Ps 14:4

“Whoever abhors the wicked, even if they are very rich, while "honoring those who fear the Lord," even if they are very lowly and poor, will live in honor and respect. There is therefore need to consider how in the apparent reply of God complete instruction in virtue emerges, the intention being for a person first to attend to piety and righteousness, then to keep one's distance from all wicked behavior, and after this not to admire the deportment of the rich if piety does not accompany wealth.… One should have especial regard for the poor provided they did not have a change of heart for the worse as a result of poverty but rather continued to be devoted to a godly way of life.”

“"The malicious one has been brought to nought in his sight" [Psalm 15:4]. This is perfection, that the malicious one have no force against a man; and that this be "in his sight;" that is, that he know most surely that the malicious is not, save when the mind turns itself away from the eternal and immutable form of her own Creator to the form of the creature, which was made out of nothing. "But those that fear the Lord, He glorifies:" the Lord Himself, that is. Now "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." As then the things above belong to the perfect, so what he is now going to say belongs to beginners.”

“When people swear an oath, they make a promise with God as their witness. But when God himself makes a promise, it is more appropriate to say that he has sworn. For "to swear" means "to speak justly" or "to speak truthfully." Now a person speaks truthfully when he promises those things which are fulfilled. Therefore God's swearing consists in making promises and fulfilling them, as it says elsewhere: "The Lord has sworn truthfulness to David, and he will not deceive him."”

“A base person is despised in his eyes One who is base with his wickedness is despised in the eyes of the righteous man, e.g. Hezekiah, who dragged his father’s remains in disgrace. he swears to hurt himself. and does not retract his oath. How much more does he not retract it if it concerns something that is not to his hurt!”

“Despised is he in his own eyes, rejected: – He recounts further some of his good qualities. For although he walketh perfectly and worketh righteousness and speaketh truth, he does not pride himself upon this, but is despised in his own eyes and rejected, thinking in his heart that he cannot perform one-thousandth part of what it is his duty to do for the honour of his Creator. But he honoureth them that fear the Lord: – He is despised in his own eyes, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord; for all the good things he has done he counts as nothing compared with what he considers he ought to do, while the good (works) another does he holds to be great things. He feels too that there are others among those who fear the Lord in a superior degree to himself, and that they fear the Name more than he, and so he imputes to them superiority over himself, and honours them. And he makes a further enumeration of his good qualities: He sweareth to his own hurt: – The interpretation of להרע (to his hurt) is to the hurt of his body in fasting, and in abstinence from pleasures; and so to be in want of clothing even for the sake of righteousness and the mitzvoth. and changeth not – what he has sworn, although it be to the injury of his person. He will not change, but carry it out as he has promised. And as regards the expression he uses, sweareth, (it is) because when he has spoken a hard thing against himself, he sweareth so that the evil impulse shall not distract him from the performance of it. And so David says (Ps. 119:106): “I have sworn and have confirmed it, that I will observe Thy righteous judgments.””

“"The malicious one is brought to nothing." Here he shows that one should not be contemptuous. In a man there are two things: vice and virtue. Vice is to be despised; and so he says the malicious person, insofar as he is such, "is brought to nothing," that is, is considered as nothing. And this is good: first, to remove emulation, for sometimes a wicked person is exalted. Jer. 12: "The way of the wicked prospers," etc. But on account of this, one should by no means consider him great, but ought to despise him. 1 Macc. 2: "The glory of a sinful man is dung and worms. Today he is exalted and tomorrow he shall not be found, because he has returned to his earth and his thought has perished." Or someone great intends to do harm; but since he is malicious, despise him, because the derogation of such persons is the approbation of our life. Ps. 26: "Though armies should stand against me, my heart shall not fear" -- that is, sinners. But the virtuous man you should consider great; and so he says, "those who fear the Lord he glorifies." Sir. 25: "How great is he who has found wisdom and knowledge! But there is none above him who fears the Lord." The Gloss expounds differently: "the malicious one is brought to nothing in his sight," that is, the Devil has been bound by him. 1 Jn. 2: "You have overcome the evil one," etc. "The Lord glorifies those who fear the Lord," namely Himself. But the first exposition is more literal.”

“Here he forbids deceiving one's neighbor. Now a neighbor is deceived in three ways: namely, in promises, and this through an oath. And so he says, "he who swears," etc. -- that is, he confirms something in order to deceive, because he does not keep it. Zech. 8: "Love not a false oath." Lev. 19: "You shall not swear falsely by the name of your God, nor shall you profane it." Swearing does not pertain to virtue, but keeping the oath does.”