Psalms 15:2
in Psalms 15He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart;
KJV
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.
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This verse in Psalms 15
Commentary
17 notes on this verseIn everything, therefore, good faith is seemly, justice is pleasing, due measure in equity is delightful. But what shall I say about contracts, and especially about the sale of land, or agreements or covenants? Are there not rules just for the purpose of shutting out all false deceit and to make him whose deceit is found out liable to double punishment? Everywhere, then, does regard for what is virtuous take the lead; it shuts out deceit, it expels fraud. Wherefore the prophet David has rightly stated his judgment in general, saying, "He has done no evil to his neighbor."
This site's exposition
walks with integrity and practices righteousness
on Psalms 15:2-3
Spurgeon marked three things in verse 2, the man's walk, his work and his word. Verse 3 turns to the tongue, to slander, harm to a neighbor and scorn cast on a friend. Spurgeon wrote that some men's tongues bite more than their teeth.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
"He who walks without stain, and works righteousness" [Psalm 15:2]. Here he has laid down the proposition; in what follows he sets it forth in detail.
When the apostle says that in his opinion a person is justified through faith without the works of the Law, he does not intend by this decision to express contempt for the commandments and the works of justice by the profession of faith but to inform anyone that he can be justified by faith even if he has not previously fulfilled the works of the Law; for they follow when one has been justified and do not come before for one to be justified.
The prophet David said that it was better for him to be corrected or advised by a just person than to be praised by any flatterer. It was right that he should denote the flatterer with the name of "sinner," since his is the greatest …
It is necessary, he is saying, for such a one to rid himself of evil and be free of all blame, and to practice every virtue studiously.… He must keep free of falsehood not only his tongue but also his mind, and be rid completely …
He who enters without stain, and works righteousness. That is why it is also said in the one hundred and eighteenth psalm: 'Blessed are the undefiled in the way.' At once, at the very beginning, it is said, Blessed are the undefiled in the way. As it is said there, undefiled in the way, so here too it is said, He who enters without stain. And he who enters is in the way. He who enters without stain. See what is commanded. He did not say, he who arrives at the end without stain; but he who is still on the journey, and has no stain. Someone could say: I have no stain, I have done no evil. It is not enough for us not to do evil, unless we also do good. Accordingly there follows, And works righteousness. See what he says, And works righteousness. He did not say, works chastity; he did not say, works wisdom, works fortitude. And these indeed are excellent virtues. For example, wisdom profits us, fortitude profits us, so that we may resist persecutions; then temperance and chastity profit us, that we may not lose our souls. Righteousness alone is a great virtue, and the mother of all. Let someone say: How is righteousness greater than the other virtues? The other virtues delight the one who has them: righteousness does not delight the one who has it, but others. If I am wise, wisdom delights me; if I am brave, my fortitude delights me; if I am chaste, my chastity is my joy: but righteousness does not profit the one who has it, but the other wretched ones who do not have it. Suppose some poor man has a quarrel with my brother; suppose my brother is powerful, and oppresses another — that is, one who is a stranger to me, a poor and wretched man — through his power: what does my wisdom profit the poor man? what does my fortitude profit the poor man? what does my chastity profit the poor man? […]
10 more voices on this verse
The Church Fathers3 voices
The Lord Christ … entered the temple in Jerusalem free from all sin. For while others entered the house of God for purification, he alone entered in such a state that he might stand before the face of the Father without sin. He did not …
He testifies in the Gospel that he always spoke without deceit when he says "Everything that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you." What could be more pure or simple than that the unchangeable truth, without corruption by any addition …
Brothers, let us hear the Lord's answer to the question, an answer that shows the way to the heavenly tabernacle.… He who drives the tempter and his temptations far from his heart, defeats his malice and dashes his rising thoughts against the Rock Christ. He …
The Medieval Church1 voice
"He who." Here the response is set forth, and concerning this he does two things. First he commemorates the merits of those who dwell in the aforesaid places, namely in the tabernacle and on the holy mountain of God. Second, the reward, at "he who …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He that walketh uprightly,....
By the assurance given in the close of the psalm of the safety and happiness of those who answer these characters we are encouraged to walk in that way,
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
The answer. The Lord in answer to the question informs us by his Holy Spirit of the character of the man who alone can dwell in his holy hill. In perfection this holiness is found only in the Man of Sorrows, but in a measure it is wrought in all his people by the Holy Ghost. Faith and the graces of the Spirit are not mentioned, because this is a description of outward character, and where fruits are found the root may not be seen, but it is surely there. Observe the accepted man's walk, work, and word.
The answer. The Lord in answer to the question informs us by his Holy Spirit of the character of the man who alone can dwell in his holy hill. In perfection this holiness is found only in the Man of Sorrows, but in a measure it is wrought in all his people by the Holy Ghost. Faith and the graces of the Spirit are not mentioned, because this is a description of outward character, and where fruits are found the root may not be seen, but it is surely there. Observe the accepted man's walk, work, and word. "He that walketh uprightly, "he keeps himself erect as those do who traverse high ropes; if they lean on one side over they must go, or as those who carry precious but fragile ware in baskets on their heads, who lose all if they lose their perpendicular. True believers do not cringe as flatterers, wriggle as serpents, bend double as earth-grubbers, or crook on one side as those who have sinister aims; they have the strong backbone of the vital principle of grace within, and being themselves upright, they are able to walk uprightly. Walking is of far more importance than talking. He only is right who is up right in walk and down right in honesty. "And worketh righteousness." His faith shows itself by good works, and therefore is no dead faith. God's house is a hive for workers, not a nest for drones. Those who rejoice that everything is done for them by another, even the Lord Jesus, and therefore hate legality, are the best doers in the world upon gospel principles. If we are not positively serving the Lord, and doing his holy will to the best of our power, we may seriously debate our interest in divine things, for trees which bear no fruit must be hewn down and cast into the fire. "And speaketh the truth in his heart." The fool in the last psalm spoke falsely in his heart; observe both here and elsewhere in the two psalms, the striking contrast.
He that walketh uprightly - הולך תמים holech tamim, 1. He walks perfectly. Who sets God before his eyes, takes his word for the rule of his conduct, considers himself a sojourner on earth, and is continually walking to the kingdom of God. He acts according to the perfections of God’s law; he has respect to all its parts, and feels the weight and importance of all its injunctions. And worketh righteousness - 2. He is not satisfied with a contemplative life; he has duties to perform. The law of righteousness has placed him in certain relations, and each of these relations has its peculiar duties. פעל צדק poel tsedek, the words here used, signify to give just weight, to render to all their dues. 1. As he is the creature of God, he has duties to perform to him. He owes God his heart: May son, give me thy heart; and should love him with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength. This is giving God his due. 2. As a member of civil society, he has various duties to perform to his fellows, as they have to him. He is to love them as himself, and do unto all men as he would they should do unto him. 3. There are duties which he owes to himself. That his body may be in health, vigor, and activity, he should avoid every thing by which it might be injured, particularly all excesses in eating, drinking, sleeping, etc. That his soul may be saved, he should avoid all sin; all irregular and disorderly passions. He owes it to his soul to apply to God for that grace which produces repentance, faith, and holiness; and in order to get all these blessings, he should read, watch, pray, hear the word preached, and diligently use all the ordinances of God. He who acts not thus, defrauds both his body and soul: but the person in the text works righteousness - gives to all their due; and thus keeps a conscience void of oifence, both towards God and man. And speaketh the truth in his heart - 3. […]
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
He that walketh uprightly - Hebrew, “walking perfectly;” that is, one who walks or lives “perfectly.” The word “walk” in the Scriptures is often used to denote the manner of life; life being represented as a journey. See the note at Psa 1:1. The word here rendered “uprightly,” or, in the Hebrew, “perfectly,” means that which is complete in all its parts; where no part is missing or is defective. See the word explained in the notes at Job 1:1. The Word is not used in the sense in which it is often employed now, as denoting absolute freedom from sin, but as meaning that the character was complete in all its parts; or that the person referred to was upright alike in regard to God and to man. See the sentiment here expressed explained in the notes at Isa 33:15. And worketh righteousness - Does right. That is, he does what is proper to be done in relation to God and to man. Compare Mic 6:8. The doctrine is everywhere laid down in the Scriptures that no man can be a friend of God who does not do habitually what is right. See 1Jn 3:6-10. And speaketh the truth in his heart - He uses language that is sincere, and that is in accordance with his real belief. This is opposed to all mere outward professions, and all hypocritical pretences. His religion has its seat in the heart, and is not the religion of forms; his acts are the expressions of upright intentions and purposes, and are not performed for selfish and hypocritical ends. This is everywhere the nature of true religion.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
One who walks in integrity, and does righteous deeds, and speaks truth in his heart.
3 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
He did not slander with his tongue Ankuza in Old French, to accuse, as (in II Sam.:28) “And he slandered (וירגל) your servant.” This psalm is to inform us of the [proper] measure of piety.
A Psalm of David. Lord, who shall sojourn in Thy Tabernacle? And who shall dwell in Thy Holy Hill? – Thy Tabernacle: that is, the heavens, and he designates them a tent because they are spread out as a tent. And Thy Holy Hill is Mount Moriah, where the Holy House was, for it was the most glorious place in the earth.
A hymn of David. O LORD, who is worthy to dwell in your tabernacle, who is worthy 59 deserves to abide on the mountain of your sanctuary?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 1 further source is cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
7 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הוֹלֵ֣ךְ | holekh | [one who] walks | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| תָּ֭מִים | tamim | blameless | H8549 → | 91 times |
| וּפֹעֵ֥ל | ufoel | and [one who] does | H6466 → | 57 times |
| צֶ֑דֶק | tzedek | righteousness | H6664 → | 119 times |
| וְדֹבֵ֥ר | vedover | and [one who] speaks | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| אֱ֝מֶ֗ת | ʾemet | truth | H571 → | 127 times |
| בִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃ | bilvavo | in heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
הוֹלֵ֣ךְ[one who] walks
holekhH1980 →1546 times
תָּ֭מִיםblameless
tamimH8549 →91 times
וּפֹעֵ֥לand [one who] does
ufoelH6466 →57 times
צֶ֑דֶקrighteousness
tzedekH6664 →119 times
וְדֹבֵ֥רand [one who] speaks
vedoverH1696 →1141 times
אֱ֝מֶ֗תtruth
ʾemetH571 →127 times
בִּלְבָבֽוֹ׃in heart his
bilvavoH3824 →252 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ephesians 4:25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
it leads to
- Colossians 3:9
Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
- Zechariah 8:16
These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
- Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.
- Romans 12:5
so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.
- Ephesians 4:15
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
- Colossians 3:9
Through
Colossians 3:9Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
it leads to
- Ephesians 4:22
to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
- Ephesians 4:25
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
- Leviticus 19:11
You must not steal. You must not lie or deceive one another.
- Ephesians 4:22
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
This page draws on 17 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.10.66; Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 15; Augustine of Hippo, FAITH AND WORKS 14:21; Benedict of Nursia, RULE OF ST. BENEDICT, PROLOGUE; Cassiodorus, EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 15:2; Cassiodorus, EXPLANATION OF THE PSALMS 15:3; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 1; Jerome, Homily 5, on Psalm 14; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Martin of Braga, EXHORTATION TO HUMILITY 3; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theodoret of Cyrus, COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 15:2 and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.