A Public Faith
One who walks with integrity, practices righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. Psalm 15:2 NASB
Integrity – Robert Alter’s translation uses English expressions that are a bit closer to the Hebrew originals. In this NASB translation, “integrity” is the Hebrew word tāmîm, derived from the root tāmam. It actually means “complete.” Payne notes, “the verb’s fundamental idea of completeness . . . moves naturally toward that which is ethically sound, upright (Ps 19:13 [H 14]). The ‘perfect’ (tāmîm) decision, as made by lots, is the correct one (I Sam 14:41).”[1] Alter’s choice, “blameless,” brings the idea of “complete” into the moral realm. You will notice that “integrity” is an inner character assessment. It is possible to have internal integrity but still be perceived as dishonest. In other words, you can know that what you are doing is the right thing even if the external world doesn’t agree. But “blameless” is an external measure. To be held blameless requires the assessment of others. Integrity can be hidden. Blamelessness cannot. Alter points out that “the enumerated virtuous acts all pertain to a person’s moral obligations to others. Neither cult nor covenant is involved.”[2] He translates the same Hebrew text as: “He who walks blameless and does justice and speaks the truth in his heart.”
This begins the list of actions that qualify a person to sojourn with God during transition and finally permanently dwell with God. We’ll look at practicing righteousness and speaking truth subsequently, but already we might feel uncomfortable. After all, who can possibly claim to be blameless? Is there any human being, or for that matter, has there ever been a human being who has never acted with indifference toward another, or with malice, ill will, animus, or hostility? Never a thoughtless word, a harmful attitude, a moment of animosity? Not me, for sure! I’m the one who wrote, “I’ve lived long enough to know. To know defeat. To know heartache. To know loss. To know distress. To know evil. To know adversity. To know tribulation. Yes, I’ve lived long enough for the broken world to find its way into me. I am the man who has seen affliction, and because I am also the man who knows the sovereignty of God, I know trouble. Spiritual trouble.”[3] I identified with the lyrics “It’s me, O Lord, standing in the need of prayer.”
It’s possible, of course, that you are blameless, not like me. It’s possible—but . . . as far as I can tell, Yeshua is the only person who could ever legitimately make this claim. That doesn’t mean others don’t try. David himself once wrote, “I was also blameless with Him, and I kept myself from my wrongdoing” (Psalm 18:23). Of course, theologians have attempted to explain this claim as a temporary condition.[4] If David’s claim is simply optimistic naivete, we can forgive him and consider what he learned after those walks on the roof. Perhaps he would have written a very different poem then. Unfortunately, if this psalm is nothing more than youthful exuberance, it doesn’t help us. We’re old enough to know better. We don’t make the grade.
Is that the lesson here? Young people just haven’t lived long enough to recognize the depths of their depravity. Given time, they will also realize that they fail. Is that what we’re supposed to learn?
Topical Index: tāmîm, integrity, blameless, Psalm 15:2
[1] Payne, J. B. (1999). 2522 תָּמַם. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 974). Chicago: Moody Press.
[2] Robert Alter, The Hebrew Bible: Vol. 3 The Writings, p. 50, fn. 2.
[3] Skip Moen, Today’s Word, December 12, 2021.
[4] Cf. https://www.evidenceunseen.com/bible-difficulties-2/ot-difficulties/psalms-song-of-songs/ps-1822-24-how-can-david-claim-that-he-is-blameless/
