Psalm 15

I've got to say that, for all the little idiosyncracies of the TNIV, this psalm makes up for them all. It reads so naturally, I feel almost as if I'm singing it when I read it.

vs 1

This is the question posed by the song. Basically - who does God accept? Who would God have to come and stay at his place? It's a great idea for a song - a little ditty you can hum to your kids to remind them how to live. Of course, it's not meant to be all-inclusive - it's meant to paint a picture.

vs 2

The first two lines are pretty much repeats of the same idea in different language. If you were wanting to split hair between righteous action and a righteous walk, then I guess you could make some pretence (the walk is your everyday life at all times, and the actions are specific things you do) but I think that's reading too much into it.

Speaking truth is one thing, but speaking it from the heart - what does that mean? I think it means to speak from your convictions, rather than just from facts. You can say "The sky is blue" and yeah, it is. That's the truth. But it's not something your heart gets cut about. But when you, say, speak out against injustice, you either do it from your heart, or you're just presenting cold facts. It's an interesting distinction to make.

vs 3

Again we see the tongue and speech featuring large in the path of the righteous. They don't slander people. Slander is malicious falsehood. Again, it's not just telling a lie ("The sky is green"), it's telling a lie with the purpose of it being hurtful ("The sky is green because of poisonous gases that will only abait if you stick a fork in your eye").

The reference to the neighbour, of course, is a reference to the deuteronomic Law that we should love our neighbour as ourself.

Are the hebrew words for slur and slander technical terms? Or are they synonyms? I don't know. My understanding of 'slur' is to make unfavourable or damaging (not unecessarily untrue) remarks. Either David is seeking to make two points, or once again he is repeating himself like he did in vs 2. I think, given the poetic nature of a psalm, that is more likely. Let's just assume saying nasty things about people for the purpose of hurting them is bad.

vs 4

See, we can't talk like this in the New Testament (or perhaps just in modern times?). We like to separate a person from their actions, so that we can "love the sinner but hate the sin". David's wording doesn't really allow for that. You don't despise vile actions, but those who do them. You don't honour fear of the Lord, but those who fear. Righteousness, to a degree at least, must seek justice for those who are anti-God, and honour for those who are, well, righteous. Because justice is right, righteousness can't be righteousness without it.

What a strong statement about the righteous - they keep their oaths even when it hurts. That their integrity is more important to them than their comfort.

vs 5

Lending money without interest is not here a commandment - it is a mark of one who is compassionate. The poor need money. Giving it to them is not what is being suggested here. Instead, you lend it to them, so they can pay it back, but you don't make any money out of it. In fact, if you take inflation into account, you lose money on it. But the point really is that they are looked after in their time of need, but you don't hold it over them.

Anyone who would accept bribes is already in our bad books, but David goes the next step and denounces those who would take bribes to perpetuate injustice against innocent people.

David's final verse wraps up the whole psalm excellently - those who follow this path, who paint for themselves a life that looks like his picture, will never be shaken. They will be steady. Stable. Staltwart. Who doesn't want that?