<<  PSALM XV.  >>

A Psalm of David.

1. Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle ?
Who shall dwell in thy holy hill ?
2. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness,
And speaketh truth in his heart;
3. He that slandereth not with his tongue,
Nor doeth evil to his friend,
Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor;
4. In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah;
He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;
5. He that putteth not out his money to interest,
Nor taketh reward against the innocent.
He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

 

1. Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle ?
Who shall dwell in thy holy hill ?

1. See Psalm ii. 6. R. 586.
A mountain signifies love to the Lord, and thus all the good thence derived, which is called celestial good. Jerusalem is called a holy mountain and a holy hill. E. 405.

1, 2. Dwelling in tents denotes the holy of love. In ancient times they performed holy worship in their tents. A. 414.

2. He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness,
And speaketh truth in his heart;

An upright man is one who is so from holiness, or the good of charity. A. 612.
To tarry in the tent of Jehovah stands for heaven, and in the good of love there. A. 10545.
The Lord's Divine Human as to the Divine love, and also the heaven and church which are in love to the Lord are signified by the tabernacle. R. 585.
By tabernacle is signified the church as to the good of love, consequently also the good of love. By the mountain of holiness, by which is meant Jerusalem, is signified the church as to the truth of doctrine from that good; hence it may be known what is signified by abiding in them. He who walketh in integrity signifies one who is in good as to life, and in truths as to doctrine, wherefore it is also said, who doeth justice, and speaketh truth in his heart. E. 799.

3. He that slandereth not with his tongue,
Nor doeth evil to his friend,
Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor;

1-3. By sincerity are also meant integrity, justice, faithfulness, and uprightness. A man cannot be in these from
himself, so as to love them from themselves and for their own sake. But he is in them who shuns the various forms of fraud, cunning, and deceit as sins, and he is thus in them not from himself but from the Lord. Life 84.
 
1-5. Those who love the neighbour and God will be of the Lord's church.

4. In whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah;
He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;

1, 2, 4. Affliction is to subdue and subjugate the evils and falsities that rise up from the external man into the rational. Thus it is not to plunge one's self into poverty and wretchedness, or to renounce the enjoyments of the body. A. 1947.
 
2. Faith because it is of charity, or truth because it is of good, and hence the truths of good are sometimes called the judgments of justice. A. 2235.
Since justice is of good, and judgment is of truth, it is also expressed by justice and truth. See Zechariah viii. 8:
Psalm xxxvi. 5, 6; lxxxv. 11,12. A. 9263.

5. He that putteth not out his money to interest,
Nor taketh reward against the innocent.
He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

2, 5. To give his silver to usury is to teach for the sake of gain alone, thus to do good for the sake of recompense. A. 9210.

Author: EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772)