Get Thee Behind Me
The debased in his eyes is repugnant but to LORD-fearers he accords honor. When he vows to his fellow man, he does not revoke it. Psalm 15:4 Robert Alter
Repugnant – The NASB translation offers some synonyms that help us understand the sense of this verse: “A despicable person is despised in his eyes, but he honors those who fear the Lord; he takes an oath to his own detriment, and does not change;” What the poet suggests is that those who are in rebellion against God nauseate the righteous. Seeing evil makes them feel sick. Perhaps we should have translated the words with much more tactical imagery. Bad people make you feel like throwing up. Good people make you glad.
However, the Hebrew word and the syntax tell us something more. First, the word: bāzâ, the verb. “The basic meaning of the root is ‘to accord little worth to something.’ While this action may or may not include overt feelings of contempt or scorn, the biblical usage indicates that the very act of undervaluing something or someone implies contempt.”[1] The theological implication is that disobedience is contempt of God. It’s not just the fact that evil people harm others. It’s that evil people despise the sovereignty of the Creator. Their actions throw scorn on God Himself. Now you can understand why David says, “Against You, and You only, have I sinned.” Of course David harmed the Kingdom, Uriah, and Bathsheba, but ultimately his adultery was contempt for God, and that is the focal point of his repentance.
Waltke also points out the public nature of this act. “The person who acts contrary to the community founded on the ‘fear of the Lord’ must be cut off from it (Num 15:31); those who treat the Lord with contempt will themselves be held contemptible by him (Mal 1:6–7, 12; 2:9) and will die (Prov 19:16). Those who treated his messengers with disrespect experienced his wrath (II Chr 36:16).”[2] Accordingly, we should be attuned to the impact of evil on the whole community. Rot in the midst means decay of even righteous efforts. Perhaps we need to read Paul’s instructions for the treatment of rebels in this light.
Now let’s examine the syntax. In Hebrew the first word in the sentence is not “the debased” (māʾas), but rather the verb. What matters most is the act. The character of the person (the reprobate, the debased, the despicable person) follows from the behavior, not the other way around. Behavior determines character. It’s not “you do what you are,” but “you are what you do.” That alone is a lesson with serious consequences. We create ourselves by our actions. If we want to be righteous, then we must act righteously. If we act disobediently, then we become māʾas. The biblical model is very straightforward and practical. No deep psychology or sinful nature theology. Just WYSIWYG. Righteousness is not some ethereal religious realm reserved for special saints. It’s step-by-step acts, crossing the bumpy ground while paying attention to the company you keep.
Topical Index: bāzâ, repugnant, despised, māʾas, evil, righteousness, Psalm 15:4
[1] Waltke, B. K. (1999). 224 בָּזָה. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 98). Chicago: Moody Press.
[2] Ibid.
