There is nothing more powerful than a prayer made by the righteous to invoke the justice of the FATHER and the defeat of the enemy. Psalm 17 can be considered the prayer of the righteous who invoke Divine intervention in their lives (vv. 1-7). The believer is not exempt from being tested, but he in his soul, and through his own conduct, continues to persevere along the Way of Righteousness, avoiding evil deeds (vv. 4b-5). Therefore he calls upon the LORD in faith (v. 6a) trusting in His protection from his enemies (vv. 8b-10) who with evil surround him. He continues his supplication and prayer, trusting in the Divine intercession and deliverance through the killing of the wicked (vv. 13-14a) and that he himself may enjoy the Divine Image (traditionally called “Divine Presence” “Shekhinah”).
The title of this psalm is simply “David’s Prayer.” We cannot connect it to a specific time in the King’s life, because there are too many possible times when it could be connected. This Psalm is so important to the Faith because it emphasizes how much trust in GOD there is in the true believer, and though his lack of trust in himself and his earthly circumstances, and his hope is what will cause him to rise. A righteous man above the wicked.
Text
A prayer of David
תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד שִׁמְעָ֚ה יְהֹוָ֨ה | צֶ֗דֶק הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י הַֽאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י בְּ֜לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה
1 A prayer of David; Hearken, O LORD, to righteousness, listen to my cry, lend an ear to my prayer, without deceitful lips.
מִלְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א עֵ֜ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּֽחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵּֽישָׁרִֽים
2 May my judgment come forth from before You; may Your eyes see upright acts.
בָּ֘חַ֚נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י | פָּ֘קַ֚דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א זַ֜מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַֽעֲבָר־פִּֽי
3 You have tried my heart; You have visited at night. You have refined me and not found; If I think, let it not pass my mouth.
לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֖דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֜מַ֗רְתִּי אָרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ
4 As for man’s deeds, because of the word of Your lips, I kept from the ways of the profligate.
תָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֖שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטוּ פְעָמָֽי
5 To support my feet in Your paths, lest my feet falter.
אֲנִ֣י קְ֖רָאתִיךָ כִּֽי־תַֽעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל הַט־אָזְנְךָ֥ לִ֜֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי
6 I called to You because You shall answer me, O GOD. Bend Your ear to me; hearken to my saying.
הַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֖סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים מִ֜מִּֽתְקֽוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ
7 Distinguish Your kind acts to save, with Your right hand, those who take refuge from those who rise up .
שָׁמְרֵֽנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֜נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי
8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; in the shadow of Your wings You shall hide me.
מִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֖שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי אֹֽיְבַ֥י בְּ֜נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי
9 Because of the wicked who have robbed me; my mortal enemies who encompass me.
חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָֽגְר֑וּ פִּ֜֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת
10 their fat , they closed themselves up; their mouths spoke with haughtiness.
אַשֻּׁרֵנוּ עַתָּ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנוּ (כתיב סְבָב֑וּניּ) עֵֽינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֜שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ
11 our steps they surround us now, they set their eyes roaming over the land.
דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֖אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְרֹ֑ף וְ֜כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים
12 His likeness is like a lion, which yearns for prey, and as a young lion, which lurks in hidden places.
קוּמָ֚ה יְהֹוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֖נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֜פְשִׁ֗י מֵֽרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ
13 Arise, O LORD, confront him; bring him down to his knees; rescue my soul from the wicked, Your sword,
מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָֽדְךָ֨ | יְהֹוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֥ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֘ וּצְפֽוּנְךָ֘ (כתיב וּצְפֽיּנְךָ֘) תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֜תְרָ֗ם לְעֽוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם
14 of those who die by Your hand, O LORD, of those who die of old age, whose share is in life, and whose belly You will fill with Your hidden treasure, who have children in plenty and leave their abundance to their babes.
אֲנִ֗י בְּ֖צֶדֶק אֶֽחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֜הָקִ֗יץ תְּמֽוּנָתֶֽךָ
15 I will see Your face with righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your image upon the awakening.
Fat is understood as “wealth”, the excessive wealth that closes its eyes to others and “fattens” only oneself.
Commentary
1. (1-2) David, representing “the righteous” presents his cause to the LORD.
David begins his plea to GOD by first declaring the righteousness of his cause, confident that the LORD is attending to the lament of those who are oppressed but are in the right.
Of course it should be noted that it is entirely possible for someone to think that his cause is just when it is not, or for both sides in a dispute to be absolutely convinced that their cause is just. So in this beginning of the Psalm we understand that first of all as believers we must examine our own cause as impartially as possible, looking at it from the perspective, and that of others, always being focused on doing what is truly right rather than simply to what seems right because it favors us.
Crying is the first human expression and in many ways the most natural of sounds. There is tremendous power in a baby’s cry that enters a parent’s heart and commands their attention.
Give ear to my prayer that comes not from lying lips: Although David was convinced of the justice of his cause, he was also careful to speak honestly about his problem.
He “presented” himself to GOD with a certain confidence through a proven conscience.
Let my claim come from You who are GOD, “from Your presence.” David did not want a vindication to come from Himself, as in his long struggle with King Saul, David had several opportunities to retaliate, but he refused and waited until vengeance came from Above.
Let Thy eyes look on righteous things-David formulates his request in a way that emphasizes GOD’s justice more than his own personal cause. He believed his cause to be righteous, but he speaks in a way that places more importance on righteous things.
Believers do not desire anything that is simply harmful or unjust, but only that GOD judge justly between him and his enemies, and vindicate his faithfulness in keeping the promise the CREATOR made to the righteous in heart.
2. (3-4) A plea from an afflicted heart.
David knows that he has been tested but shows such a level of patience and maturity that he waits for the “times” that GOD has established to save him. But in his ability to accept, he does not stop begging for a desired intervention by the FATHER of Justice. One must always “approach” GOD with a heart ready and open to be condemned and corrected as well as saved and justified.
David, as a true righteous man, was careful not to speak sinfully in his predicament. He could have spoken in a way that might have deceived others or himself, and furthered his own cause at the expense of GOD’s righteousness, but David in this verse 4 proposes to himself that it would not be so.
By the word of thy lips, I have kept myself from ungodly paths: This was one of the reasons David was good at this kind of strong self-analysis. He lived by following only the Word and Law of GOD.
David learned and demonstrated this lesson over and over again during his long dispute with King Saul. He had to protect himself, his family and his men from Saul without becoming a twisted, selfish destroyer himself like Saul.
3. (5) Support my steps.
David feels that he was in danger of falling or slipping, because true defeat happens only if one’s righteousness changes; this is the goal of Satan, the Tempter. The righteous man needs GOD to support his steps, because he is aware of his human frailty.
The Word of GOD gives us the right direction, and heading along His Ways makes us move with humility, the same as David’s prayer. He wants to be sustained, but only along the paths that continue to move through the good, even if sometimes they are steep and cause falls and excoreations, events necessary to learn better to move and make better choices, strengthened.
4. (6-9) Keep me safe by the strength You give me.
David’s calm confidence in the midst of his misfortune is comforting to any believer. Even though his troubles were not yet gone, he was still confident that sooner or later DiIO would deliver him.
This psalm is a great model of prayer, not just asking for what one wants or needs, not convincing GOD to do something he doesn’t actually want to do, but in the invocation the believer meditates on the event deeper and understands its initially hidden meanings in order to grow and climb once again towards his spiritual perfection. And David goes on to ask that this special love that GOD reserves for the righteous be shown to him by the power of GOD (Your right hand).
The “apple of your eye” was a phrase used to describe something extremely precious, but also delicate and easily wounded and therefore requiring special protection. David wanted to be guarded by GOD as if it were something precious but also fragile.
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings: This is another powerful figure of speech, the idea is that of a bird protecting its young from predators and danger by gathering them and warming them under its wings.
5. (10-14) Defeat my proud and arrogant enemies.
David describes his mortal enemies who oppressed him, and The meaning of “fat” or “excess” is clearly that pride is the child of abundance, engendered by self-indulgence, which hardens the hearts of men against the fear of GOD and the love of their neighbor.
“They encircled us” “set their eyes on us” “crouching like a lion” – David described the dangerous actions, wild as the beasts of his enemies. They would destroy him as a lion destroys his prey.
Arise, O LORD: David declares his dependence on GOD to protect him. David needs in confirmation of his righteousness and faith to see his enemy defeated by the hand of GOD, not his own hand.
“Deliver my life from the wicked” – David recognized that one characteristic of the enemies of believers was that they looked far more to this life than to eternity. A very big mistake that leads to error in life, and defeat in the Hereafter.
4. (15) The abiding confidence of the righteous.
In opposition to verse 14, where everything was tied to the land, the righteous one instead is forward-looking. He does not envy their prosperity, but recognizes that his of happiness is of another nature. He does not consider his part in earthly and temporal treasures, but in looking upon the face of GOD. David was confident not only of life after death, but that one day he would see the face of GOD, and this idea is not simply of material contact, but of unencumbered fellowship.
“I will be satisfied when I wake up”: David knew that the transition from this life to the next was like waking up, and he knew that the world beyond was more real and less dreamlike than ours.