Unto the end, a psalm for David. Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence: and I have put my trust in the Lord, and shall not be weakened.

“"Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in my innocence" [Psalm 26:1]. Judge me, O Lord, for, after the mercy which You first showed me, I have some desert of my innocence, the way whereof I have kept. "And trusting in the Lord I shall not be moved." And yet not even so trusting in myself, but in the Lord, I shall abide in Him.”

“Above, the Psalmist proposed a prayer against tribulations; but here, that his prayer might be more acceptable, he sets forth his own justice. The title is plain, because it is not new. Concerning this, then, the Psalmist does two things. First he sets forth in general his whole intention. Second he expounds it in particular, at the words "I have not sat with the council." Concerning the first he does three things. First he asks for judgment. Second he alleges his justice, at "for I." Third he excuses his presumption, at "for thy mercy." Now David, speaking in his own person or in that of the just man, seeing himself mixed in with sinners in place, though not in merit, asks to be distinguished from them; hence he says, "Judge me, O Lord," that is, distinguish me from them. But against this: "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight no man living shall be justified," Psalm 142. I answer that judgment is twofold, namely of severity and of strict rigor: and this judgment he does not ask for, because no one could bear it; the other is the judgment of mercy and of discussion: and this he asks for. Jeremiah 10: "Correct me, O Lord, yet in judgment, and not in thy fury," that is, not in severity. And he sets forth his innocence; and therefore he says, "for I have entered into my innocence," that is, I have progressed in my innocence, or I have entered, because our life is a certain progression. Proverbs 4: "I will lead thee by the paths of equity, which when thou shalt have entered," and so on. And this in my innocence, which I propose to keep: Job 22: "The innocent shall be saved, and he shall be saved in the cleanness of his hands." "I shall not be weakened": Jerome has, "I shall not fail," namely in keeping this innocence: Job 27: "Until I fail I will not depart from it": and this I shall do not by my own strength, but by confidence in divine help, because "trusting in the Lord, I shall not be weakened": 1 Maccabees 2: "All that hope in him shall not be weakened." But against this: this seems to be presumption: Job 9: "If I would justify myself, my own mouth shall condemn me." I answer that the alleging of innocence can sometimes proceed from pride, namely when someone attributes it to himself, and this is evil; sometimes from divine mercy, and this is good; and therefore he adds, "for thy mercy." But how do you know that you are innocent? "Prove me, O Lord," you know this. And he sets down three things: namely proof, tribulation, and temptation. The second follows from the first, the third from the second. He says therefore, "Prove me, O Lord," not that thou mayest learn anything about me from this, but that thou mayest show it to others. Now a man is best proved through temptation, which is the taking of an experiment; temptation is the taking of an experiment concerning that which someone does not know; but proof is of that which one knows, by the manifestation of virtue. And therefore he says, "try me," namely to this end, that I may appear proved to myself and to others: for God does not tempt to evil: James 1: "For God is not a tempter of evils"; but he is said to tempt when certain things are shown by reason of immense difficulty. Now this temptation comes about through fire, as is said in Wisdom 3: "As gold in the furnace he hath proved them." And therefore he says, "burn my reins and my heart," that is, send in tribulations, through which it may become clear what is in my heart and in my reins. To the heart is attributed thought, to the reins delight. And this appears through tribulations, because those who delight in earthly things are greatly disturbed when they lose them, but not those who do not delight in them. Or it can be referred to the fire of the Holy Spirit: Luke 12: "I am come to cast fire on the earth": as if to say: lest I fail in tribulations, bring aid, send the fire which may burn up whatever of carnality is in my delights and vanities in thought. "For." Here he excuses himself in two ways for asking to be tried. First from his own thought, because he thinks on the mercy of God, when he says, "for thy mercy is before my eyes," as if to say: I ask to be tried for this reason, because I trust in thy mercy, which always brings about an increase together with the temptation: Isaiah 63: "I will remember the mercies of the Lord, the praise of the Lord for all that the Lord hath rendered to me." Likewise from love of justice. "And I have been well pleased in thy truth," that is, if thou punish me for my sins, it pleases me; if I am tried, I know that thou wilt reward me. "I have not." Here he explains his intention in particular. And first he sets down his innocence. Second he sets down his petition, at "destroy not my soul with the wicked, O God." He shows, then, his innocence. And first through withdrawal from evils. Second through drawing near to good, at "I will wash." Now there is a threefold kind of evil, according to three sins. For sin is either against God, or against one's neighbor, or against oneself. Against oneself are the sins of vanity, by which a man vainly delights in earthly things; and of these he says, "I have not sat with the council of vanity," as if to say: I do not say that I have not been with them in some measure, because it cannot happen that a man does not at some time vainly delight in earthly things; but he says, "I have not sat": Tobit 3: "I never mingled myself with them that play, neither did I make myself a partaker with them that walk in lightness." Sins which are against one's neighbor are sins that are generated by deed; hence he says, "and with them that do unjust things I will not go in," that is, not only have I not sat, etc., but I have not even gone in, that is, I have in no way mingled myself with them: Proverbs 1: "My son, if sinners shall entice thee, walk not with them." Likewise the aforesaid sins are thought in the heart; hence he says, "I have hated the assembly of the malignant," that is, the congregation of the malignant: Psalm 118: "I have hated the unjust," that is, the fault and the iniquity. Third he sets down the sin against God, and this is impiety; and therefore he says, "and with the wicked," that is, heretics and schismatics, "I will not sit," that is, I will not communicate with their doctrines: Hebrews 13: "Be not led away with divers and strange doctrines." "I will wash." Above the Psalmist showed his innocence by the fact that he separated himself from evils; here, however, he shows it by the fact that he applies himself to goods. And because the goods by whose application we are made just are divine goods, therefore he speaks of his application to them. Concerning this he does two things. First he sets down his zeal. Second the effect, at "Lord, I have loved the beauty of thy house." Concerning the first he does three things. First he proposes his disposition toward the divine worship. Second he sets down the worship itself, at "I will compass." Third the fruit, at "that I may hear the voice of praise." Disposition comes about through purity and innocence: Psalm 14: "Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle," and so on. Psalm 23: "The innocent in hands, and clean of heart." And therefore, that he may approach as one pure, he treats of purity. He says therefore, "I will wash my hands among the innocent," that is, my works, which are chiefly washed by God, through the grace which he infuses: Psalm 50: "Wash me yet more from my iniquity," and so on. Likewise they are washed by us through penance: Isaiah 1: "Wash yourselves, be clean," and so on. "I will wash," therefore, that is, I will apply penance so that they may be washed. And this, "among the innocent," because character is formed by association: Psalm 17: "With the innocent thou wilt be innocent," and so on. And thus washed, I will approach the divine worship. "And I will compass thy altar, O Lord." Here he speaks of the material altar, and it is said, "I will compass thy altar, O Lord," because either he prays, or he stands beside it; Ecclesiasticus 50, concerning Simon the high priest, "he himself standing near the altar." And therefore the priest, when he approaches the sacrament, says "I will wash," and so on. Or it can be understood of the spiritual altar. The altar is in the temple: and just as there is a threefold temple, so there is a threefold altar. The first is the just man: 1 Corinthians 6: "Know you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost?" The altar of this temple is the heart: Leviticus 6: "Fire," namely of charity, "on the altar," that is, in the heart, "shall always burn." This altar we ought to compass, or stand beside it, that is, adorn it, always returning to Christ: Proverbs 4: "With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it." The other temple is the Church: and the altar of this temple is Christ: Hebrews, last chapter: "We have an altar, whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle." Or it is faith. And this we ought to compass, so that we may be about it with our whole heart. The third temple is God himself: Apocalypse 21: "I saw a temple in it, the Lord God Almighty is the temple thereof," and so on: and the altar of this is the mercy of God. And this we ought to compass with desire of mind: Psalm 144: "The Lord is sweet to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works." Consequently he shows the fruit: and it is a twofold fruit, namely to hear and to declare; hence he says, "that I may hear the voice of praise." And this, according to the letter, concerns the material altar, because this sacrifice is most acceptable to God: Psalm 49: "The sacrifice of praise shall honor me." Likewise the praise which the Holy Spirit speaks in us: Psalm 84: "I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me." Likewise, in heaven: Isaiah 35: "Joy and gladness," and so on. Or, "I may hear the voice of praise," that is, of Christ praising me: and this will be at the judgment, when he shall say, "I was hungry," and so on, Matthew 25. But Apocalypse, last chapter, it is said: "He that heareth, let him say, Come." Hence we hear to this end, that we may say to others: Isaiah 21: "What I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared unto you." And therefore he adds, "that I may tell all thy wondrous works": Ecclesiasticus 42: "Did not God make the saints to declare... and so on. And he says, "all wondrous works," as regards affection or endeavor, not as regards effect, because he himself is greater than all praise. "Lord." Here he shows the affection which he has toward the divine worship: which, that it may be fitting, ought to be an affection of love. Wherefore he says, "Lord, I have loved the beauty of thy house." Dionysius: "The good and the beautiful are lovable to all." Hence every man loves the beautiful: carnal men love carnal beauty, spiritual men love spiritual beauty, and this is the beauty of the house of God: Numbers 24: "How beautiful are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, and thy tents, O Israel! As woody valleys, as watered gardens near the rivers, as tabernacles which the Lord hath pitched." Now this beauty is that of good works, or of divine gifts, or of the saints themselves; because all these are, as it were, a certain beauty of the house of God. All these things, therefore, I have loved, that they might make me fit for the beauty of the house of God. Thus, then, the affection is shown, because there is love, and beauty, and comeliness. But it must be known that this beauty comes from the indwelling of God; just as a house is not beautiful unless it be inhabited: hence, either I have loved myself so that thou mayest dwell in me, or I have loved my homeland so that I may dwell there, or that I may tend toward it. And therefore he says, "and the place where thy glory dwelleth": and all these things, that is, good works, the gifts of God, and the saints themselves, are the beauty of the house of God, insofar as the divine grace, which beautifies as light does, shines forth in them, as Ambrose says, that without light all things are ugly: Ezekiel 43: "The glory of the Lord went in by the gate." "Take not away." Here he explains the petition of judgment which he asks; and he expounds what kind of judgment he asked. And he asks two things. First he asks to be separated from the evils which can come to pass in the future. Second from the evils which he suffers in the present, at "redeem." First, then, he sets down the petition. Here it must be known that punishment from God is reserved for two kinds of men: namely those who are impious or sinners against God: Ezekiel 18: "The wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him." And therefore he says, "take not away," etc.: as if to say: if here I am afflicted and suffer earthly evils along with the wicked, nevertheless take not away my soul with them. Likewise punishment is reserved for the impious against their neighbor: therefore he says, "and my life with bloody men": Psalm 54: "Bloody and deceitful men." Here are reckoned all who offend against their neighbor, in whatever way. Now there is a threefold blood. One which is caused from food and drink: hence food and drink are called the blood of the poor: Ecclesiasticus 34: "The bread of the nations is the life of the poor: he that defraudeth him thereof is a man of blood." The second is the blood of man; and this the murderer sheds. The third is the blood of seed for the preservation of the species, and this the fornicator sheds, because he does not act for the sake of offspring. "In whose hands are iniquities": as if to say: I ask this, namely that I be separated from these then, because now I am separated in conduct and life, since in their hands are iniquities, that is, they are greatly prone to evil: Proverbs 1: "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood": Isaiah 59: "Works of iniquity are in their hands." Likewise there is an inclination of their affection toward worldly things; hence he says, "their right hand is filled with gifts": Job 15: "Fire shall devour the tabernacles of them that love to take gifts." Or, "their right hand is filled with gifts": as if to say, although they themselves are wicked, yet thou givest them temporal things, and in these consists their reward: Matthew 6: "They have received their reward." Consequently he describes himself, saying, "but as for me, I have entered into my innocence": as if to say, I ask this, that just as thou preparest evils for them, so thou mayest prepare good things for me, as it is said in Psalm 83: "He will not deprive of good things them that walk in innocence." Consequently he asks to be freed from present evils. The evils which befall a man can be twofold; for they are either exterior evils, and from these he asks to be redeemed; hence he says, "redeem me," as a servant from the evils that press upon me. Or it concerns the redemption of the human race. Or they are interior evils, and from these he asks to be freed; hence he says, "have mercy on me," because misery properly regards interior evil: Proverbs 14: "Sin maketh nations miserable." "For my foot." Here is set down the reason why he asks this; and it is twofold. One concerns the past, which is the rectitude of life; hence he says, "my foot," that is, my affection, or my course, "hath stood in the direct way." Likewise concerning the future he proposes to serve thee always; hence he says: "in the churches I will bless thee, O Lord," that is, before many: Psalm 39: "I have declared thy justice in a great church." And he speaks in the plural, on account of the multitude of the particular churches, as is said in Apocalypse 3.”

“It is probable that David penned this psalm when he was persecuted by Saul and his party, who, to give some colour to their unjust rage, represented him as a very bad man, and falsely accused him of many high crimes and misdemeanors, dressed him up in the skins of wild beasts that they might bait him. Innocency itself is no fence to the name, though it is to the bosom, against the darts of calumny. Herein he was a type of Christ, who was made a reproach of men, and foretold to his followers that they also must have all manner of evil said against them falsely. Now see what David does in this case. I. He appeals to God's righteous sentence (Psa 26:1): "Judge me, O God! be thou Judge between me and my accusers, between the persecutor and the poor prisoner; bring me off with honour, and put those to shame that falsely accuse me." Saul, who was himself supreme judge in Israel, was his adversary, so that in a controversy with him he could appeal to no other then to God himself. As to his offences against God, he prays, Lord, enter not into judgment with me (Psa 143:2), remember not my transgressions (Psa 25:7), in which he appeals to God's mercy; but, as to his offences against Saul, he appeals to God's justice and begs of him to judge for him, as Psa 43:1. Or thus: he cannot justify himself against the charge of sin; he owns his iniquity is great and he is undone if God, in his infinite mercy, do not forgive him; but he can justify himself against the charge of hypocrisy, and has reason to hope that, according to the tenour of the covenant of grace, he is one of those that may expect to find favour with God. Thus holy Job often owns he has sinned and yet he holds fast his integrity. Note, It is a comfort to those who are falsely accused that there is a righteous God, who, sooner or later, will clear up their innocency, and a comfort to all who are sincere in religion that God himself is a witness to their sincerity. II. He submits to his unerring search (Psa 26:2): Examine me, O Lord! and prove me, as gold is proved, whether it be standard. God knows every man's true character, for he knows the thoughts and intents of the heart, as sees through every disguise. David prays, Lord, examine me, which intimates that he was well pleased that God did know him and truly desirous that he would discover him to himself and discover him to all the world. So sincere was he in his devotion to his God and his loyalty to his prince (in both which he was suspected to be a pretender) that he wished he had a window in his bosom, that whoever would might look into his heart. III. He solemnly protests his sincerity (Psa 26:1): "I have walked in my integrity; my conversation had agreed with my profession, and one part of it has been of a piece with another." It is vain to boast of our integrity unless we can make it out that by the grace of God we have walked in our integrity, and that our conversation in the world has been in simplicity and godly sincerity. He produces here several proofs of his integrity, which encouraged him to trust in the Lord as his righteous Judge, who would patronise and plead his righteous cause, with an assurance that he should come off with reputation (therefore I shall not slide), and that those should not prevail who consulted to cast him down from his excellency, to shake his faith, blemish his name, and prevent his coming to the crown, Psa 62:4. Those that are sincere in religion may trust in God that they shall not slide, that is, that they shall not apostasize from their religion. 1. He had a constant regard to God and to his grace, Psa 26:3. (1.) He aimed at God's good favour as his end and chief good: Thy loving-kindness is before my eyes. This will be a good evidence of our sincerity, if what we do in religion we do from a principle of love to God, and good thoughts of him as the best of beings and the best of friends and benefactors, and from a grateful sense of God's goodness to us in particular, which we have had the experience of all our days. If we set God's loving-kindness before us as our pattern, to which we endeavour to conform ourselves, being followers of him that is good, in his goodness (Pe1 3:13), - if we set it before us as our great engagement and encouragement to our duty, and are afraid of doing any thing to forfeit God's favour and in care by all means to keep ourselves in his love, - this will not only be a good evidence of our integrity, but will have a great influence upon our perseverance in it. (2.) He governed himself by the word of God as his rule: "I have walked in thy truth, that is, according to thy law, for thy law is truth." Note, Those only may expect the benefit of God's loving-kindness that live up to his truths, and his laws that are grounded upon them. Some understand it of his conforming himself to God's example in truth and faithfulness, as well as in goodness and loving-kindness. Those certainly walk well that are followers of God as dear children. 2. He had no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, nor with the workers of those works, Psa 26:4, Psa 26:5. By this it appeared he was truly loyal to his prince that he never associated with those that were disaffected to his government, with any of those sons of Belial that despised him, Sa1 10:27. He was in none of their cabals, nor joined with them in any of their intrigues; he cursed not the king, no, not in his heart. And this also was an evidence of his faithfulness to his God, that he never associated with those who he had any reason to think were disaffected to religion, or were open enemies, or false friends, to its interests. Note, Great care to avoid bad company is both a good evidence of our integrity and a good means to preserve us in it. Now observe here, (1.) That this part of his protestation looks both backward upon the care he had hitherto taken in this matter, and forward upon the care he would still take: "I have not sat with them, and I will not go in with them." Note, Our good practices hitherto are then evidence of our integrity when they are accompanied with resolutions, in God's strength, to persevere in them to the end, and not to draw back; and our good resolutions for the future we may then take the comfort of when they are the continuation of our good practices hitherto. (2.) That David shunned the company, not only of wicked persons, but of vain persons, that were wholly addicted to mirth and gaiety and had nothing solid or serious in them. The company of such may perhaps be the more pernicious of the two to a good man because he will not be so ready to stand upon his guard against the contagion of vanity as against that of downright wickedness. (3.) That the company of dissemblers is as dangerous company as any, and as much to be shunned, in prudence as well as piety. Evil-doers pretend friendship to those whom they would decoy into their snares, but they dissemble. When they speak fair, believe them not. (4.) Though sometimes he could not avoid being in the company of bad people, yet he would not go in with them, he would not choose such for his companions nor seek an opportunity of acquaintance and converse with them. He might fall in with them, but he would not, by appointment and assignation, go in with them. Or, if he happened to be with them, he would not sit with them, he would not continue with them; he would be in their company no longer than his business made it necessary: he would not concur with them, not say as they said, nor do as they did, as those that sit in the seat of the scornful, Psa 1:1. He would not sit in counsel with them upon ways and means to do mischief, nor sit in judgment with them to condemn the generation of the righteous. (5.) We must not only in our practice avoid bad company, but in our principles and affections we must have an aversion to it. David here says, not only "I have shunned it," but, "I have hated it," Psa 139:21. (6.) The congregation of evil-doers, the club, the confederacy of them, is in a special manner hateful to good people. I have hated ecclesiam malignantium - the church of the malignant; so the vulgar Latin reads its. As good men, in concert, make one another better, and are enabled to do so much the more good, so bad men, in combination, make one another worse, and do so much the more mischief. In all this David was a type of Christ, who, though he received sinners and ate with them, to instruct them and do them good, yet, otherwise, was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners, particularly from the Pharisees, those dissemblers. He was also an example to Christians, when they join themselves to Christ, to save themselves from this untoward generation, Act 2:40.”

“Judge me, O Lord,.... Meaning not that God would enter into judgment with him, in respect to the justification of his person in his sight, which he knew was not by his own righteousness and integrity, but by the righteousness of God; but his view is, to the justification of his cause before men; and particularly to the difference between Saul and him; and entreats that God would interpose, take his cause in hand, judge between them, and vindicate him; for I have walked in mine integrity; or "perfection" (o) not that he thought himself free from sin; this would be contrary to the complaints, confessions, and petitions frequently made by him; but that in the affair with which he was accused, of seeking Saul's harm, Sa1 24:9; he was quite innocent: by his "integrity" he means the purity of his intentions and designs; the uprightness of his conduct, the simplicity and sincerity of his conduct towards all men, and especially his fidelity to his prince; but though he knew nothing by himself, and could not charge himself with any wrong action in this respect, and therefore ought to be acquitted before men; yet he did not expect hereby to be justified in the sight of God; I have trusted also in the Lord; not in himself, in the sincerity of his heart, and the uprightness of his life; nor did he trust to the goodness of his cause; but he committed it to the Lord, who judgeth righteously; and trusted in him that he should not be ashamed and confounded: this shows from whence his integrity sprung, even from faith unfeigned; for, where that is true and genuine, there are works of righteousness, and integrity of life; therefore I shall not slide; these words may be connected with the former, thus; "I have trusted also in the Lord, that I shall not slide" (p); that is, shall not fail in judgment, or lose the cause; but shall stand and carry it, and not be confounded or condemned. Our version supplies the word "therefore", making these words to be an inference from the former, that because he trusted in the Lord, therefore he should not slide, slip, and fall; not but that true believers may not only have their feet well nigh slipped, but altogether; yea, fall, and that sometimes into great sins, to the breaking of their bones; but then they shall not totally and finally fall; for they stand by faith, and are kept through it by the power of God. The words may be considered as a prayer, "let me not slide" (q); being sensible of his own weakness, and of the necessity of being upheld in his uprightness, and in the ways of the Lord by him, that his footsteps might not slip; for though he walked in his uprightness, he was not self-sufficient and self-confident, but dependent on the Lord. (o) "in perfectione mea", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; so the Targum, Ainsworth. (p) "me non vacillaturum", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. (q) "Ne nutare me patiaris", Gejerus.”

“David. Hebrew and the most correct copies of the Septuagint, &c., have only “Of David.” (Haydock) — The Complutensian and Aldine editions add indeed A psalm. But these form no rule, as the Vatican Septuagint is allowed to be the best. (Berthier) — The others may, however, be consulted, as in some instances they may be preferable. (Haydock) — This psalm might be composed to counteract the calumnies propagated against David, while he lived among the Philistines; (Theodoret; Flaminius) or it may contain the sentiments of the captives, as well as the two following canticles. (Calmet) — The Church, (St. Augustine, &c.) or any afflicted soul, may thus appeal to the justice of God, (Berthier) and particularly the sacred ministers, when they are going to appear before him. — Innocence. Only those whose conscience reproaches them with nothing, can hold this language. God is a just and unerring judge. (Calmet) — Weakened. Hebrew also “slide,” (Protestants) or “stagger.” (Symmachus) I am confident that my enemies will have no advantage over me. (Calmet)”

“Psa 26:1-2 The poet, as one who is persecuted, prays for the vindication of his rights and for rescue; and bases this petition upon the relation in which he stands to God. שׁפטני, as in Psa 7:9; Psa 35:24, cf. Psa 43:1. תּם (synon. תמים, which, however, does not take any suffix) is, according to Gen 20:5., Kg1 22:34, perfect freedom from all sinful intent, purity of character, pureness, guilelessness (ἀκακία, ἀπλότης). Upon the fact, that he has walked in a harmless mind, without cherishing or provoking enmity, and trusted unwaveringly (לא אמעד, an adverbial circumstantial clause, cf. Psa 21:8) in Jahve, he bases the petition for the proving of his injured right. He does not self-righteously hold himself to be morally perfect, he appeals only to the fundamental tendency of his inmost nature, which is turned towards God and to Him only. Psa 26:2 also is not so much a challenge for God to satisfy Himself of his innocence, as rather a request to prove the state of his mind, and, if it be not as it appears to his consciousness, to make this clear to him (Psa 139:23.). בּחן is not used in this passage of proving by trouble, but by a penetrating glance into the inmost nature (Psa 11:5; Psa 17:3). נסּה, not in the sense of πειράζειν, but of δοκομάζειν. צרף, to melt down, i.e., by the agency of fire, the precious metal, and separate the dross (Psa 12:7; Psa 66:10). The Chethמb is not to be read צרוּפה (which would be in contradiction to the request), but צרופה, as it is out of pause also in Isa 32:11, cf. Jdg 9:8, Jdg 9:12; Sa1 28:8. The reins are the seat of the emotions, the heart is the very centre of the life of the mind and soul. Psa 26:3 Psa 26:3 tells how confidently and cheerfully he would set himself in the light of God. God's grace or loving-kindness is the mark on which his eye is fixed, the desire of his eye, and he walks in God's truth. חסד is the divine love, condescending to His creatures, and more especially to sinners (Psa 25:7), in unmerited kindness; אמת is the truth with which God adheres to and carries out the determination of His love and the word of His promise. This lovingkindness of God has been always hitherto the model of his life, this truth of God the determining line and the boundary of his walk.”