The big picture
Psalms 101 opens in verse 1 with “I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD , will I sing.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 4 with “A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.”, and closes in verse 8 with “I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers…” Repeated or prominent terms include wicked, heart, perfect, dwell, eyes. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 8Psalms 101:1-8
1–8: I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD , will I sing.
Psalms 101:1–8 opens with “I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD , will I sing.” and reaches “I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by wicked, heart, perfect.
Context that brings the passage to life
This block contains 1 explicit questions. They are more than punctuation: they reveal where a voice is searching, challenging, afraid, or trying to understand.
“I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD , will I sing.” The line’s distinctive content terms include sing, judgment, LORD. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.
“I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Psalms 101:1-8
King James Version1I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD , will I sing.
2I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
5Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
6Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
7He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
8I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD .
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 101:1 begins with “I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD , will I sing.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 101:2 forms a natural hinge: “I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”
The final note
Psalms 101:8 leaves the reader with “I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD .”
A word trail through the chapter
The words wicked, heart, perfect, dwell, eyes, house help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.