What is the meaning of Psalm 26:10? In whose hands are wicked schemes Psalm 26:10 opens by spotlighting people “in whose hands are wicked schemes.” David pictures literal hands—symbols of action—busily crafting plots that oppose God’s righteousness. • The phrase reminds us that evil is not accidental; it is deliberately worked out. Compare Proverbs 6:18, which lists a heart “that devises wicked schemes,” and Micah 2:1, where wrongdoers “devise iniquity… when morning comes, they carry it out.” • David distances himself from such planners (Psalm 26:4–5), showing that a life of integrity requires avoiding every partnership with sin-filled agendas (Ephesians 5:11). • The line also underscores moral responsibility. Those hands belong to accountable people, not victims of circumstance (Romans 2:6). God will judge the work of every hand (Revelation 20:12). • Practically, we guard our own hands by committing our plans to the Lord (Proverbs 16:3) and keeping them busy with good (Ephesians 4:28). Whose right hands are full of bribes The verse continues: their “right hands are full of bribes.” The right hand, biblically associated with power and honor (Psalm 110:1), is here corrupted by unjust gain. • Bribes twist justice (Exodus 23:8) and pervert speech (Proverbs 17:23). David rejects any fellowship with those who use influence for personal profit. • The picture is one of overflowing greed: hands so stuffed with illicit money they cannot hold truth or mercy (Isaiah 1:23). • Bribery affronts God’s character because He “shows no partiality” (Acts 10:34). Followers of Christ must likewise maintain impartial integrity (James 2:1–4). • For us, this challenges every form of compromised influence—whether financial, relational, or digital. Instead, we are called to lift “holy hands, without anger or dispute” (1 Timothy 2:8). summary Psalm 26:10 draws a stark line between the righteous and those who actively design evil and purchase favor. David’s plea for vindication rests on clean hands, free from schemes and bribes. In Christ we find both the forgiveness for past corruption and the power to keep our hands devoted to works that honor God and serve others. |
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