Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 26:4
I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
4. I have not sat ] Of deliberate and prolonged intercourse, implying community of tastes and interests. Cp. Psa 1:1; Jer 15:17.
vain persons ] Lit. men of vanity; hollowness, falsehood, unreality: the opposite of truth and righteousness. See Psa 12:2; Psa 24:4.
neither will I go in ] To their houses: or an abbreviation for go in and out, associate with.
dissemblers ] Lit. those who hide themselves; hypocrites who disguise their real thoughts and purposes (Psa 28:3).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
4 7. The proof of his integrity in his conduct in the past, and his purpose for the future.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
I have not sat with vain persons – That is, I have not been found among them; I have not made them my companions. See the notes at Psa 1:1. The word vain here is in contrast with those who are sincere and true. The expression would be applied to people who are false and hollow; to those who have no sincerity or solidity of character; to those who are hypocrites and pretenders. The psalmist urges it as one evidence of his attachment to God that he had not been found among that class of persons, either as making them his companions, or as taking part with them in their counsels.
Neither will I go in with dissemblers – Neither will I walk with them; neither will I be found in their company. The word here rendered dissemblers means properly those who are hidden or concealed; then, those who hide their purposes or designs from others, or who conceal their real character and intentions. Thus used, the word denotes hypocrites, whose real character is concealed or hidden from the world. The psalmist says that he had not associated with such people, but that His companionship had been with the open, the frank, the sincere. On this he relied as one evidence of his piety; and this is always an evidence of true religion. See the notes at Psa 1:1.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 26:4-5
I have not sat with vain persons.
Separate, yet near
The eyes which have Gods loving kindness ever before them are endowed with penetrative clearness of vision into the true hollowness of most of the objects pursued by men, and with a terrible sagacity which detects hypocrisy and shame. Association with such men is necessary, and leaven must be in contact with dough in order to do its transforming work; but it is impossible for a man whose heart is truly in touch with God not to feel ill at ease when brought into contact with those who have no share in his deepest convictions and emotions No doubt separateness from evil-doers is but part of a godly mans duty, and has often been exaggerated into selfish withdrawal front a world which needs good mens presence all the more the worse it is; but it is a part of his duty: Come out from among them and be separate is not yet an abrogated command No man will ever mingle with men of vanity so as to draw them from the shadows of earth to the substance in God, unless his loving association with them rests on profound revulsion from their principles of action. None comes so near to sinful men as the sinless Christ; and if He had not been ever separate from sinners He would never have been near enough to redeem them. We may safely imitate His free companionship, which earned Hint the glorious name of their Friend, if we imitate His remoteness from their evil. (A. Maclaren, D. D.)
I have hated the congregation of evil-doers.—
With wicked men, but not of them
Although, when driven into exile, everyone that was in distress, in debt, etc., gathered themselves unto David, and he became a captain over them,–he never led them against his king and country, but only against their enemies; and in time changed the most reckless and turbulent of men into the best of soldiers and citizens. There is no place where the sincere Christian cannot make his influence felt for good: in the army, in the navy, in trade, at the bar, on the bench, in the halls of legislation, and everywhere; not by sacrificing, but by maintaining and exhibiting his principles in his spirit and conduct. (D. Caldwell, M. A.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 4. I have not sat with vain persons] methey shav, men of lies, dissemblers, backbiters, &c.
Neither will I go in with dissemblers] naalamim, the hidden ones, the dark designers, the secret plotters and conspirators in the state.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
I have not sat, i.e. chosen or used to converse with them; for sitting is a posture of ease and of continuance. I have been so far from an approbation or imitation of their wicked courses, (wherewith mine enemies reproach me,) that I have avoided even their company; and if accidentally I came into it, yet I would not abide in it.
With vain persons, i.e. with liars, or false and deceitful persons, as the next clause explains it. And vanity is very frequently put for falsehood or lying.
Neither will I go in; into their company, or with design to join in their counsels or courses, as the same word is used, Jos 23:7. And conversation is oft expressed by going out and coming in.
With dissemblers, Heb. with such as hide themselves, covering their crafty and wicked designs with fair pretences. I abhor such persons and practices, though I am accused to be such a one.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4-8. As exemplified by thefruits of divine grace, presented in his life, especially in hisavoiding the wicked and his purposes of cleaving to God’s worship.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
I have not sat with vain persons,…. Or “men of vanity” t; who are full of it; who are addicted to the vanities of the world; who pursue the riches, honours, pleasures, and profits of it; which is no other than walking in a vain show: whose thoughts, words, and actions are vain; who are vainly puffed up in their fleshly mind, and walk in the vanity of it; who take the name of God in vain, and whose common discourse is foolish, frothy, light, and empty; and who are men of a vain conversation, and are rash, imprudent, and deceitful: men of bad principles may very well go by this name, who are vain and unruly talkers, and whose doctrines are doctrines of vanity, and no other than vain babbling; and also men guilty of idolatrous practices, who observe lying vanities, and worship them, and lift up their souls unto them; with such vain men, in any of these senses, the psalmist would have nothing to do; he would not keep company with them, nor have any communion, consultation, and conversation with them; it may be, he may have some respect to the men that were about Saul, to whom such a character agreed; or he may say this, and what follows, to remove a calumny cast upon him and his friends; as if they that were with him were such men as here described, and in Ps 26:5;
neither will I go in with dissemblers: or “hidden” or “unknown” persons u, who lie in private lurking places, to murder the innocent, or secretly take away the good names and characters of men, and it is not known who they are; or who commit sin secretly; go into secret places to do their works in the dark, and hide themselves to do evil; as the Targum, Jarchi, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, interpret it; who love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil; or who cover themselves with lying and flattering words, that it is not known what their real intentions be; they speak one thing, and mean another; are an assembly of treacherous men: such are all deceitful workers, who lie in wait to deceive, and walk in craftiness; and hypocrites, who have the form of religion, but are strangers to the power of it; and who are to be turned away from, and avoided; the houses, assemblies, cabals, and company of such, are to be shunned; see Ge 49:6; or such as are “signed”, or “marked”; that is, infamous persons w.
t “cum hominibus vanitatis”, Gejerus, Michaelis. u “cum occultis”, Vatablus, Michaelis; “absconditis”, Gejerus; so Ainsworth. w Vide Schultens de def. Hod. ling. Heb. s. 188.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
He still further bases his petition upon his comportment towards the men of this world; how he has always observed a certain line of conduct and continues still to keep to it. With Psa 26:4 compare Jer 15:17. (Job 11:11, cf. Psa 31:5, where the parallel word is ) are “not-real,” unreal men, but in a deeper stronger sense than we are accustomed to use this word. (= , from ) is aridity, hollowness, worthlessness, and therefore badness (Arab. su’ ) of disposition; the chaotic void of alienation from God; untruth white-washed over with the lie of dissimulation (Psa 12:3), and therefore nothingness: it is the very opposite of being filled with the fulness of God and with that which is good, which is the morally real (its synonym is , e.g., Job 22:15). , the veiled, are those who know how to keep their worthlessness and their mischievous designs secret and to mask them by hypocrisy; post-biblical , dyed (cf. , Luther “ ungefrbt ,” undyed). ( ) , to go in with any one, is a short expression for: to go in and out with, i.e., to have intercourse with him, as in Pro 22:24, cf. Gen 23:10. (from ) is the name for one who plots that which is evil and puts it into execution. On see Psa 1:1.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
4. I have not sat with vain men. He again declares the very great dissimilarity which existed between him and his adversaries. For the contrast is always to be observed, that wicked men, by all the harm and mischief they wrought against him, could never drive him from the path of rectitude. This verse might likewise be joined with the former, as if completing the sentence, in this way, That David, by confiding in the favor of God, had withdrawn himself from deceivers. The words, sitting and walking, denote sharing in counsel and fellowship in working, according to what is said in the first psalm. David denies that he had any intercourse with vain and deceitful men. And certainly the best remedy to recall and save us from the assembly of the wicked is to fix our eyes upon God’s goodness; for he who walks in the confidence of God’s protection, committing all events to his providence, will never imitate their deceitfulness. Those whom he denominates in the first clause, men of vanity, he soon after terms נעלמים, naälamim, that is, close and wrapped up in craftiness. (569) For in this consists the vanity of dissimulation, that deceitful men conceal in their hearts another thing than that which their tongues declare. It is, however, absurd to derive this word from עלם , alam, to play, for it is out of place here to compare their impostures to children’s play. I confess, indeed, that those who give themselves to craftiness are mockers; but why have recourse to such a forced exposition, when it is plain that the word shows the source from which all lying and deceit proceed? Thus faith, which steadily looks to God’s promises, is aptly opposed to all the crooked and iniquitous counsels in which unbelief involves us as often as we ascribe not proper honor to the guardianship of God. David teaches, by his own example, that we have not the slightest cause to fear that our integrity will make us a prey to the ungodly, when God promises us safety under his hand. The children of God, indeed, are prudent, but their prudence is altogether different from that of the flesh. Under the guidance and government of the Holy Spirit, they take every necessary precaution against snares, but in such a manner as not to practice any craftiness.
(569) Horsley renders the word, “Those who seek concealment.” In like manner, the Chaldee paraphrases it, “They that hide themselves that they may do evil.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) Dissemblersi.e., hypocrites.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. Hitherto David has based his prayer upon his relation to God; in Psa 26:4-5 he pleads his discreet and pure associations with men.
Vain persons Literally, mortals of vanity, or emptiness. “Vanity” is here used generically for evil or wickedness of all sorts, especially falsehood and deceit.
Go in with dissemblers To “go in” is to join, unite with, have familiar intercourse with. “Dissemblers” are, literally, the veiled men, the concealed, hidden men, men who cover up their real motives.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
I have not sat with men of falsehood (vanity),
Nor will I go in with dissemblers.
I hate the assembly of evil-doers,
And will not sit with the wicked.
And because his eyes are on YHWH he has avoided contact with all those who would seek to lead him astray. He has not sat with men whose thoughts were on what is vain and useless, on what is false rather than what is true. Compare Psa 1:1 ‘sat in the seat of the scornful’. Nor has he gone into the houses of (or possibly ‘gone in and out with’) those who hide the truth about themselves and pretend to be what they really are not (‘dissemblers’). He is straight and open and has avoided all that is doubtful and has an appearance of evil.
He hates the company of evil-doers, (but not the evil-doers themselves), for their ways bring dishonour on YHWH, and he will not sit with the wicked. While the first two mentioned were subtle and devious in their ways, these are openly and downright sinful. With ‘I hate the assembly of evil-doers’ compare ‘I love the dwellingplace of your house’ (Psa 26:8). It was his contemplation of YHWH that made him turn from all who did evil. Also compare ‘in the assemblies I will bless YHWH’. The company that he preferred was that of righteous men whose hearts were fixed on YHWH.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Psa 26:4 I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
Ver. 4. I have not sat with vain persons ] Who are void of God’s holy fear, but filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, &c., Rom 1:29 . Courtiers are such for most part, and David never delighted in such company, to sit with them, especially when they were acting mischief; which while Cromwell did at the condemnation of Lambert, martyr, and Sir John Cheek at other such like meetings, they were cast upon no small snares and inconveniences. See Jer 15:17 .
Neither will I go in with dissemblers
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 1:1, Psa 119:63, Psa 119:115, Pro 9:6, Pro 12:11, Pro 13:20, Jer 15:17, 1Co 15:33, 2Co 6:17
Reciprocal: Gen 49:6 – come 2Ch 13:7 – vain men Job 34:8 – General Psa 101:3 – set Pro 1:15 – walk Pro 2:12 – deliver Pro 4:14 – General Pro 24:19 – Fret Isa 33:15 – stoppeth Jer 16:8 – General Luk 22:55 – Peter Joh 18:18 – Peter 2Co 6:14 – for Eph 5:11 – no
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 26:4-5. I have not sat with vain persons That is, chosen or used to converse with them. I have been so far from an approbation or imitation of their wicked courses, that I have avoided even their company; and, if I accidentally came into it, yet I would not continue in it; neither will I go in with dissemblers That is, into their company, or with design to join in their counsels or courses. The word , nagnalamim, here rendered dissemblers, signifies those that hide themselves; that is, cover their crafty and wicked designs with fair pretences. I have hated the congregation of evil-doers I have a dislike to all such persons, and avoid meeting and joining with them in their assemblies and consultations.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
26:4 I have not {d} sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers.
(d) He declares that they cannot walk in simplicity before God, that delight in the company of the ungodly.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
2. Proof of integrity 26:4-8
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)
David cited his separation from sinners and their assemblies as evidence that he was not wicked and deceitful (cf. Psa 1:1). He was not speaking so much of his social preference as of his spiritual commitment. These were enemies of the Lord.