Psalms
Psalm 17
KJV
Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Overview
Psalm 17 is a prayer for vindication, protection, and final satisfaction in God. The speaker asks God to hear a sincere plea, examine the heart, steady the path, and shelter him from threatening opponents described with courtroom, eye, wing, and lion imagery. The closing contrast moves beyond temporal security toward the hope of beholding God’s face and being satisfied in his presence.
Setting and context
The superscription identifies Psalm 17 as “A Prayer of David,” but it does not name a precise historical crisis. The poem combines legal language of a just cause and judgment with testing imagery, petitions for refuge, descriptions of violent enemies, and a final declaration of satisfaction in seeing God. Several phrases—especially the “fat/callous heart” image in verse 10, the sword wording in verse 13, the syntax of verse 14, and “when I awake” in verse 15—require interpretive restraint rather than dogmatic reconstruction.
Themes
Truthful prayer and divine examination · Vindication entrusted to God · Moral steadiness under pressure · God’s word restraining destructive paths · Refuge as the pupil of the eye and under divine wings · Predatory danger described without retaliation · Steadfast love and attentive prayer · Temporal portion versus satisfaction in God · Beholding God’s face and the hope of awakening satisfied
Reflection
Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm.
Reading notes
Truthful prayer and divine examination Refuge as the pupil of the eye and under divine wings Predatory danger described without retaliation Beholding God’s face and the hope of awakening satisfied
Key passages
Psalm 17:1: The opening appeal asks God to hear a just cause and a prayer not formed by deceitful lips; sincerity before God matters, but the verse does not prove the speaker is morally flawless. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:2: The request that judgment come from God’s presence places final evaluation with God rather than with public image, self-justification, or mob verdicts. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:3: The speaker welcomes divine testing of heart, night, and purpose and resolves that the mouth will not transgress; this is disciplined integrity under examination, not a claim of sinless perfection. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:4: Regarding human violence, the speaker says God’s word has kept him from destructive paths; Scripture here restrains participation in violence rather than authorizing it. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:5: The prayer that steps hold fast and feet not slip asks for moral steadiness in God’s paths, not a promise that faithful people will never fail, stumble, or suffer setbacks. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:6: The speaker calls because God hears and asks God to incline his ear; prayer is relational dependence, not a technique for forcing an immediate answer. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:7: The plea for marvelous steadfast love addresses God as savior of those who seek refuge from attackers; divine rescue does not eliminate prudent safety, legal protection, or help from others. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:8: “Keep me as the apple/pupil of the eye” and “hide me under the shadow of your wings” are intimate protection metaphors; they do not make the speaker more valuable than other human beings or guarantee physical immunity. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:9: The speaker asks protection from wicked oppressors and deadly enemies who surround him; the verse describes perceived threat and should not be mapped automatically onto disliked modern groups. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:10: The image of enemies enclosed in fat or callousness and speaking proudly is ancient moral imagery about insensitivity and arrogance, not a judgment about body size, weight, disability, or appearance. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:11: The enemies are described as surrounding the speaker and watching for a chance to cast him down; vigilance in danger does not justify paranoia, stalking, or pre-emptive retaliation. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:12: Lion and young-lion imagery intensifies the sense of predatory threat; it is metaphorical portrayal of danger, not permission to imitate violence. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:13: The plea “Arise, confront him, bring him down; deliver my life” entrusts intervention to God; textual differences around “your sword” must not be turned into authorization for private revenge, assault, or political violence. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:14: The difficult language about “men of the world” whose portion is in this life contrasts temporal satisfaction with deeper hope in God; translation details vary, and the verse does not condemn children, inheritance, wealth itself, or ordinary provision for a family. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm. Psalm 17:15: The final hope to behold God’s face in righteousness and be satisfied on awakening expresses communion and ultimate satisfaction in God; “awakening” has been read both in ordinary and eschatological ways, so resurrection should not be asserted as the only possible sense of the line. Use this verse to bring truthful lament and dependence before God without turning the psalm’s courtroom or combat imagery into self-righteousness, retaliation, or harm.
Questions readers ask
Does Psalm 17 claim David was completely sinless? No. The speaker appeals for God to examine a sincere cause and highlights integrity in this conflict. The prayer should not be expanded into a claim that the speaker possessed absolute moral perfection in every respect. What does “keep me as the apple of the eye” mean? The expression refers to the pupil or central part of the eye and functions as an image of close protection and care. It is not a hierarchy of human worth or a promise that believers cannot be harmed. Does Psalm 17:15 explicitly teach resurrection? The language of awakening and beholding God has often been read with eschatological hope, but the immediate wording can also be understood in relation to waking and renewed communion. The verse should not be forced into only one interpretation without acknowledging the debate.