Psalms 101 - Introduction

CI.

The best comment on this psalm lies in the number of interesting associations that it has gathered to itself. It has been called a “mirror for princes,” “a mirror for magistrates,” and “the householders’ psalm;” and many anecdotes are told of its use. Eyring, in his Life of Ernest the Pious (Duke of Saxe-Gotha), relates that he sent an unfaithful minister a copy of the 101st Psalm, and that it became the proverb in the country, when an official had done anything wrong, “He will certainly soon receive the prince’s psalm to read” (Delitzsch). “When Sir George Villiers became the favourite and prime minister of King James, Lord Bacon, in a beautiful letter of advice, counselled him to take this psalm for his rule in the promotion of courtiers. It would have been well, both for the philosopher and favourite, if they had been careful to walk by this rule” (Note in Spurgeon’s Treasury of David). “The 101st Psalm was one beloved by the noblest of Russian princes, Vladimir Monomachos; and by the gentlest of English reformers, Nicholas Ridley” (Stanley’s Jewish Church, 2:89). “But,” adds this writer, “it was its first leap into life that has carried it so far into the future. It is full of stern exclusiveness, of a noble intolerance. But not against theological error; not against uncourtly manners; not against political insubordination; — but against the proud heart; the high look; the secret slanderer; the deceitful worker; the teller of lies. These are the outlaws from king David’s court; they alone are the rebels and heretics whom he would not suffer to dwell in his house or tarry in his sight.” Tradition may, indeed, well have been right in ascribing such a noble vow to David. And very possibly this connection led to the insertion of the first verse as suited to the “sweet singer,” and also as giving the vow more the character of a hymn. That it did not form part of the original composition seems sufficiently certain from the unpoetical character of the psalm, which only in its parallelism preserves any features of poetry.

Title. — See Introduction.