Psalm 101
Psalm 101
A King’s Determination to Rule Righteously
Psalm 101 is titled, “A Psalm of David.” It is a royal psalm, a leadership psalm, and a personal holiness psalm. David speaks not merely as a private worshiper, but as a king who understands that his throne must be governed under the authority of the Lord. He knows that righteous rule cannot begin with public policy alone. It must begin with the king’s own heart, his own house, his own eyes, his own companions, and his own standards of justice.
The likely background is David’s early reign, perhaps as he came to power after the confusion, compromise, and disorder of Saul’s final years. David had been anointed by Samuel in his youth, then later anointed king over Judah at Hebron, and finally anointed king over all Israel. He had years to think about what kind of king he ought to be. Psalm 101 records that determination.
1 Samuel 16:13, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.”
2 Samuel 2:4, “And the men of Judah came and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David saying That the men of Jabeshgilead were they that buried Saul.”
2 Samuel 5:3, “So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel.”
Psalm 101 became known in some Christian history as the “prince’s psalm” because it sets forth the kind of character, justice, discipline, and moral clarity that rulers and magistrates should possess. Yet the psalm is not only for kings. It applies to every man who leads anything, a household, a church, a ministry, a business, a team, a unit, a classroom, or a nation. The principle is simple, a man cannot lead righteously in public while living corruptly in private.
David did not perfectly live up to the standard of this psalm. His later sins reveal that clearly. Yet the standard itself remains righteous. The failure of David points beyond David to the greater Son of David, Jesus Christ, the King who rules with perfect righteousness, perfect holiness, perfect justice, and perfect mercy.
A. Determined in His Personal Conduct
Psalm 101:1, The Song to Sing
Psalm 101:1, “I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee O LORD will I sing.”
David begins with worship. Before he speaks of ruling, reforming, judging, appointing, or removing wicked men, he sings to the Lord. This is important. Righteous leadership must begin with the worship of God. A man who does not bow before the Lord will eventually misuse whatever authority he has.
David says, “I will sing of mercy and judgment.” Mercy and judgment belong together. Mercy without judgment becomes moral softness and compromise. Judgment without mercy becomes cruelty and oppression. God is perfect in both. His mercy is never unjust, and His judgment is never unrighteous.
Exodus 34:6-7, “And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed The LORD The LORD God merciful and gracious longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation.”
This passage reveals the balance David sings about. God is merciful, gracious, longsuffering, abundant in goodness and truth, and forgiving. Yet He will by no means clear the guilty. Divine mercy does not cancel divine justice. Divine justice does not erase divine mercy.
David needed to understand this because a king must exercise both. A ruler who has no mercy becomes harsh. A ruler who has no judgment becomes weak and dangerous. A father, pastor, supervisor, commander, or magistrate must learn the same balance. Mercy and judgment must be governed by the character of God.
Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the LORD require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?”
David’s song is not directed to himself or to the nation. He says, “unto thee O LORD will I sing.” His understanding of mercy and judgment is rooted in God. He does not invent his own ethics. He receives them from the Lord. That is the only safe foundation for leadership.
Psalm 101:2, A Righteous Life and the Presence of God
Psalm 101:2, “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”
David now turns from worship to personal conduct. “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.” The word “perfect” here carries the idea of completeness, integrity, blamelessness, and wholeheartedness. David is not claiming sinless perfection. He is declaring his intention to walk with integrity before God.
This is the right order. David begins with himself. Before he cleans up the kingdom, he must govern his own soul. Before he appoints officers, he must discipline his own conduct. Before he judges wickedness in others, he must decide that wickedness will not rule him.
Power does not usually create a man’s character as much as it exposes it. When a man gains authority, money, status, or influence, what was already in his heart often comes to the surface. David understood that royal power would require greater watchfulness, not less. He did not say, “Now I can live however I want.” He said, “I will behave myself wisely.”
Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.”
Proverbs 16:12, “It is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness: for the throne is established by righteousness.”
David then cries, “O when wilt thou come unto me?” He understood that he needed more than good intentions. He needed the presence of God. Under the Old Covenant, covenant blessing was connected to obedience, and David longed for the Lord’s nearness as he sought to walk rightly.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2, “And it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.”
David knew that leadership without the presence of God would become hollow, dangerous, and self reliant. He needed divine help, divine wisdom, divine holiness, and divine fellowship. The same principle remains true for believers today. Fellowship with God cannot be separated from walking in the light.
1 John 1:6-7, “If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”
David continues, “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.” This is one of the most important lines in the psalm. David does not first speak of the throne room, the battlefield, the court, or the public assembly. He speaks of his house. A man’s private life is the proving ground of his character.
It is easier to appear righteous in public than to walk with integrity at home. At home, masks come off. A man’s wife, children, and household see what he truly is. If he is patient in public but harsh at home, his public patience is shallow. If he is respected by strangers but feared by his family because of sin, anger, selfishness, or hypocrisy, then his character is broken at the foundation.
1 Timothy 3:4-5, “One that ruleth well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity For if a man know not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the church of God?”
The New Testament applies this principle to church leadership. A man’s household matters. His leadership in private reveals whether he is fit for broader responsibility. David’s statement is therefore not only royal, but deeply practical. The first kingdom a man must govern under God is his own heart and home.
David did not always live this perfectly. His family suffered greatly from his failures, including his sexual sin, poor discipline, and household disorder. That does not weaken the truth of Psalm 101:2. It proves how serious it is. A man may have public greatness and still bring sorrow upon his house if he does not walk with a perfect heart at home.
Psalm 101:3-4, Describing the Righteous Life
Psalm 101:3-4, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.”
David now becomes specific. “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes.” The eyes are a gateway to the heart. What a man continually places before his eyes shapes his desires, thoughts, imagination, and actions. David understood that righteousness requires discipline over what one looks at, enjoys, tolerates, and allows into the soul.
This is especially sobering because David later failed precisely in this area.
2 Samuel 11:2-4, “And it came to pass in an eveningtide that David arose from off his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said Is not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers and took her and she came in unto him and he lay with her for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.”
David’s later sin with Bathsheba shows the danger of violating Psalm 101:3. Sin often begins with what a man allows before his eyes. The look becomes desire. Desire becomes action. Action brings destruction.
Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I think upon a maid?”
1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world.”
David’s vow applies strongly to moral purity, but it is broader than sexual temptation. “No wicked thing” includes anything worthless, corrupting, rebellious, idolatrous, deceptive, or spiritually poisonous. A man who wants to walk with God must guard what he consumes. Entertainment, images, conversations, ambitions, and influences all matter.
David says, “I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me.” Those who “turn aside” are those who depart from the right path. David does not merely avoid their works. He hates them. This is not personal malice, but moral clarity. The believer must hate what God hates.
Psalm 97:10, “Ye that love the LORD hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.”
Romans 12:9, “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil cleave to that which is good.”
David adds, “it shall not cleave to me.” Sin is sticky. It attaches itself to a man more easily than he expects. Evil company, corrupt habits, secret indulgences, and compromised loyalties do not remain harmless. They cling. David understood that the safest course is separation from wickedness before it fastens itself to the heart.
1 Corinthians 15:33, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
Psalm 101:4 says, “A froward heart shall depart from me.” A froward heart is twisted, perverse, crooked, stubborn, and resistant to the straight path of truth. David will not keep such a heart near him. The king who wants to rule righteously cannot tolerate a crooked inner life.
David concludes, “I will not know a wicked person.” This does not mean David would never speak to sinners or govern wicked people. It means he would not approve, embrace, appoint, fellowship with, or make intimate alliance with the wicked. He would not knowingly bring corrupt men into his inner circle.
Proverbs 13:20, “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
This is leadership wisdom. A man’s companions shape his direction. A leader who surrounds himself with liars, flatterers, rebels, slanderers, immoral men, and proud men will eventually pay for it. David determines that his life and leadership will not be shaped by the wicked.
B. Determined in Those He Would Appoint
Psalm 101:5, Opposing the Workers of Wickedness
Psalm 101:5, “Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.”
David now turns from personal holiness to public administration. As king, he must decide what kind of men will be tolerated in the kingdom and especially near his court. The first sin he names is secret slander, “Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off.”
Slander is a serious sin because it attacks another person through falsehood, distortion, gossip, accusation, and evil speech. Secret slander is especially wicked because it hides in shadows. The slanderer often pretends loyalty while destroying another man’s name behind his back. Such people are dangerous in any home, church, business, government, or military unit.
Proverbs 10:18, “He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool.”
Proverbs 16:28, “A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends.”
James 4:11, “Speak not evil one of another brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother and judgeth his brother speaketh evil of the law and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law thou art not a doer of the law but a judge.”
Secret slander destroys three parties. It harms the person being slandered. It corrupts the person hearing the slander. It damns the character of the slanderer himself. David says such a person will be cut off. He will not be allowed to prosper in the king’s service.
David also rejects pride, “him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.” Pride shows itself both inwardly and outwardly. The proud heart is the root. The high look is the fruit. Pride lifts the self above others, refuses correction, despises accountability, and assumes superiority.
Proverbs 6:16-17, “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood,”
Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall.”
A proud man is dangerous in leadership because he cannot be trusted with power. He will use authority to exalt himself, silence correction, and despise others. David says, “will not I suffer.” He will not tolerate such a man. This is a strong standard, but it is necessary for righteous rule.
Psalm 101:6-8, The Men David Would Choose to Serve with Him
Psalm 101:6-8, “Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. I will early destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.”
David now describes the kind of men he will choose. “Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land.” He will not look for flatterers, schemers, celebrities, manipulators, proud men, or merely talented men. He will look for faithful men.
Faithfulness matters more than flash. Skill is valuable, but skill without character is dangerous. A gifted liar is still a liar. A talented deceiver is still a deceiver. A competent but proud man will eventually poison the work. David knows that the kingdom needs faithful men.
Proverbs 20:6, “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?”
2 Timothy 2:2, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.”
Paul gives Timothy the same principle. The work must be entrusted to faithful men. Ability matters, but faithfulness is the foundation. In any serious work, church, ministry, business, family, security operation, government office, or military command, the leader must identify faithful people and give responsibility to them.
David says the faithful “may dwell with me.” Fellowship and access matter. The people closest to a leader influence the leader and the direction of the work. David wants faithful men near him.
“He that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me.” Again, “perfect” means integrity, blamelessness, and wholeheartedness. David wants servants who walk straight. He does not merely want men who can talk well. He wants men whose lives show integrity.
Psalm 15:1-2, “LORD who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart.”
Psalm 101:7 gives the negative standard, “He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.” Deceit and lying disqualify a man from trusted service. A leader cannot build anything righteous with dishonest men. If a man lies for you, he will lie to you. If he deceives others for advantage, he will eventually deceive you when it suits him.
Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.”
Ephesians 4:25, “Wherefore putting away lying speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”
David refuses to allow deceitful men in his house or liars in his sight. This is strong leadership. Sentimental leadership tolerates corruption until it spreads. Righteous leadership deals with it clearly and early.
Psalm 101:8 says, “I will early destroy all the wicked of the land.” The word “early” may carry the idea of morning by morning or promptly. David is determined not to delay judgment against wickedness. He will not let evil grow unchecked.
This does not mean rashness or injustice. David is speaking as a king responsible for civil order. He must restrain wickedness, punish evildoers, and protect the city of the Lord.
Romans 13:3-4, “For rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”
Civil authority is meant to restrain evil. David’s ambition is that wickedness would not prosper in “the city of the LORD.” Jerusalem was not merely David’s capital. It was the city associated with God’s name, worship, covenant, and kingdom purposes. David wanted the Lord’s city to reflect the Lord’s righteousness.
Yet history casts a shadow over this psalm. David’s ideals were righteous, but David himself failed. His house suffered from adultery, murder, deception, family rebellion, and bloodshed. The final answer to Psalm 101 is not David, but David’s greater Son, Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 11:1-5, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.”
Christ is the King who perfectly fulfills what David desired. He sings, rules, judges, appoints, rejects wickedness, loves righteousness, and governs without sin. His kingdom will not be corrupted by deceit, slander, pride, or wickedness. He is the true King of the city of the Lord.
Revelation 21:27, “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.”
Psalm 101 therefore gives a serious pattern for godly leadership. A righteous leader must worship the Lord, love mercy and judgment, behave wisely, desire God’s presence, walk with integrity at home, guard his eyes, hate evil, reject perverse influences, oppose slander, refuse pride, seek faithful men, reject deceit, and deal with wickedness before it spreads. David aimed at this standard imperfectly. Christ fulfills it perfectly.
