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Psalm 101:4
A perverse heart will be far from me. I will have nothing to do with evil.
2I will be careful to live a blameless life. When will you come to me? I will walk within my house with a blameless heart.
3I will set no vile thing before my eyes. I hate the deeds of faithless men. They will not cling to me.
4A perverse heart will be far from me. I will have nothing to do with evil.
5I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor. I won’t tolerate one who is arrogant and conceited.
6My eyes will be on the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me. He who walks in a perfect way, he will serve me.
Notice
“Far from me” makes distance from evil a matter of the heart, raising the question of what you are willing to welcome into your life.
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Where else Scripture says this
12 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Proverbs 11:20Those who are perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, but those whose ways are blameless are his delight.Both passages name a perverse heart; Proverbs states God’s judgment of it, while David resolves to keep it far away.
Psalm 15:4in whose eyes a vile man is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; he who keeps an oath even when it hurts, and doesn’t change;Both psalms express a firm rejection of evil, with Psalm 15 also describing honor for those who fear the LORD.
Proverbs 8:13The fear of the LORD is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.Both passages reject evil and perversity; Proverbs connects that rejection with the fear of the LORD.
2 Corinthians 6:14–16Don’t be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship do righteousness and iniquity have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?Both texts reject fellowship with evil, expressed as personal resolve in the psalm and a warning about unequal partnership in Corinthians.
2 Timothy 2:19However, God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from …David’s resolve to keep evil far away shares Timothy’s command that those who name the Lord depart from unrighteousness.
Proverbs 22:24Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man. Don’t associate with one who harbors anger,Both passages speak of keeping distance from harmful influences; Proverbs names friendship with someone who harbors anger.
Matthew 7:23Then I will tell them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.’Both texts speak of distance from evil, though Matthew records Jesus dismissing workers of iniquity and David states his own resolve.
Proverbs 9:6Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding.”Both passages describe a break with a wrong way of life; Proverbs pairs leaving simple ways with walking in understanding.
Psalm 119:115Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.Both psalms insist on distance from evil; Psalm 119 connects that distance with keeping God’s commandments.
1 Peter 2:18Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked.Both texts acknowledge wickedness, though Peter addresses servants under wicked masters and Psalm 101 expresses refusal to welcome evil.
Psalm 6:8Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, for the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.Both psalms demand distance from evil, with Psalm 6 addressing workers of iniquity after declaring that God has heard.
2 Corinthians 11:33I was let down in a basket through a window by the wall, and escaped his hands.The connection is limited: Corinthians describes a physical escape, while the psalm expresses a resolve to keep evil far away.
Where this verse fits
Temptation. leadership weight.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
David’s words express a resolve you can make before God, even when refusal costs something. The commitment reaches into the heart: evil is to have no welcome there.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).