Psalms 15:1-5
1 LORD, who shall abidea in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5 He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.
XV. Yahweh's Client. The Phœ nicians were familiar with the idea that a man might become the client of a god and so put himself under Divine protection. They used the same word for client as the Hebrews, viz. gç r. Hence we have such names in Phœ nician, as Gerastart, client of Astarte, Gerhekal, client of the temple, etc. But to be Yahweh's client moral qualities are necessary; indeed no others are mentioned here. With the whole Ps. cf. Isaiah 33:13.
Psalms 15:1. tent (so Heb., cf. mg.) is a poetical name for the Temple.
Psalms 15:4. To his own hurt is abbreviated from to his own advantage or to his own hurt; whatever the result of keeping his oath may be to himself. Cf. Numbers 24:13, I cannot go beyond the word of Yahweh to do either good or bad.
Psalms 15:5. The Law forbade a Hebrew to take interest from a compatriot: it was no fault to take it from a Gentile (see, e.g., Deuteronomy 23:20). Probably the Psalmist was thinking only of interest taken from a brother, i.e. a Jew (p. 112).