Psalm 101:2-4

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Psalm 101:2 tn Heb “take notice of.”
2. Psalm 101:2 tn Heb “I will walk about in the integrity of my heart in the midst of my house.”
3. Psalm 101:3 tn Heb “I will not set before my eyes a thing of worthlessness.”
4. Psalm 101:3 tn Heb “the doing of swerving [deeds] I hate.” The Hebrew term סֵטִים (setim) is probably an alternate spelling of שֵׂטִים (setim), which appears in many medieval Hebrew mss. The form appears to be derived from a verbal root שׂוּט (sut, “to fall away; to swerve”; see Ps 40:4).
5. Psalm 101:3 tn Heb “it [i.e., the doing of evil deeds] does not cling to me.”
6. Psalm 101:4 tn Heb “a perverse heart will turn aside from me.” The adjective עִקֵּשׁ (ʿiqqesh) has the basic nuance “twisted; crooked” and by extension refers to someone or something that is morally perverse (see Ps 18:26). It appears frequently in the Book of Proverbs, where it is used of evil people (22:5), speech (8:8; 19:1), thoughts (11:20; 17:20), and life styles (2:15; 28:6).
7. Psalm 101:4 tn Heb “know.” The king will not willingly allow perverse individuals to remain in his royal court.