My eyes favor the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he who walks in the way of integrity shall minister to me.
Parallel translations
- WEB My eyes will be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he will serve me.
- KJV Mine 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.
- NKJV My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me.
- NASB ¶My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; One who walks in a blameless way is one who will serve me.
- NLT I will search for faithful people to be my companions. Only those who are above reproach will be allowed to serve me.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David looks to the faithful of the land to dwell with him and serve him. He surrounds himself with people of integrity.
Overview
The king chooses companions and servants from among the trustworthy and upright. The character of those near a leader shapes the character of his rule. This anticipates Christ, the King who gathers a faithful people to dwell with Him and serve Him forever.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Ps 119:63I am a friend to all who fear You, and to those who keep Your precepts.
- Luke 12:43–44Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.
- Rev 21:3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God.
- John 12:26If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, My servant will be as well. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
- Rom 13:1–4Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which is from God. The authorities that exist have been appointed by God.
- Ps 119:1–3Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the Law of the LORD.
- John 17:24Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, that they may see the glory You gave Me because You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
- Matt 24:45Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time?
- Phil 3:12–15Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
- Ps 15:4who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,
- Ps 34:15The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- Prov 29:2When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
- Prov 28:28When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous flourish.
- John 14:3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.
- Rev 3:20–21Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me.
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 101:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.