Psalms 15

Psalms 15THIS psalm teaches the necessity of moral purity as a condition of the divine protection. It first propounds the question who shall be admitted to God’s household, and the privileges of its inmates, Psalms 15:1. This is answered positively, Psalms 15:2, and negatively, Psalms 15:3; then positively again, Psalms 15:4, and negatively, Psalms 15:5. The last clause of the last verse winds up by declaring, that the character just described shall experience the protection tacitly referred to in the first verse. As the contrast exhibited in this psalm and the fourteenth may account for its position in the Psalter, so its obvious resemblance to the twenty-fourth makes it not improbable that their historical occasion was identical.

1. (Psalms 15:1) A Psalm by David. Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tent? who shall dwell in thy hill of holiness? The holy hill is Zion, as in Psalms 2:6; the tent is the tabernacle which David pitched there for the ark, when he removed it from Gibeon (2 Samuel 6:17, 1 Chronicles 15:1; 1 Chronicles 16:1; 1 Chronicles 16:39, 2 Chronicles 1:3-5). Both together signify the earthly residence of God; see above on Psalms 3:5 (4). The idea is not that of frequenting Zion as a place of worship, but of dwelling there, as a guest or as an inmate of God’s family. The same figure for intimate communion with Jehovah, and participation of his favour, reappears in Psalms 23:6; Psalms 27:4-5; Psalms 24:3; Psalms 61:5; Psalms 65:5 (4), 84:5 (4). So too, in Ephesians 2:19, believers are described as members of God’s family.
2. (Psalms 15:2) Walking perfect, and doing right, and speaking truth, in his heart. The Psalmist, speaking in behalf of God, here answers his own question. The only person who can be admitted to domestic intercourse with God is one walking perfect, etc. Walking is put for the habitual course of life (see above, on Psalms 1:1). Perfect, complete, as to all essential features of the character, without necessarily implying perfection in degree. The form of expression seems to be borrowed from Genesis 17:1. A remarkably analogous expression is that used by Horace: integer vitae scelerisque purus. The next phrase, doing right, practising rectitude, may be either a synonymous parallel to the first, or a specification under it, parallel to speaking truth.

The general idea of walking perfect is then resolved into the two particular ideas of doing right and speaking truth. In his heart, i.e. sincerely, as opposed to outward show or hypocritical profession. This phrase seems to qualify not merely what precedes, speaking truth, but the whole description, as of one who sincerely and internally, as well as outwardly, leads a blameless life by doing right and speaking truth. 3. (Psalms 15:3) (Who) hath not slandered with his tongue, (who) hath not done his neighbour harm, and a scandal hath not taken up against his neighbour. The positive description of the foregoing verse is now followed by a negative one. (Compare Psalms 1:1-2). The social virtues are insisted on, and their opposites excluded, because they are apt to be neglected by hypocrites, against whom this psalm is directed. The past tense of the verbs denotes a character already marked and determined by the previous course of life.

The verb seems strictly to denote the act of busy or officious tale-bearing. There seems to be an allusion to Leviticus 19:16.

With his tongue, literally on his tongue, as we say to live on, i.e. by means of anything, an idiom which occurs in Genesis 27:40. (Compare Isaiah 38:16.) The next clause adds deed to word, as in the foregoing verse. Scandal, reproach, defamatory accusation. The verb used here is by some explained as meaning to take up upon the lips (Psalms 16:4), and then to utter or pronounce. Others give it the same sense as in Genesis 31:17, where the meaning is to lift up upon, i.e. to burden. The idea then is, that he has not helped to load his neighbour with reproach. Friend and neighbour does not mean any other man, but one sustaining a peculiarly intimate relation, such as that of the members of the chosen people to each other. See above, on Psalms 12:3 (2). 4. (Psalms 15:4) Despised in his eyes (is) a reprobate, and the fearers of Jehovah he will honour; he hath sworn to his own hurt, and will not change The Chaldee Paraphrase, followed by the Prayer Book version, makes the first clause descriptive of humility. He is despised in his own eyes (and) rejected. But the parallelism with the next clause shews that a contrast was designed between his estimation of two opposite classes, and as one of these is those who fear Jehovah, the other must be represented by rejected, i.e.. by Jehovah, reprobate. The future form, as usual, suggests the idea of a present act repeated or continued in the future. He honours, and will still persist in honouring, the fearers of Jehovah. The Septuagint and Vulgate explain “to the neighbour”, and some modern versions to the bad (man).

But the sense is determined by the obvious allusion to Leviticus 5:4 : “if a soul swear to do evil or to do good,” i.e. whether to his own advantage or the contrary. So here the phrase must mean “he hath sworn to injure (himself)” not designedly, but so as to produce that effect. He will not change, literally, exchange, i.e. substitute something else for what he has promised. 5. (Psalms 15:5) His silver (money) he hath not given for usury, and a bribe against a guiltless (person) hath not taken. Doing these (things), he shall not be moved forever. In Hebrew as in French, silver is put for money in general. There is obvious allusion to the frequent prohibition in the Mosaic law, not of lending money upon interest for commercial purposes, a practice then unknown, but of usurious lending to the poor, and especially to poor Israelites. See Exodus 22:24, Leviticus 25:37, Deuteronomy 23:20, and compare Proverbs 28:8, Ezekiel 18:8. The taking of judicial bribes is also expressly forbidden in Exodus 23:8, Deuteronomy 16:19; Deuteronomy 27:25.

The masoretic interpunction of this sentence seems to be merely rhythmical or musical, as in Psalms 11:5. The words doing these cannot be separated from what follows without destroying the sense. This last clause is an answer to the question in Psalms 15:1, but with a change of form, implying that admission to God’s household was itself security against all danger. Compare Ps. 54:23 (22). For better understanding, see above, on Psalms 10:6; Psalms 13:5.