I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
Parallel translations
- WEB I was also blameless with him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
- BSB And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.
- NKJV I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity.
- NASB I was also blameless with Him, And I kept myself from my wrongdoing.
- NLT I am blameless before God; I have kept myself from sin.
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 was blameless before God and kept himself from his own iniquity. It matters because integrity involves guarding against the sin to which one is prone.
Overview
David claims to have been blameless toward God, keeping himself from his particular iniquity. This describes sincere integrity and watchfulness against besetting sin, not sinless perfection. Full and final blamelessness belongs to Christ alone, who keeps and perfects his people for the day of his appearing.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Matt 18:8–9Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
- Matt 5:29–30And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
- Ps 37:27Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.
- 1 Sam 26:23The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD’s anointed.
- Ps 11:7For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
- 1 Chr 29:17I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
- Ps 17:3Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
- Ps 7:1–8O LORD my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 18:23 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.