Every verse here opens — tap a number for what that one means.
1I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.
2I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
5Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
6Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
7He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
8I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
Commentary
Psalm 101, explained
What Psalm 101 is saying
Psalm 101 is a royal psalm attributed to David, functioning as a royal oath or mirror-of-princes manifesto in which the king pledges to govern with integrity. The psalmist commits to personal holiness within his own house and to purging wickedness from the city of the LORD. The repeated use of 'I will' (Hebrew 'ashir, 'ethallek, etc.) structures the psalm as a series of solemn vows.
The background behind it
This psalm likely reflects the ideology of Davidic kingship, where the monarch served as YHWH's vice-regent and bore responsibility for establishing justice. It may have been composed for a coronation or annual covenant renewal ceremony.
Themes running underneath
The psalm interweaves personal ethics and public governance, insisting that a ruler's private character determines the quality of public justice. The vocabulary of chesed (loyal love) and mishpat (justice) in the opening verse establishes the theological foundation for righteous leadership.
Why it still matters
Leadership begins with self-governance. This psalm challenges anyone in authority to examine whether their private conduct aligns with the standards they enforce publicly.
Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.