot, to eternity. Balaam desired to die the death of the righteous; David dreaded dying the death of the wicked; so that both sides were of that mind, which if we be of, and will live up to it, we are happy for ever. Those that will not be companions with sinners in their mirth, nor eat of their dainties, may in faith pray not to be companions with them in their misery, nor to drink of their cup, their cup of trembling.

      III. David, with a holy humble confidence, commits himself to the grace of God, Psalms 26:11; Psalms 26:12. 1. He promises that by the grace of God he would persevere in his duty: "As for me, whatever others do, I will walk in my integrity." Note, When the testimony of our consciences for us that we have walked in our integrity is comfortable to us this should confirm our resolutions to continue therein. 2. He prays for the divine grace both to enable him to do so and to give him the comfort of it: "Redeem me out of the hands of my enemies, and be merciful to me, living and dying." Be we ever so confident of our integrity, yet still we must rely upon God's mercy and the great redemption Christ has wrought out, and pray for the benefit of them. 3. He pleases himself with his steadiness: "My foot stands in an even place, where I shall not stumble and whence I shall not fall." This he speaks as one that found his resolutions fixed for God and godliness, not to be shaken by the temptations of the world, and his comforts firm in God and his grace, not to be disturbed by the crosses and troubles of the world. 4. He promises himself that he should yet have occasion to praise the Lord, that he should be furnished with matter for praise, that he should have a heart for praises, and that, though he was now perhaps banished from public ordinances, yet he should again have an opportunity of blessing God in the congregation of his people. Those that hate the congregation of evil-doers shall be joined to the congregation of the righteous and join with them in praising God; and it is pleasant doing that in good company; the more the better; it is the more like heaven.