With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
Psalm 18:26 belongs to David’s praise of the righteous dealings of God. The preceding verse says, “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright” (v.25), and the next explains the contrast further: “For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks” (v.27). David is not teaching that God changes character according to the men before Him. Jehovah is always holy, righteous, true, and pure. He is teaching that God deals with men according to perfect righteousness, showing favour toward uprightness and setting Himself against crooked rebellion.
“With the pure.” Scripture describes purity by the inward man and the life that proceeds from it. The man who may ascend into the hill of the LORD has “clean hands, and a pure heart” and refuses vanity and deceit (Psalm 24:3-4). Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). This does not describe sinless perfection in David or any ordinary saint, for David knew his own failures and need of mercy. It describes sincerity before God, freedom from guile as a settled way, and a heart directed toward what is true and right. Scripture distinguishes between the man whose life is characterized by repentance and uprightness and the man who loves crookedness. “The way of the just is uprightness” (Isaiah 26:7).
“Thou wilt shew thyself pure.” God’s own purity never changes, but the pure man experiences His dealings as pure, faithful, and righteous. The man who walks honestly before God finds no deceit in Him. His promises prove true, His judgments right, His correction holy, and His deliverance faithful. “The words of the LORD are pure words” (Psalm 12:6), because the God who speaks them is pure. This does not promise an easy life. David suffered deeply, and Jesus Christ was perfectly pure yet endured the cross. But nothing in God’s treatment of the pure is crooked or unjust. “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works” (Psalm 145:17).
“And with the froward.” Scripture uses “froward” for what is crooked, contrary, stubborn, and perverse in conduct. Wisdom says, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). Again, “For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous” (Proverbs 3:32). Frowardness appears in words as well as deeds. The froward man twists truth, resists correction, chooses his own way, and deals crookedly with others. He will not walk straight before God, so he should not expect God to make the path of rebellion easy for him.
“Thou wilt shew thyself froward.” This phrase must be understood by everything Scripture teaches about God. It cannot mean that Jehovah becomes sinful, deceitful, perverse, or morally crooked, for “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The parallel passage helps explain the expression: “With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury” (2 Samuel 22:27). God opposes the man who sets himself crookedly against Him. He frustrates his devices, turns his craft back upon him, and makes the way of transgressors hard (Proverbs 13:15). He warned Israel that if they would “walk contrary unto me,” then “will I also walk contrary unto you” (Leviticus 26:23-24). Their rebellion did not make God rebellious; their contrary walk brought contrary judgment from a holy God. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). This righteous requital may even cause the sinner’s own device to become his judgment: “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein” (Proverbs 26:27). Haman built a gallows for Mordecai and was hanged upon it himself (Esther 7:9-10). God remained righteous; Haman’s frowardness returned upon his own head.
Jesus Christ is the perfect Pure One. No guile was found in His mouth, and He always pleased the Father (1 Peter 2:22; John 8:29). Yet wicked men dealt frowardly with Him through betrayal, false witness, conspiracy, and an unjust cross. God did not prevent every injury, but He showed the righteousness of His counsel by raising Christ from the dead, exalting Him, and overturning the judgment of His enemies (Acts 2:23-24,32-36).
No man can outwit God: “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:30). The froward man may twist his path, but Jehovah governs where that path ends. The upright therefore need not borrow crooked methods from crooked men. David did not need Saul’s deceit in order to overcome Saul, and Joseph did not answer his brethren’s treachery with treachery (Genesis 50:20). “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3). Walk plainly, speak truth, reject frowardness, and trust the God whose every dealing is pure.
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
Psalm 18:26 belongs to David’s praise of the righteous dealings of God. The preceding verse says, “With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright” (v.25), and the next explains the contrast further: “For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks” (v.27). David is not teaching that God changes character according to the men before Him. Jehovah is always holy, righteous, true, and pure. He is teaching that God deals with men according to perfect righteousness, showing favour toward uprightness and setting Himself against crooked rebellion.
“With the pure.” Scripture describes purity by the inward man and the life that proceeds from it. The man who may ascend into the hill of the LORD has “clean hands, and a pure heart” and refuses vanity and deceit (Psalm 24:3-4). Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). This does not describe sinless perfection in David or any ordinary saint, for David knew his own failures and need of mercy. It describes sincerity before God, freedom from guile as a settled way, and a heart directed toward what is true and right. Scripture distinguishes between the man whose life is characterized by repentance and uprightness and the man who loves crookedness. “The way of the just is uprightness” (Isaiah 26:7).
“Thou wilt shew thyself pure.” God’s own purity never changes, but the pure man experiences His dealings as pure, faithful, and righteous. The man who walks honestly before God finds no deceit in Him. His promises prove true, His judgments right, His correction holy, and His deliverance faithful. “The words of the LORD are pure words” (Psalm 12:6), because the God who speaks them is pure. This does not promise an easy life. David suffered deeply, and Jesus Christ was perfectly pure yet endured the cross. But nothing in God’s treatment of the pure is crooked or unjust. “The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works” (Psalm 145:17).
“And with the froward.” Scripture uses “froward” for what is crooked, contrary, stubborn, and perverse in conduct. Wisdom says, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate” (Proverbs 8:13). Again, “For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous” (Proverbs 3:32). Frowardness appears in words as well as deeds. The froward man twists truth, resists correction, chooses his own way, and deals crookedly with others. He will not walk straight before God, so he should not expect God to make the path of rebellion easy for him.
“Thou wilt shew thyself froward.” This phrase must be understood by everything Scripture teaches about God. It cannot mean that Jehovah becomes sinful, deceitful, perverse, or morally crooked, for “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). The parallel passage helps explain the expression: “With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury” (2 Samuel 22:27). God opposes the man who sets himself crookedly against Him. He frustrates his devices, turns his craft back upon him, and makes the way of transgressors hard (Proverbs 13:15). He warned Israel that if they would “walk contrary unto me,” then “will I also walk contrary unto you” (Leviticus 26:23-24). Their rebellion did not make God rebellious; their contrary walk brought contrary judgment from a holy God. “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6). This righteous requital may even cause the sinner’s own device to become his judgment: “Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein” (Proverbs 26:27). Haman built a gallows for Mordecai and was hanged upon it himself (Esther 7:9-10). God remained righteous; Haman’s frowardness returned upon his own head.
Jesus Christ is the perfect Pure One. No guile was found in His mouth, and He always pleased the Father (1 Peter 2:22; John 8:29). Yet wicked men dealt frowardly with Him through betrayal, false witness, conspiracy, and an unjust cross. God did not prevent every injury, but He showed the righteousness of His counsel by raising Christ from the dead, exalting Him, and overturning the judgment of His enemies (Acts 2:23-24,32-36).
No man can outwit God: “There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the LORD” (Proverbs 21:30). The froward man may twist his path, but Jehovah governs where that path ends. The upright therefore need not borrow crooked methods from crooked men. David did not need Saul’s deceit in order to overcome Saul, and Joseph did not answer his brethren’s treachery with treachery (Genesis 50:20). “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them” (Proverbs 11:3). Walk plainly, speak truth, reject frowardness, and trust the God whose every dealing is pure.