Chapter Fourteen

This psalm, similar in content to Psalm 23, was written on the occasion of David’s transfer of the Ark of the Covenant from the house of Abinadab to the newly constructed tent on Zion. The incident with Uzzah, who touched this great sanctuary without reverence, caused the Ark of the Covenant to be placed temporarily in the house of Abinadab, and filled David with deep sorrow: he thought that the Lord did not favor him. When, however, blessings from the Lord began to be poured out upon the house of Abinadab, David saw that the Lord was returning His favor to him. This filled David with a sense of reverent rejoicing, expressed in the composition of this hymn—a vow.

Who can dwell in the dwelling of the Lord? Who is pure in thoughts and deeds (verses 1-2), who neither by word nor by deed does harm to his neighbor (verses 3-5)?

Psalm 14:1. Lord, who may dwell in Your sacred tent? Who may live on Your holy mountain? The “dwelling” of God is the tent; the “holy mountain” is Mount Zion.

Psalm 14:2. The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is right, and who speaks the truth in his heart; “To walk blamelessly and do what is right” means the purity of deeds and their accord with God’s law; “to speak truth in one’s heart” means to be blameless in one’s thoughts and desires, not only in external deeds.

Psalm 14:3. who does not slander with his tongue, who does not do harm to his neighbor, and who does not accept reproach against his fellow man; Psalm 14:4. in whose eyes the vile are rejected, but he honors those who fear the Lord; who keeps his oath even when it hurts; Psalm 14:5. who does not put his money at interest or accept a bribe against the innocent. Whoever conducts himself in this manner will never be shaken. The qualities of the righteous are determined in the negative. The righteous one is he who neither by word nor by deed does harm to his neighbor and who does not listen to slanders against the latter from others; righteous is he who despises “the vile one.” The latter is opposed to “those who fear the Lord,” that is, those who worship reverently; therefore by the vile one is understood the blasphemer, who does not recognize and honor God. Despising him involves not cruel treatment or persecution of the vile one’s person, but contempt for the ideological, spiritual side of his life. The righteous one “keeps his oath even when it hurts,” to one who is wicked. Evil means wicked. An oath is always given with invocation of God’s name and, as such, cannot be directed toward anything morally evil and unclean. Such an oath binds the one swearing to do only good, and therefore, though it was given even to an evil man, a wicked one, it demands fulfillment and constitutes no transgression before God, since it does not contain sympathy or cooperation with the wicked in his wickedness. “Put his money at interest” means to practice usury, which was strictly forbidden by the law of Moses (Exod 22:24; Lev 25:36). “Accept a bribe against the innocent” means to take bribes in court. “Whoever conducts himself in this manner will never be shaken” means he will enjoy an unshakeable, constant benevolence of God. The indication is general; it can mean both blessings of external, earthly life and eternal closeness with God, that is, heavenly life.