4 As to doings of man, Through a word of Thy lips I have observed The paths of a destroyer;
Then saith Jesus to him, `Go -- Adversary, for it hath been written, The Lord thy God thou shalt bow to, and Him only thou shalt serve.'
and they did overcome him because of the blood of the Lamb, and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life -- unto death;
Be sober, vigilant, because your opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, doth walk about, seeking whom he may swallow up,
no more in the desires of men, but in the will of God, to live the rest of the time in the flesh; for sufficient to us `is' the past time of life the will of the nations to have wrought, having walked in lasciviousnesses, desires, excesses of wines, revelings, drinking-bouts, and unlawful idolatries,
and the helmet of the salvation receive, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the saying of God,
for yet ye are fleshly, for where `there is' among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not fleshly, and in the manner of men do walk?
And Jehovah seeth that abundant `is' the wickedness of man in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart only evil all the day;
Jesus said to him again, `It hath been written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'
For wisdom cometh into thy heart, And knowledge to thy soul is pleasant, Thoughtfulness doth watch over thee, Understanding doth keep thee, To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things, Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness, Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in frowardness of the wicked, Whose paths `are' crooked, Yea, they are perverted in their ways.
`Beth.' With what doth a young man purify his path? To observe -- according to Thy word. With all my heart I have sought Thee, Let me not err from Thy commands. In my heart I have hid Thy saying, That I sin not before Thee.
To the Overseer. -- By David. A fool hath said in his heart, `God is not;' They have done corruptly, They have done abominable actions, There is not a doer of good. Jehovah from the heavens Hath looked on the sons of men, To see if there is a wise one -- seeking God. The whole have turned aside, Together they have been filthy: There is not a doer of good, not even one.
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,