The psalmist expresses a strong commitment to avoid the presence of evil, reflecting a desire to maintain purity and righteousness. This sentiment is emphasized across several public domain commentaries:

• Matthew Henry:

  Henry comments on the gravity of allowing wickedness into one’s sight, asserting that what we observe can significantly influence our actions and inner life. He emphasizes the necessity of deliberate choices in what we expose ourselves to, promoting the idea of having an eye for virtue rather than vice.

• Albert Barnes:

  Barnes adds that the phrase "no wicked thing" indicates a comprehensive rejection of evil, not only in actions but also in thoughts and associations. He highlights that the psalmist 'hates the work of them that turn aside,' underscoring the disdain for the moral failings of those who stray from the path of righteousness.

• Adam Clarke:

  Clarke elucidates that the psalmist's resolve illustrates a proactive stance against sin, directing attention to the idea of purifying one’s surroundings. He notes that what one allows in their vicinity has a powerful effect on one’s spiritual health and moral standing.

Understanding Psalms 101:3 can be deepened through cross-references. The following scriptures resonate with its themes:

• Proverbs 4:23: "Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." This verse connects by emphasizing the importance of guarding one's inner self.
• Job 31:1: "I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?" Here, Job expresses the importance of control over what one chooses to look at.
• Matthew 5:29: "And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish..." This New Testament teaching underscores radical measures for maintaining purity of vision.
• 1 Corinthians 10:21: "Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils." This highlights the impossibility of being in communion with both good and evil.
• Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure..." Paul often advocates for focusing on virtues as a means of spiritual health.
• James 1:27: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." This verse emphasizes moral purity relevant to the context of Psalm 101:3.
• Romans 12:9: "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good." Here, the active engagement in hating evil is reinforced.
• Galatians 6:7: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." This speaks to the consequences of one’s choices concerning sin and goodness.