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Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament

Psalms 17

Psalm 17: a plea from unfeigned lips to be kept as the apple of the eye

General context

The speaker asks the Lord to hear the right, attend to his cry and give ear to a prayer that does not come from feigned lips, and to let his sentence come from God's presence with eyes that behold what is equal. He says God has proved his heart, visited him in the night and tried him and will find nothing, and that he is purposed his mouth will not transgress; by the word of God's lips he has kept from the paths of the destroyer. He asks that his goings be held up so his footsteps do not slip. He has called on God, who will hear, and asks him to show marvellous lovingkindness as the one who saves by his right hand those who trust him. He asks to be kept as the apple of the eye and hidden under the shadow of God's wings, from the wicked who oppress him and deadly enemies who compass him about; they are enclosed in their own fat, speak proudly, have now compassed us in our steps and set their eyes bowing to the earth, like a lion greedy for prey and a young lion lurking. He calls on the Lord to arise, disappoint and cast down the wicked, and deliver his soul from the wicked, which is God's sword, and from men of the world who have their portion in this life, whose belly God fills with hidden treasure, who are full of children and leave their substance to their babes. As for himself, he will behold God's face in righteousness and be satisfied, when he awakes, with God's likeness.

Cited passages: Psalms 17:1, Psalms 17:2, Psalms 17:3, Psalms 17:4, Psalms 17:5, Psalms 17:7, Psalms 17:8, Psalms 17:9, Psalms 17:10, Psalms 17:11, Psalms 17:12, Psalms 17:13, Psalms 17:14, Psalms 17:15

Psalms 17 (KJV)

1Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

2Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.

3Thou 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.

4Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

5Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

6I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

7Shew 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.

8Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

9From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

10They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.

11They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

12Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

13Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

14From 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.

15As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The text as printed carries no heading, so no author or occasion is stated in this source. The speaker is a single "I" for most of the poem, but verse 11 says "compassed us in our steps", the only plural, and the text does not explain who is included. The enemies are described, not named: wicked, oppressors, deadly enemies, proud mouths, a lion. Verses 13-14 call the wicked "thy sword" and men "thy hand", stating that God uses them, and the same verse says God fills their belly with hidden treasure; the psalm gives no more explanation of how that fits its plea. The "night" of verse 3 is a time of testing, and "when I awake" in verse 15 is the moment of satisfaction; the text does not say whether that waking is from sleep or means something more. The speaker's claim that God tried him and "shalt find nothing" is his own testimony. There is no Selah in the psalm, and no place name.

Cited passages: Psalms 17:11, Psalms 17:13, Psalms 17:14, Psalms 17:3, Psalms 17:15

Literary context

The psalm is a petition framed by hearing and seeing. Its opening asks God to hear, attend and give ear, and to let his eyes behold; its close has the speaker beholding God's face. Between them the poem alternates the speaker's innocence (verses 3-4), petition (5-9), the enemies (10-12), petition again (13-14), and a final contrast (15). Mouths recur: the speaker's unfeigned lips and untransgressing mouth against the enemies' proud mouths; God's lips give the word that keeps him. Paths and steps are the poem's ground, God's paths, the destroyer's paths, footsteps that must not slip, enemies who compass "our steps". The tenderness of "the apple of the eye" and "the shadow of thy wings" sits directly before the lion greedy for prey. "As for me" in the last verse sets the speaker apart from the men of the world, and satisfaction with God's likeness is set against bellies filled with treasure. Psalm 16 ended with pleasures at God's right hand, and this psalm asks to be saved by that right hand.

Cited passages: Psalms 17:1, Psalms 17:15, Psalms 17:10, Psalms 17:4, Psalms 17:8, Psalms 17:12, Psalms 17:14, Psalms 17:7, Psalms 16:11

Key moments

  1. Unfeigned lips (Psalms 17:1). The speaker asks the Lord to hear a prayer that comes from lips that are not feigned.
  2. Tried in the night (Psalms 17:3). God has proved his heart and tried him in the night and will find nothing.
  3. Apple of the eye (Psalms 17:8). He asks to be kept as the apple of the eye and hidden under God's wings.
  4. Lion greedy of prey (Psalms 17:12). The enemies who compass him are compared to a lion lurking for prey.
  5. Arise, cast him down (Psalms 17:13). He calls on the Lord to arise and deliver his soul from the wicked.
  6. Portion in this life (Psalms 17:14). Men of the world have their portion in this life and leave their substance to their babes.
  7. Satisfied when I awake (Psalms 17:15). The speaker will behold God's face and be satisfied with his likeness.

For reflection

The speaker calls the wicked God's sword and the men of the world God's hand, while asking to be delivered from them; what does it mean for the poem that the threat and the deliverer are described as belonging to the same God?

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