Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 24:4

4. He that hath clean hands , and a pure heart ; who hath not lift up his soul unto vanity , nor sworn deceitfully .

Whose actions and Conversations are Holy and unblamable. It is here very observable, that the Charecter of a right and acceptable Worshipper of God is not taken from his Nation, and Relation to Abraham; nor from all those costly and laborious Rites and Ceremonies of the Law, in which the generality of the Israelites pleased themselves, but in Moral and Spiritual Duties, which most of them Grosly neglected.

Purged from Hypocrisie, and inward Filthiness, and careful to approve it self to God▪ as well as to Men, ordering a Man's very Thoughts and Affections according to God's Word. This is fitly added, because a man may keep his Hands clean in good Measure, upon meer Worldly Motives, or with an evil Design, or without any respect to God.

Either, 1. Who doth not worship Idols, which are oft called Vanities in Scripture. Or 2. Who doth not swear vainly or falsly, the Phrase here being much the same with that in the third Commandement, of taking God's Name in Vain. But that seems to be a quite differing Phrase, and the Name of God there mentioned, determins the Sence of that general Phrase to Oaths, which, without that Addition, or something Equivalent is never, to my knowledge, used in Scripture in that Sence. Nor do all those learned Men, who so expound this place give one instance of that signification of this Phrase. And for their other Argument for that Sence, that this Clause is conjoyned with the next, by the Conjunction Vau, and therefore is to be explained by it, it seems to have no weight, because the same Conjunction joyns the two first Characters together, and yet it is confessed that clean Hands and a pure Heart, are two distinct and very differing things. Or rather, 3. Who doth not immoderately value and affect, or ardently desire (as this very Phrase of listing up the Soul doth oft signifie, as Deut. 24. 15. Psal. 25. 1. Ier. 22. 27. and 44. 14. Ezek. 24. 25. Hosea 4. 8.) the vain things of this present Life and World, such as Honours, Riches, Pleasures, and the like, which are oft called Vain things, or Vanities in Scripture, as Psal. 4. 2. and 119. 37. Eccles. 1. 2. and 12. 8. And this is very fitly mentioned as a Character of a truly good Man, because hereby he [illegible: 1 word] distinguished from all ungodly men whatsoever, whose inseparable Property, this is both in the Old and New Testament noted to be, to love Vanity, and to set their Hearts chiefly upon the Good things of this Life, such as Corn and Wine, Psal. 4. 2. 6, 7. and to have their Portion in this Life, Psal. 17. 14. and to mind Earthly things, Phil. 3. 19. and to be Friends of the World, Iam. 4. 4. and to Love the World, and the things of the World, 1. Ioh. 2. 15. Whereas good men are every where described to be such as make God their Portion, Psal. 16. 5. and prize and desire his Favour and Service infinitely, more than all the enjoyments of this Life, yea, even than Life it self, Iob 23. 12. Psal. 4. 6, 7. and 63. 3. and 119. 72. and such as are weaned from Earthly things, Psal. 131. 1, 2. and have their affections set on things above, not on things of the Earth, Col. 3. 2. and lay not up their Treasure in Earth, but in Heaven, Mat. 6. 19, 20. all which is directly opposite to this lifting up the Soul to Vanity.

Heb. unto, ot with deceit, (i. e.) Falsly, or with a purpose of deceiving or injuring others thereby. Under this Negative the contrary Affirmative is included, that he is one who when he is called to swear, doth swear in Truth, in Iudgment, and in Righteousness, Ier. 4. 2.

Marginal references: Isa. 33. 15. 16.; Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] of Hands.