1 A Prayer of David. Hear, O Jehovah, righteousness, attend my cry, Give ear `to' my prayer, without lips of deceit.
2 From before thee my judgment doth go out; Thine eyes do see uprightly.
3 Thou hast proved my heart, Thou hast inspected by night, Thou hast tried me, Thou findest nothing; My thoughts pass not over my mouth.
4 As to doings of man, Through a word of Thy lips I have observed The paths of a destroyer;
5 To uphold my goings in Thy paths, My steps have not slidden.
6 I -- I called Thee, for Thou dost answer me, O God, incline Thine ear to me, hear my speech.
7 Separate wonderfully Thy kindness, O Saviour of the confiding, By Thy right hand, from withstanders.
8 Keep me as the apple, the daughter of the eye; In shadow of Thy wings thou dost hide me.
9 From the face of the wicked who spoiled me. Mine enemies in soul go round against me.
10 Their fat they have closed up, Their mouths have spoken with pride:
11 `Our steps now have compassed `him';' Their eyes they set to turn aside in the land.
12 His likeness as a lion desirous to tear, As a young lion dwelling in secret places.
13 Arise, O Jehovah, go before his face, Cause him to bend. Deliver my soul from the wicked, Thy sword,
14 From men, Thy hand, O Jehovah, From men of the world, their portion `is' in life, And `with' Thy hidden things Thou fillest their belly, They are satisfied `with' sons; And have left their abundance to their sucklings.
15 I -- in righteousness, I see Thy face; I am satisfied, in awaking, `with' Thy form!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 17
Commentary on Psalms 17 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 17
David being in great distress and danger by the malice of his enemies, does, in this psalm, by prayer address himself to God, his tried refuge, and seeks shelter in him.
Some make him, in this, a type of Christ, who was perfectly innocent, and yet was hated and persecuted, but, like David, committed himself and his cause to him that judgeth righteously.
A prayer of David.
Psa 17:1-7
This psalm is a prayer. As there is a time to weep and a time to rejoice, so there is a time for praise and a time for prayer. David was now persecuted, probably by Saul, who hunted him like a partridge on the mountains; without were fightings, within were fears, and both urged him as a suppliant to the throne of mercy. He addresses himself to God in these verses both by way of appeal (Hear the right, O Lord! let my righteous cause have a hearing before thy tribunal, and give judgment upon it) and by way of petition (Give ear unto my prayer v. 1, and again v. 6, Incline thy ear unto me and hear my speech); not that God needs to be thus pressed with our importunity, but he gives us leave thus to express our earnest desire of his gracious answers to our prayers. These things he pleads with God for audience,
Psa 17:8-15
We may observe, in these verses,