The Meaning of Psalms 18:23 Explained

Psalms 18:23

KJV: I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

YLT: And I am perfect with him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.

Darby: And I was upright with him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.

ASV: I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I was also upright  before him, and I kept  myself from mine iniquity. 

What does Psalms 18:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 18:1-26 - A Wonderful Deliverance
There is another edition of this psalm in 2 Samuel 22:1-51. Psalms 18:2 and Psalms 18:49 are applied in the New Testament to the Lord Jesus, Hebrews 2:13 and Psalms 18:1-36. We begin with the psalmist's good resolve, 1714341197_69. No single metaphor can comprehend the whole of God's helpfulness to men; but can we say, "I love thee"? See John 21:17. "Thou knowest!"
The story of the past, Psalms 18:4-19. We also have our Red Seas. In our distress let us also cry. The voice of the sufferer may be weak and solitary, but it reaches through the gates of pearl and moves creation! Luke 8:46.
The confident claim of the righteous, Psalms 18:20-26. We cannot boast a righteousness of our own, but we stand in Christ. We are full of impurity and evil, but we may claim at least integrity of motive. Compare Psalms 18:26 with Leviticus 26:21-24. The wind blows in one direction; you can walk against it or with it-take your choice. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 18

1  David praises God for his manifold and marvelous blessings

What do the individual words in Psalms 18:23 mean?

And I was blameless before Him and I kept myself from my iniquity
וָאֱהִ֣י תָמִ֣ים עִמּ֑וֹ וָ֝אֶשְׁתַּמֵּ֗ר מֵעֲוֺנִֽי

וָאֱהִ֣י  And  I  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
תָמִ֣ים  blameless 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: תָּמִים  
Sense: complete, whole, entire, sound.
עִמּ֑וֹ  before  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וָ֝אֶשְׁתַּמֵּ֗ר  and  I  kept  myself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מֵעֲוֺנִֽי  from  my  iniquity 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, common singular construct, first person common singular
Root: עָוֹן  
Sense: perversity, depravity, iniquity, guilt or punishment of iniquity.