Psalms 19:13

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins],.... Some understand these words of persons: the Septuagint, and the versions that follow that, render it "from strangers": such who are strangers

Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Presumptuous (sins).

Keep back, or restrain, or withdraw; which word is emphatical, and signifies man’ s natural and great proneness even to the worst of sins, and the necessity of God’ s grace, as a bridle, to keep men from rushing upon them. Having begged pardon for his former errors, he now begs grace to keep him from relapses for the time to come. From presumptuous sins; from known and evident sins, such as are committed against knowledge and deliberation with design, and resolution, and eagerness, with resistance against the checks of conscience, and the motions of God’ s Spirit, and with contempt both of God’ s commands and judgments, and so with pride and insolency, which this word signifies. See . And such a sin was that of David’ s in the matter of Uriah, to which he seems to have an eye, and prayeth to be kept from such miscarriages. Let them not have dominion over me; if I be at any time tempted to any such sins, Lord, let them not prevail over me; and if I do fall into them, let me speedily rise again, and not willingly give up myself to the customary practice of them. Then shall I be upright; that will be an evidence of my sincerity, and I shall have this comfort, that although I am not absolutely perfect, but encompassed with many infirmities, yet I am an upright person, and such as thou wilt accept. I shall be innocent; thou wilt hold me for innocent. Or, I shall be cleansed, or kept pure, as this word primarily signifies. From the great transgression, i.e. from the guilt of such presumptuous sins, which are indeed very great transgressions, and such as, if accompanied with obstinacy and impenitency, thou wilt not pardon. But as for other sins of ignorance or infirmity, thou wilt graciously remit them for thy covenant’ s sake, made with me in and through thy Christ. Otherwise, from much transgression, or from innumerable sins, which usually follow the commission of one presumptuous sin, as David found by his own sad experience.

Psalms 19:13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous [sins]; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.Ver. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins] Heb. Withdraw, inhibit, for we are naturally prone to the worst of sins, even the best of us, and to lie buried with the world in a bog of wickedness, adding rebellion to sin, and doing wickedly with both hands earnestly, unless God rein us in, and restrain us from such enormities. Pray we therefore as here, Etiam a superbiis contine servum tuum (Midrash Tillin. in Psalms 19:13). David’ s murdering Uriah was a sin of this sort. The Rabbis here observe how the prophet riseth in his request, first for pardon of lesser sins, and then for power against greater; like as a beggar, say they, first craves a little water, and then a morsel of bread. We should do so. Let them not have dominion over me] Sin will rebel, but it must not reign in our mortal bodies, it must not play King, and bear sway in the soul. Pray hard against that in chief, Ne iniquitas victrix dominetur, that our lusts be not our lords, that vice vanquish us not. Then shall I be upright] Then, when I have gotten both pardoning and prevailing grace, to be cleansed from infirmities and kept from presumptions and arrogance, which cum temerario ausu et fastu fiunt contumaciter, I shall be upright in God’ s account and entire in his obedience. And shall be innocent from the great transgression] That sin unto death, 1 John 5:16; that wickedness with a witness, for which there remaineth no more sacrifice, Hebrews 10:26, and unto which a way is paved by sins of presumption with a high hand committed against knowledge and conscience.

(13) Presumptuous sin.—The Heb., from root meaning to “boil up” or “over,” is properly masculine, and always elsewhere means proud or arrogant men. (So Symmachus and Aquila.) Hence here explain, “Keep thy servant from the companionship of arrogant men, so that they may not get dominion over me, and lead me away from thy Law.” The great transgression.—Rather, a great transgression, though even without the article it is possible the particular sin of idolatry is intended.

Verse 13. From presumptuous sins] Sins committed not through frailty or surprise, but those which are the offspring of thought, purpose, and deliberation. Sins against judgment, light, and conscience. The words might be translated, Preserve thy servant also from the proud; from tyrannical governors, i.e., from evil spirits. - Bishop Horsley. So most of the versions understand the place. Let them not have dominion over me] Let me never be brought into a habit of sinning. He who sins presumptuously will soon be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Then shall I be upright] Let me be preserved from all the evil that the craft and malice of the devil or man work against me, then shall I continue to walk uprightly, and shall be innocent from the great transgression - from habitual sinning, from apostasy, from my easily-besetting sin. He who would be innocent from the great transgression, must take care that he indulge not himself in any. See Bishop Horne. Most men have committed some particular sin which they ought to deplore as long as they breathe, and on account of the enormity of which they should for ever be humbled.

13. For sins committed ‘in error,’ (A.V. through ignorance) and for ‘hidden’ offences, the ceremonial law provided an atonement (Leviticus 4:1 ff., Leviticus 4:13 ff; Leviticus 5:2 ff.; Numbers 15:22 ff.); but for sins committed ‘with a high hand,’ in a spirit of proud defiance, there was no atonement (Numbers 15:30-31). From such presumptuous sins he prays to be restrained, as David was once restrained from a desperate act of revenge (1 Samuel 25:39). Such sins soon become a man’s masters, and he becomes their slave (John 8:34). They rule over him, instead of his ruling over them (Genesis 4:7). For presumptuous, lit. proud, cp. presumptuously, lit. in pride, Exodus 21:14; Deuteronomy 17:12-13. Then (he continues) if Thou dost grant me this grace, shall I be perfect, heart-whole with Thee (Psalms 18:23), and I shall be clear from great transgression, innocent of the deadly sin of rebellion (Isaiah 1:2) and apostasy from Jehovah. But the word rendered ‘presumptuous sins’ everywhere else means ‘proud men,’ and this may be its meaning here. The Psalmist prays to be saved from the oppression of the proud and godless, lest he should be tempted even to deny God. Cp. Psalms 119:121-122; and note how often “the proud” are mentioned in that Psalm, and how the thought of faithfulness to the Law in the teeth of mockery and persecution is emphasised ( Psalms 119:51; Psalms 119:69; Psalms 119:78; Psalms 119:85-87).

Keep back thy servant also - Restrain thy servant; or, do not suffer him to commit those sins.

13. Presumptuous sins—Literally, proudnesses: sins committed with knowledge and passion, such as hinted at Psalms 119:21 : the extreme opposite of the “secret faults,” of Psalms 19:12.