Psalms 26–12
Psalm 26:1-12
Psa.26.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- שפטני: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כי: CONJ
- אני: PRON,1,sg
- בתמי: PREP+ADJ,m,sg,abs
- הלכתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- וביהוה: CONJ+PREP+PN,m,sg
- בטחתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,sg
- לא: PART_NEG
- אמעד: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 7:8 (verbal): Both address God with 'judge me, O LORD' and appeal to personal righteousness/integrity—close verbal parallel in plea for vindication.
- Psalm 25:21 (verbal): 'Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on thee' echoes the themes of walking in integrity and trusting the LORD.
- Psalm 18:20-21 (thematic): Speaks of God rewarding according to one's righteousness and the cleanness of hands—similar theme of integrity leading to divine vindication.
- Job 27:5 (thematic): 'I will not remove mine integrity from me' emphasizes steadfast personal integrity, matching the psalmist's claim of walking in integrity.
Alternative generated candidates
- To David. Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity; I have trusted in the LORD—I shall not be moved.
- Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in integrity. I have trusted in the LORD; I shall not falter.
Psa.26.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- בחנני: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- ונסני: VERB,qal,imp,2,m,sg
- צרפה: VERB,piel,imp,2,m,sg
- כליותי: NOUN,f,pl,poss1
- ולבי: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,_,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 139:23-24 (verbal): Directly parallels the petition for God to search and test the psalmist’s heart and mind—“Search me, O God…try me” echoes the same language and intent.
- Jeremiah 17:10 (verbal): God declares that he searches hearts and tests reins—language (‘I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins’) closely matches the imagery of inner testing in Ps 26:2.
- Proverbs 17:3 (thematic): Speaks of the refining/trying of the heart (‘the LORD trieth the hearts’), resonating with Ps 26:2’s plea for testing and refining of inner being.
- 1 Chronicles 28:9 (verbal): Asserts that ‘the LORD searcheth all hearts’ and understands thoughts, echoing Ps 26:2’s appeal to God’s inward examination and testing.
- Hebrews 4:12-13 (thematic): Describes God’s word as a discerner of thoughts and intents and that nothing is hidden from God—New Testament theological echo of God’s searching/testing of the heart in Ps 26:2.
Alternative generated candidates
- Examine me, O LORD, and test me; refine my kidneys and my heart.
- Test me, O LORD, and try me; refine my inmost being and my heart.
Psa.26.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- חסדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- לנגד: PREP
- עיני: NOUN,f,pl,cons+1s
- והתהלכתי: CONJ+VERB,hithpael,perf,1,sg
- באמתך: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs+2,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 86:11 (verbal): Contains the near-identical plea/formula "teach me your way... that I may walk in your truth," echoing the language of walking in God's truth/faithfulness.
- Psalm 16:8 (verbal): "I have set the LORD always before me" parallels the Psalm 26 motif of keeping God's steadfast love before one's eyes—both stress God's presence as guiding one's conduct.
- Psalm 119:2 (thematic): Blessing on those who keep God's testimonies and seek him with whole heart resonates with the idea of walking in God's faithfulness/steadfast love.
- Micah 6:8 (thematic): The call to "walk humbly with your God" and to "love steadfast love (chesed)" parallels Psalm 26's combination of walking/behavior and the centrality of God's steadfast love.
Alternative generated candidates
- For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I have walked in your truth.
- For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I have walked in your faithfulness.
Psa.26.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- ישבתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,com,sg
- עם: PREP
- מתי: ADV,int
- שוא: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ועם: CONJ+PREP
- נעלמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- אבוא: VERB,qal,impf,1,NA,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 26:5 (quotation): Immediate parallel within the same psalm: the psalmist repeats the refusal to associate with evildoers—'I hate the assembly of evildoers; I will not sit with the wicked.'
- Psalm 1:1 (verbal): Shares the same tripartite imagery of avoiding ungodly company—'does not walk in the counsel of the wicked... nor sits in the seat of scoffers'—echoing rejection of sitting with the wicked.
- Proverbs 4:14-15 (thematic): Parallels the moral injunction to avoid the path and fellowship of the wicked: 'Do not enter the path of the wicked... turn away and pass on.'
- 1 Corinthians 5:11 (thematic): Paul's pastoral instruction to disassociate from members practicing certain sins resonates with the psalmist's refusal to keep company with hypocrites and evildoers (a New Testament application of avoiding corrupting fellowship).
Alternative generated candidates
- I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor will I associate with the deceitful.
- I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor will I consort with the deceitful.
Psa.26.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- שנאתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,c,sg
- קהל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מרעים: VERB,qal,ptc,,m,pl
- ועם: CONJ+PREP
- רשעים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- לא: PART_NEG
- אשב: VERB,qal,imperfect,1,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 1:1 (verbal): Both verses use the imagery of not 'sitting' with the wicked/ungodly; Psalm 1 condemns taking counsel or companionship with evildoers, echoing Psalm 26's refusal to sit with the wicked.
- Proverbs 4:14-15 (thematic): Commands to avoid the path and company of the wicked—'do not enter' and 'turn away'—parallel Psalm 26's determination not to associate with an assembly of evildoers.
- Proverbs 13:20 (thematic): Contrasts associations: walking with the wise vs. suffering harm from companions of fools; supports Psalm 26's concern that company shapes character and should exclude the wicked.
- 1 Corinthians 15:33 (thematic): Paul's warning 'Bad company ruins good morals' echoes the conviction behind Psalm 26's rejection of the assembly of evildoers and the resolve not to sit with the wicked.
- Psalm 119:63 (allusion): The psalmist declares himself 'a companion of all who fear you,' presenting a positive counterpart to Psalm 26's refusal to join wicked company—emphasizing chosen fellowship with the godly rather than the wicked.
Alternative generated candidates
- I hate the assembly of evildoers; with the wicked I will not sit.
- I hate the company of evildoers; with the wicked I will not sit.
Psa.26.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ארחץ: VERB,qal,imprf,1,sg
- בנקיון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כפי: PREP
- ואסבבה: CONJ+VERB,qal,imprf,1,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- מזבחך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2ms
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Exodus 30:18-21 (structural): Prescribes ritual washing of hands and feet for Aaron and his sons before ministering at the sanctuary—cultic background for the Psalmist's image of washing hands before approaching the altar.
- Psalm 24:3-4 (verbal): Speaks of approaching the LORD's holy place only with 'clean hands and a pure heart,' closely paralleling the Psalmist's claim of washing hands in innocence to come to the altar.
- Job 9:30-31 (thematic): Uses the motif of washing hands as a symbol of declared innocence; Job notes that external washing cannot guarantee vindication, a thematic counterpoint to the Psalmist's confident ritual-purity claim.
- Matthew 27:24 (allusion): Pilate's act of washing his hands publicly symbolizes claimed innocence; echoes the biblical idiom of hand-washing as a sign of innocence or dissociation from guilt, similar to the Psalmist's gesture before the altar.
Alternative generated candidates
- I will wash my hands in innocence; and I will go about your altar, O LORD.
- I wash my hands in innocence and go about your altar, O LORD.
Psa.26.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לשמע: INF,qal,infc
- בקול: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תודה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ולספר: CONJ+PREP+VERB,qal,inf
- כל: DET
- נפלאותיך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+2ms
Parallels
- Psalm 9:2 (verbal): 'I will give thanks to the LORD... I will recount all your wondrous deeds' closely parallels the language of thanksgiving and recounting God's wonders in Ps 26:7.
- Psalm 40:5 (thematic): 'Many, O LORD my God, are your wondrous works' — thematically echoes Ps 26:7's emphasis on declaring God's wondrous deeds.
- 1 Chronicles 16:8 (structural): 'Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds' (from Psalm 105) parallels Ps 26:7's coupling of thanksgiving with proclaiming God's works.
- Isaiah 12:4 (allusion): 'Give thanks to the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples' recalls the same call to thanksgiving and public proclamation found in Ps 26:7.
- Psalm 107:21 (thematic): 'Let them give thanks to the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man' echoes Ps 26:7's motive and content for thanksgiving — recounting God's wondrous acts.
Alternative generated candidates
- To make the sound of thanksgiving and to recount all your wondrous deeds.
- To make the voice of thanksgiving heard and to recount all your wondrous deeds.
Psa.26.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אהבתי: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- מעון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ביתך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- ומקום: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- משכן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כבודך: NOUN,m,sg,pronom-2-m
Parallels
- Psalm 84:1-2 (verbal): Both verses speak of the LORD’s dwelling/‘habitations’ and express longing for the courts/places where God’s presence or glory dwells.
- Psalm 27:4 (thematic): Expresses a single-hearted desire to dwell in the house of the LORD and to behold the beauty (presence) of the LORD, paralleling love for God’s dwelling.
- Psalm 23:6 (verbal): Declares the resolve to ‘dwell in the house of the LORD’ forever, echoing the Psalm 26 motif of loving God’s dwelling-place.
- Psalm 5:7 (thematic): Speaks of coming into God’s house to worship in His sanctuary, connecting to Psalm 26’s affection for the place of God’s glory.
- Isaiah 66:1 (allusion): Offers a theological counterpoint about God’s throne and the true locus of his presence, relating to the theme of where God’s glory dwells.
Alternative generated candidates
- O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
- O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
Psa.26.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אל: NEG
- תאסף: VERB,qal,impf,2,m,sg
- עם: PREP
- חטאים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- ועם: CONJ+PREP
- אנשי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
- דמים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- חיי: NOUN,m,pl,cons
Parallels
- Psalm 26:4-5 (verbal): Same psalm earlier: the psalmist insists he has not sat with the wicked nor joined their assembly—language and theme of refusing association with sinners.
- Psalm 1:1 (thematic): Parallel ethical motif: the blessed/just person does not walk in the counsel of sinners or stand in the way of sinners, emphasizing separation from wicked company.
- Proverbs 1:10 (thematic): A direct warning against yielding to the enticement of sinners—similar injunction not to join or be gathered with those who do wrong.
- 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 (structural): New Testament call to separation ('be not unequally yoked… come out from among them') echoes the psalmist's plea not to be joined with sinners or bloodguilty persons.
- Isaiah 1:15-16 (allusion): God rejects the prayers of those whose hands are full of blood; connects the motif of 'men of blood' with exclusion from God's favor and fellowship.
Alternative generated candidates
- Do not gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with men of blood.
- Do not gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with men of blood.
Psa.26.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אשר: PRON,rel
- בידיהם: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,con,3,pl
- זמה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- וימינם: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,abs,3,pl
- מלאה: ADV
- שחד: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Isaiah 33:15 (verbal): Both verses link hands and bribery: Isaiah describes one who withdraws his hands from taking bribes, directly counterpointing Psalm 26:10’s charge that their right hands are full of bribes.
- Deuteronomy 16:19 (thematic): The law’s prohibition against taking bribes and perverting justice parallels the Psalm’s denunciation of corrupt hands filled with bribes.
- Exodus 23:8 (thematic): Explicit warning not to accept a bribe (שָׁחַד) because it perverts justice echoes the Psalm’s accusation of bribery among the guilty.
- Amos 5:12 (thematic): The prophetic condemnation of those who take bribes and oppress the needy parallels the social‑ethical critique expressed in Psalm 26:10.
- Psalm 24:4 (structural): An antithetical parallel: Psalm 24 praises the one with ‘clean hands,’ contrasting with Psalm 26:10’s depiction of hands defiled and full of bribes.
Alternative generated candidates
- In whose hands is wickedness, and whose right hand is full of bribes.
- They whose hands are full of wickedness and whose right hand is full of bribes.
Psa.26.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואני: PRON,1,sg
- בתמי: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- אלך: VERB,qal,impf,1,_,sg
- פדני: VERB,qal,impv,2,m,sg+PRON,1,sg
- וחנני: VERB,piel,imp,2,m,sg+PRON,1,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 26:1 (structural): Begins the psalm with a plea for vindication and a claim of integrity—forms an inclusio with v.11's declaration of walking in integrity and request to be redeemed.
- Proverbs 20:7 (verbal): “The righteous who walks in his integrity…” echoes the language and idea of walking in integrity (תמים/תמימות) found in Ps 26:11.
- Proverbs 10:9 (thematic): “He who walks in integrity walks securely…”—same motif of moral integrity as the basis for the speaker’s stance in Ps 26:11.
- Psalm 25:16 (verbal): “Turn to me and be gracious to me” (חנני) parallels Ps 26:11’s plea for God’s grace/mercy (פדני וחנני), using the same verb חנן for asking divine favor.
- Psalm 119:1 (thematic): “Blessed are the blameless in the way…” (אשרי תמימי־דרך) shares the theme of walking in blamelessness/integrity that underlies Ps 26:11’s self‑description.
Alternative generated candidates
- But as for me, I walk in integrity; redeem me and be gracious to me.
- But as for me, I will walk in integrity; redeem me and be gracious to me.
Psa.26.12 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- רגלי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- עמדה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- במישור: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- במקהלים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אברך: NOUN,m,sg,proper
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 35:18 (verbal): Shares the same declaration to praise/bless God in the assembly: “I will give you thanks in the great congregation; I will praise you among much people,” echoing ‘in the congregations I will bless the LORD.’
- Psalm 22:22 (verbal): Uses the same liturgical motif—public praise within the assembly: “I will declare your name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you,” paralleling the communal blessing in Ps 26:12.
- Psalm 40:2 (verbal): Parallel imagery of secure footing: God ‘set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings,’ which corresponds to Ps 26:12’s ‘my foot stands on level ground.’
- Psalm 17:5 (thematic): Similar metaphor of preservation and stability of one’s steps: ‘Hold up my goings in your paths, that my footsteps slip not,’ reflecting the theme of standing firm and righteous before God as in Ps 26:12.
Alternative generated candidates
- My foot stands on level ground; in the assemblies I will bless the LORD.
- My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.
To David. Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in integrity; I have trusted in the LORD and will not be moved.
Examine me, O LORD, and test me; refine my inmost parts and my heart.
For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I have walked in your faithfulness.
I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor will I consort with deceitful men.
I hate the assembly of evildoers; I will not sit with the wicked.
I will wash my hands in innocence and walk about your altar, O LORD,
to hear the voice of thanksgiving and to recount all your wondrous deeds.
O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.
Do not gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with men who shed blood.
Those whose hands are full of evil and whose right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I will walk in integrity; redeem me and be gracious to me.
My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD.