Psalms 26:9

“Gather not my soul with sinners, etc.] Profligate and abandoned ones, such as are notoriously profane, and who live and die impenitent ones; otherwise all men are sinners: the sense is, either that he desires that he might not, by any means, be brought into the company of such persons, be joined unto them, and have a conversation with them, which would be uncomfortable, dishonourable, and dangerous; or that God would not destroy him with them; and that he might not die the death of the wicked, nor be gathered with them at death: death is often expressed by a man’s being gathered to his people, and to his fathers; (see <122220>2 Kings 22:20); the body is gathered to the grave, the soul…”

“Gather not, &c.--Bring me not to death. bloody men--(compare Psa 5:6).”

“Gather not my soul with sinners - Margin, “take not away.” The word rendered “gather,” means properly to “collect;” to “gather,” as fruits, Exodus 23:10; ears of grain, Ruth 2:7; money, 2 Kings 22:4. There is the idea of assembling together, or collecting; and the meaning here is, that he desired not to be united with wicked people, or to be regarded as one of their number. It does not refer particularly, as I apprehend, to death, as if he prayed that he might not be cut down with wicked people; but it has a more general meaning - that he did not wish either in this life, in death, or in the future world, to be united with the wicked. He desired that his lot might be with those who revered…”

“Gather not - Do not bind me up in the same bundle, or put me into the same accursed condition with them. Psalms 26:12”

“26:9 Don’t let me suffer: The end of the godly cannot be the same as that of the wicked.”

“Gather not: or, Take not away, Psa 28:1-3; Sa1 25:29; Mal 3:18; Mat 24:51, Mat 25:32, Mat 25:44, Mat 25:46; Rev 22:14, Rev 22:15 bloody men: Heb. men of blood, Psa 51:14, Psa 55:23, Psa 139:19; Sa1 22:18, Sa1 22:19; Sa2 16:7, Sa2 21:1 Psalms 26:10”

“It is now, for the first time, that the petition compressed into the one word שׁפטני ( Psa 26:1) is divided out. He prays (as in Psa 28:3), that God may not connect him in one common lot with those whose fellowship of sentiment and conduct he has always shunned. אנשׁי דּמים, as in Psa 5:7, cf. ἄνθρωποι αἱμάτων, Sir. 31:25. Elsewhere זמּה signifies purpose, and more particularly in a bad sense; but in this passage it means infamy, and not unnatural unchastity, to which בּידיהם is inappropriate, but scum of whatever is vicious in general: they are full of cunning and roguery, and their right hand, which ought to uphold the right - David has the lords of his people in his eye - is filled…”