“He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.”
The second specific vice—'no one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house'—continues the pattern of exclusion, here targeting internal deception within the court structure itself. The 'house' refers to the royal household and by extension the administrative apparatus that depends on the ruler's trust. Deceit in this inner circle is far more dangerous than external opposition because it corrodes the ruler's ability to act wisely. The verb 'practice' (asa) suggests habitual, professional deceit—the courtier whose stock-in-trade is falsehood. By pledging to root out such figures, the ruler claims to preside over a court where truth-telling is not merely encouraged but foundational to membership.
Church Fathers on Psalms 101:7
1. In this Psalm, we ought to seek in the whole body of it what we find in the first verse: “Mercy and judgment will I sing unto You, O Lord” Psalm 100:1. Let no man flatter himself that he will never be punished through God's mercy; for there is judgment also; and let no man who has been changed for the better dread the Lord's judgment, seeing that mercy goes before it. For when men judge, sometimes overcome by mercy, they act against justice; and mercy, but not justice,…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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