Psalms 18:22

Psa 18:22 For all his judgments [were] before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.

Ver. 22. For all his judgments were before me] Mine obedience (in desire and endeavour at least) was universal, extending to the compass of the whole law; and this is a sure sign of sincerity, Hence in the next words,

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ver. 22. For all his judgments were before me. The word, the character, and the actions of God should be evermore before our eyes; we should learn, consider, and reverence them. Men forget what they do not wish to remember, but the excellent attributes of the Most High are objects of the believer's affectionate and delighted admiration. We should keep the image of God so constantly before us that we become in our measure conformed unto it. This inner love to the right must be the main spring of Christian integrity in our public walk. The fountain must be filled with love to holiness, and then the streams which issue from it will be pure and gracious.

I did not put away his statutes from me. To put away the Scriptures from the mind's study is the certain way to prevent their influencing the outward conversation. Backsliders begin with dusty Bibles, and go on to filthy garments.

Ver. 22-23. An unsound soul will not take notice of such a precept as opposeth his special sin; such a precept must go for a blank, which the soul throws by, and will not think of, but as conscience now and then puts him in mind of it, whether he will or no. But it is not so with a man in whom sincerity is; that precept which doth most oppose that sin to which he is most inclined, he labours to obey as well as any other. An unsound soul sets so many of God's statutes before him, as rules to walk by, as suits with himself and the times, and no more. Such precepts as oppose his special corruptions, or displease the times, and so expose him to suffering, these he balks and puts away, as David here saith, and calls them as the rotten Scribes and Pharisees were wont to do, "least commandments, "small things not to be regarded; which rottenness Christ took up roundly in those ironical words, "Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, shall be called the least in the kingdom of God." Godly sincerity makes no difference of greatest and least between the precepts of God, but sets all before a man as a rule to walk by, and makes the soul laborious to observe all. "Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandments." Ps 119:6. Nicholas Lockyer, 1649.

Ver. 22. The need of considering sacred things, and the wickedness of carelessly neglecting them.

Psalms 18:23*

Ver. 22-23. See Psalms on "Ps 18:22" for further information.

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23. (Psa 18:22). For all his judgments (are) before me, and his statutes I will not put from me. Judicial decisions and permanent enactments are here used as equivalent expressions for all God's requisitions. To have these before one is to observe them, and the opposite of puffing them away or out of sight. The terms of this profession have been evidently chosen in allusion to such dicta of the law itself as Deu 5:29; Deu 17:11. From the past tense of the foregoing verse he here insensibly slides into the present and the future, so as to make his profession of sincerity include his former lifer his actual dispositions, and his settled purpose for all time to come.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For all his dangers he exercised himself in the Law of God.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 22. All his judgments were before me] I kept his law before my eyes, that I might see my duty and know how to walk and please God.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

22. For all his judgments were before me. He now shows how he came to possess that unbending rectitude of character, by which he was enabled to act uprightly amidst so many and so grievous temptations, namely, because he always applied his mind to the study of the law of God. As Satan is daily making new assaults upon us, it is necessary for us to have recourse to arms, and it is meditation upon the Divine Law which furnishes us with armor to resist. Whoever, therefore, would desire to persevere in uprightness and integrity of life, let them learn to exercise themselves daily in the study of the word of God; for, whenever a man despises or neglects instruction, he easily falls into carelessness and stupidity, and all fear of God vanishes from his mind. I do not intend here to make any subtle distinction between these two words, judgments and ordinances. If, however, any person is inclined to make a distinction between them, the best distinction is to refer judgments to the second table of the law, and ordinances, or statutes, which in Hebrew are called חוכות, chukoth, to the duties of piety and the exercises immediately connected with the worship of God.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

22. God’s commandments were continually present to his mind as the rule of his life. Cp. Deu_6:6-9; Psa_119:30; Psa_119:102; and contrast the spirit of the ungodly man in Psa_10:5.

and I did not put away &c.] In order to sin without compunction. This reading suits the parallelism best, and is preferable to that in 2 Sam., “and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I was also upright before him,.... In heart and conversation, being sincere and faithful; so David was in the sight of God; but this is much more true of Christ, in whom there was no unrighteousness nor guile, neither in his heart, nor in his lips; he was of perfect integrity, and faithful in all things to him that appointed him;

and I kept myself from mine iniquity; which some interpret of original sin, in which David was born, which dwelt in him, and prompted him to sin; but rather it refers to the taking away of Saul's life, which he might be tempted to do, as being his enemy that sought his life; and which he was put upon and urged to by some about him, and yet did it not. But it is best here also to apply these words to Christ; for though he had no iniquity of his own, yet he had the iniquities of his people on him, as their surety, and which he calls "mine", Psa 40:12. But though he bore them, he did not commit any of them; though he was made sin, he knew none; and though he was tempted by Satan to the most enormous iniquities, as destroying himself and worshipping the devil, he kept himself from the evil one, that he could not touch him: the sense is, that he kept himself from committing any sin, which cannot be said of any mere man; and so far as good men are kept from sin, they are kept by the power of God, and not by themselves. All these things show, that the righteousness of Christ was a perfect, sinless one, entirely agreeable to the laws, statutes, and judgments of God; was pure in the sight of God, and rewardable in strict justice. Hence it is repeated as follows:

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For all his judgments - All his statutes, ordinances, laws. The word judgment is commonly used in this sense in the Scriptures, as referring to that which God has judged or determined to be right.

Were before me - That is, I acted in view of them, or as having them to guide me. They were constantly before my eyes, and I regulated my conduct in accordance with their requirements.

And I did not put away his statutes from me - I did not reject them as the guide of my conduct.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Before me, i.e. before the eyes of my mind; I diligently studied and considered them, that I might govern my whole life by them.

From me, i.e. out of my view, as ungodly men do; who like not to retain God nor his word in their hearts or thoughts.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

For all his judgments were before me; i.e. "all his commandments" (compare the use of the same word (fpvmi throughout the hundred and nineteenth psalm). And I did not put away his statutes from me. The wicked are said to "cast God"s commandments behind their back". (1Ki_14:9 Neh_9:26 Ps 1 Ps 17 Eze 23 Eze 35) David declares that he had never so acted; he had kept God"s statutes always well before him, had borne them in mind, and given heed to them.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Judgments - I diligently studied and considered them.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

For all his righteous decrees ... I have not turned away from them

Both of these clauses have similar meanings. The writer repeats these ideas for emphasis. (See: Parallelism)

have been before me

"have guided me" or "I have remembered"

I have also been innocent ... I have kept myself from sin

Both of these clauses have similar meanings. The writer repeats these ideas for emphasis. (See: Parallelism)

innocent before him

"innocent according to him"

I have kept myself from sin

"I have not sinned"

my hands were clean

To have "clean hands" means that one is innocent of wrongdoing. See how you translated this in Psalms 18:20: AT: "I was innocent" or "my actions were right" (See: Metonymy)

before his eyes

This refers to God's presence. AT: "before him" or "according to him" (See: Synecdoche)

translationWords

righteous

decree

statute

turn

innocent

sin

restore

hand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.