Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Psalm 101:5 turns David’s rule against two evils that destroy righteous government from within: secret slander and pride. Verse 4 removed the froward heart and wicked person from his fellowship; now David names conduct and character he will not tolerate among those around him. A whispering slanderer can destroy innocent men while hiding himself, and a proud man will exalt himself above correction and others. David therefore vows before God to remove both. This is a king ordering his court by righteousness, and it presses every household, church, business, and authority to refuse the same corruptions.
“Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour.” “Privily” makes the evil especially base. The slanderer does not ordinarily meet his neighbor openly with a lawful charge. He speaks behind him, where the injured man cannot hear, answer, explain, or confront the accusation. God’s law commanded, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people” (Leviticus 19:16). Psalm 15 likewise describes the godly man as one who does not backbite with his tongue or take up a reproach against his neighbor (Psalm 15:3). Secret speech can look safe to the cowardly speaker, but David will treat it as serious evil.
Slander is false or malicious speech that damages another person’s name. “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool” (Proverbs 10:18). It may invent a charge, assign an evil motive without proof, distort selected facts, or arrange a report so that the impression left is false. The word “neighbour” makes the sin worse. The slanderer attacks someone near enough to deserve truth and justice. A righteous court cannot function where private accusations circulate more freely than evidence, witnesses, confrontation, and lawful judgment.
David’s own history gives this vow a sobering edge. Ziba met him during Absalom’s rebellion and accused Mephibosheth of remaining behind in hope that Saul’s kingdom would be restored. David immediately awarded Ziba Mephibosheth’s property (II Samuel 16:1-4). Mephibosheth later charged that Ziba had slandered him and explained why he had not gone with David (II Samuel 19:24-27). Whatever difficulties remain in judging every detail, the history warns a king against allowing one man’s private report to settle another man’s cause. Slander thrives when rulers hear one side too quickly.
“Him will I cut off.” David is not threatening private vengeance. He is speaking as king, responsible to remove corrupt men from places where they can injure others. God’s law treated false witness as a judicial evil. When a malicious witness rose against another, the judges were to inquire diligently, and if the witness was false, he was to receive the evil he intended for his brother (Deuteronomy 19:16-19). Slander must have consequences, or the righteous will be sacrificed to the tongue of the boldest liar.
Leaders must therefore refuse careless accusations. Paul commanded, “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses” (I Timothy 5:19). A father, pastor, employer, or ruler who eagerly receives secret charges will train men to manipulate him. Authority exists to restrain evil, not to provide rumor an audience. David will not protect a slanderer because he is useful, connected, or politically convenient. Truth requires hearing, evidence, and righteous judgment before another man’s name is damaged.
“Him that hath an high look.” Pride becomes visible. A “high look” is the outward bearing of a man who lifts himself above others. Scripture places “A proud look” among the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-17). Isaiah declares, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11). The face can advertise what the heart believes. The proud man expects deference, resents correction, and treats others as beneath him. Such a spirit is dangerous near a throne because it continually seeks its own elevation.
Absalom joined both halves of this verse. He privately undermined David’s justice while exalting himself: “And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!” (II Samuel 15:3-4). By such conduct he stole the hearts of the men of Israel (II Samuel 15:6). Secret slander of the king and a high look grew together until they became open rebellion and death.
“And a proud heart.” David goes beneath the look to its source. “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 16:5). Pride makes self the measure of worth, judgment, importance, and entitlement. It resents dependence, correction, obscurity, and submission. Nebuchadnezzar learned this under severe humiliation, and afterward confessed that God’s works are truth, His ways judgment, and that He is able to abase those who walk in pride (Daniel 4:37). David will not knowingly keep near himself men carrying a heart God declares abominable.
Pride and slander also fit together naturally. The proud man wants elevation; lowering another may serve that desire. He struggles to confess wrong because confession humbles him, and he resents correction because another judgment stands above his own. Secret slander and visible arrogance therefore differ in form but often spring from the same self-exalting heart. David’s court cannot be righteous if proud men are allowed to rise by damaging the names of others.
“Will not I suffer.” David means he will not allow or tolerate such a man where his rule can prevent it. Scripture uses “suffer” this way when Paul says, “For ye suffer fools gladly” (II Corinthians 11:19). David is not promising to eliminate pride from the earth. He is defining what he will knowingly permit within his responsibility. Patience with weakness is godly; toleration of established wickedness is not. A ruler becomes partaker in evil when he knowingly shelters what his office ought to restrain.
Jesus Christ, the King above David, judges secret evil and proud hearts perfectly. Paul writes, “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” (Romans 2:16). No hidden slander or proud motive escapes Him. Christ Himself was meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29), and He taught that everyone who exalts himself shall be abased (Luke 18:14). David could judge only what became known; Jesus Christ knows the secret heart and judges without error.
Do not make room for slander because it arrives quietly, and do not excuse pride because it arrives impressively. “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit” (Proverbs 29:23). Refuse the whisperer, resist self-exalting men, hear causes righteously, and keep every place under your authority hostile to the pride and secret malice God hates.
Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
Psalm 101:5 turns David’s rule against two evils that destroy righteous government from within: secret slander and pride. Verse 4 removed the froward heart and wicked person from his fellowship; now David names conduct and character he will not tolerate among those around him. A whispering slanderer can destroy innocent men while hiding himself, and a proud man will exalt himself above correction and others. David therefore vows before God to remove both. This is a king ordering his court by righteousness, and it presses every household, church, business, and authority to refuse the same corruptions.
“Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour.” “Privily” makes the evil especially base. The slanderer does not ordinarily meet his neighbor openly with a lawful charge. He speaks behind him, where the injured man cannot hear, answer, explain, or confront the accusation. God’s law commanded, “Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people” (Leviticus 19:16). Psalm 15 likewise describes the godly man as one who does not backbite with his tongue or take up a reproach against his neighbor (Psalm 15:3). Secret speech can look safe to the cowardly speaker, but David will treat it as serious evil.
Slander is false or malicious speech that damages another person’s name. “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool” (Proverbs 10:18). It may invent a charge, assign an evil motive without proof, distort selected facts, or arrange a report so that the impression left is false. The word “neighbour” makes the sin worse. The slanderer attacks someone near enough to deserve truth and justice. A righteous court cannot function where private accusations circulate more freely than evidence, witnesses, confrontation, and lawful judgment.
David’s own history gives this vow a sobering edge. Ziba met him during Absalom’s rebellion and accused Mephibosheth of remaining behind in hope that Saul’s kingdom would be restored. David immediately awarded Ziba Mephibosheth’s property (II Samuel 16:1-4). Mephibosheth later charged that Ziba had slandered him and explained why he had not gone with David (II Samuel 19:24-27). Whatever difficulties remain in judging every detail, the history warns a king against allowing one man’s private report to settle another man’s cause. Slander thrives when rulers hear one side too quickly.
“Him will I cut off.” David is not threatening private vengeance. He is speaking as king, responsible to remove corrupt men from places where they can injure others. God’s law treated false witness as a judicial evil. When a malicious witness rose against another, the judges were to inquire diligently, and if the witness was false, he was to receive the evil he intended for his brother (Deuteronomy 19:16-19). Slander must have consequences, or the righteous will be sacrificed to the tongue of the boldest liar.
Leaders must therefore refuse careless accusations. Paul commanded, “Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses” (I Timothy 5:19). A father, pastor, employer, or ruler who eagerly receives secret charges will train men to manipulate him. Authority exists to restrain evil, not to provide rumor an audience. David will not protect a slanderer because he is useful, connected, or politically convenient. Truth requires hearing, evidence, and righteous judgment before another man’s name is damaged.
“Him that hath an high look.” Pride becomes visible. A “high look” is the outward bearing of a man who lifts himself above others. Scripture places “A proud look” among the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-17). Isaiah declares, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day” (Isaiah 2:11). The face can advertise what the heart believes. The proud man expects deference, resents correction, and treats others as beneath him. Such a spirit is dangerous near a throne because it continually seeks its own elevation.
Absalom joined both halves of this verse. He privately undermined David’s justice while exalting himself: “And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!” (II Samuel 15:3-4). By such conduct he stole the hearts of the men of Israel (II Samuel 15:6). Secret slander of the king and a high look grew together until they became open rebellion and death.
“And a proud heart.” David goes beneath the look to its source. “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD” (Proverbs 16:5). Pride makes self the measure of worth, judgment, importance, and entitlement. It resents dependence, correction, obscurity, and submission. Nebuchadnezzar learned this under severe humiliation, and afterward confessed that God’s works are truth, His ways judgment, and that He is able to abase those who walk in pride (Daniel 4:37). David will not knowingly keep near himself men carrying a heart God declares abominable.
Pride and slander also fit together naturally. The proud man wants elevation; lowering another may serve that desire. He struggles to confess wrong because confession humbles him, and he resents correction because another judgment stands above his own. Secret slander and visible arrogance therefore differ in form but often spring from the same self-exalting heart. David’s court cannot be righteous if proud men are allowed to rise by damaging the names of others.
“Will not I suffer.” David means he will not allow or tolerate such a man where his rule can prevent it. Scripture uses “suffer” this way when Paul says, “For ye suffer fools gladly” (II Corinthians 11:19). David is not promising to eliminate pride from the earth. He is defining what he will knowingly permit within his responsibility. Patience with weakness is godly; toleration of established wickedness is not. A ruler becomes partaker in evil when he knowingly shelters what his office ought to restrain.
Jesus Christ, the King above David, judges secret evil and proud hearts perfectly. Paul writes, “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” (Romans 2:16). No hidden slander or proud motive escapes Him. Christ Himself was meek and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29), and He taught that everyone who exalts himself shall be abased (Luke 18:14). David could judge only what became known; Jesus Christ knows the secret heart and judges without error.
Do not make room for slander because it arrives quietly, and do not excuse pride because it arrives impressively. “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit” (Proverbs 29:23). Refuse the whisperer, resist self-exalting men, hear causes righteously, and keep every place under your authority hostile to the pride and secret malice God hates.