\*Ver. 9. \\Gather not my soul with sinners\\, &c.] Profligate
and abandoned ones, such as are notoriously
profane, and who live and die impenitent ones; otherwise
all men are sinners: the sense is, either that he
desires that he might not, by any means, be brought
into the company of such persons, be joined unto
them, and have a conversation with them, which
would be uncomfortable, dishonourable, and dangerous;
or that God would not destroy him with them;
and that he might not die the death of the wicked,
nor be gathered with them at death: death is often
expressed by a man's being gathered to his people,
and to his fathers; see \\#2Ki 22:20\\; the body is
gathered to the grave, the soul returns to God that
gave it, and has its place assigned by him; the souls
of the righteous are gathered into heaven, Christ's
garner; the souls of the wicked into hell; the psalmist
deprecates being gathered with them;
\*\\nor my life
with bloody men\\; that thirst after blood, lie in wait for
it, shed it, and are drunk with it, as the antichristian
party; these God abhors and detests; nor shall they
live out half their days, and their end is miserable.

\*Ver. 10. \\In whose hands [is] mischief\\, &c.] Every
abominable wickedness; as idolatry, adultery, murder,
&c. the word signifies and is sometimes used for mischief
conceived in the mind, artificially devised and
contrived there; here mischief committed, the hand
being the instrument of action, and intends whatever
is prejudicial to the person, character, and properties
of men;
\*\\and their right hand is full of bribes\\; whereby
the eyes of judges are blinded, the words of the
righteous perverted, men's persons respected, and
judgment wrested, \\#De 16:19\\.

\*Ver. 11. \\But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity\\,
&c.] In which he had hitherto walked, \\#Ps 26:1\\;
or it may express his faith, that after he was gathered
by death he should walk in uprightness and righteousness,
in purity and perfection, with Christ in white,
and behold the face of God in righteousness; see \\#Isa 57:1,2\\;
\*\\redeem me\\; from the vain conversation of
the wicked, from all troubles, and out of the hands of
all enemies;
\*\\and be merciful unto me\\; who was now
in distress, being persecuted by Saul, and at a distance
from the house of God: this shows that mercy is the
source and spring of redemption, both temporal and
spiritual; and that the psalmist did not trust in and
depend upon his present upright walk and conversation,
but in redemption by Christ, and upon the mercy
of God in Christ.

\*Ver. 12. \\My foot standeth in an even place\\, &c.] Or
%in a plain% {b}; in a sure place; on Christ the sure foundation,
and who is the plain way and path to eternal
life; see \\#Ps 27:11\\; or in the ways and worship
of God, prescribed by his word; and so denotes steadfastness
and continuance in them;
\*\\in the congregations
will I bless the Lord\\; in the assemblies of the saints, in
the churches of Christ below, and in the great congregation
above, in the general assembly and church of the
firstborn; where it is the work of saints now, and
will be hereafter, to praise the Lord, for all his mercies
temporal and spiritual.

{b} \^rwvymb\^ %in plano%, Musculus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator,
Cocceius, Michaelis; %in planitie%, Gejerus.