Psalm 101

Commonplace –

“I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way” (Psalm 101:2).

The title of Psalm 101 includes the description, “A Psalm of David”. As Matthew Henry notes,

“David was certainly the penman of this psalm, and it has in it the genuine spirit of the man after God’s own heart; it is a solemn vow which he made to God when he took upon him the charge of a family and of the kingdom” (Henry 502).

David was committed to God. Yes, he struggled, but his desire was to do his best for the Lord. Later, Christ came. He also was committed to God and desired to do His best for God. The Bible even tells us Jesus was tempted in every way we are tempted,

“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15, emphasis mine).

Christ was able to do what David could not, “behave himself wisely in a perfect way”.

In regard to living in a ‘perfect way’, Matthew Henry states,

“When we make the word of God our rule, and are ruled by it, the glory of God our end, and aim at it, then we walk in a perfect way with a perfect heart” (Henry 503).

We may struggle like David to maintain our solemn vow, but we can be like him and strive towards the goal and be ruled by it.

Works Cited

Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 101.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

© 2025 Angela Hormberg