PSALMS 17

READING CYCLE THREE(see “Guide
to Good Bible Reading“)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S INTENT AT
PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means
that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of
us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are
priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3).
Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above.
Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original
author’s intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has
one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Third paragraph

4. Etc.

 

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 17:1-5
 ¹Hear
a just cause, O Lord, give heed to my cry;
 Give ear to my prayer, which is not
from deceitful lips.
 ²Let
my judgment come forth from Your presence;
 Let Your eyes look with equity.
 ³You have tried my heart;
 You have visited me by night;
 You have tested me and You find
nothing;
 I have purposed
that my mouth will not transgress.
 ⁴As
for the deeds of men, by the word of Your lips
 I have kept from the paths of the
violent.
 ⁵My
steps have held fast to Your paths.
 My
feet have not slipped.

17:1 Notice the parallel imperatives
referring to the psalmist’s prayer.

1. hear – BDB 1033, KB 1570, Qal imperative,
cf. Ps. 17:6; 27:7; 28:2; 30:10; 39:12; 54:2; 61:1; 64:1; 84:8; 102:1;
119:149; 130:2; 143:1

2. give heed – BDB 904, KB 1151, Hiphil imperative, cf. Ps. 5:2; 55:2; 61:1; 86:6; 142:6

3. give ear – BDB 23, KB 27, Hiphil imperative,
cf. Ps. 5:1; 39:12; 49:1; 54:2; 55:1; 77:1; 80:1; 84:8; 140:6; 141:1;
143:1

Psalms is a book of God’s people earnestly asking Him to hear (i.e., take
note of and respond to) their sensed needs.

In Ps. 17:1 the words of the one with a just cause (BDB 841) is contrasted
to the words of the one with “deceitful lips” (cf. Isa. 29:13).

Psalm 17:1 is parallel to 17:6. All three strophes of this Psalm begin
with several imperatives beseeching God to act
on the psalmist’s behalf!

NASB, NKJV“not from deceitful lips”
NRSV, NJB“from lips free of deceit”
TEV“honest prayer”
JPSOA“without
guile”

The psalmist is asserting his integrity. He prays with no hidden motives
or known lies (cf. Isa. 29:13).

17:2 As verse one had three imperatives, this verse has two understood jussives.

1. let my judgment/vindication come forth from Your presence —
BDB 422, KB 425, Qal imperfect used in
a jussive sense

2. let Your eyes look with equity — BDB 302, KB 301, Qal
imperfect used in a jussive
sense

 

 

NASB“equity”
NKJV“upright”
NRSV“the right”
NJB,
TEV,
JPSOA, REB“right”
LXX“straightforwardness”

The MT has “evenness,” “uprightness,” or “equity”
(BDB 449). Here it refers to YHWH judging fairly or impartially. The
psalmist is asking for the God of justice to render a just verdict (cf.
Ps. 17:1a).

17:3-5 The psalmist enumerates why God
should judge/vindicate him.

1. what God has done (all perfects)

a. He tried his heart, Ps. 17:3a

b. He visited him by night, Ps. 17:3b (a & b are parallel with no
distinction intended)

c. He tested him and found nothing, Ps. 17:3c (see SPECIAL
TOPIC: GOD TESTS HIS PEOPLE)

2. what he has done or not done

a. he has not transgressed with his mouth, Ps. 17:3d

b. he has kept away from the path of the violent (the word, BDB 829,
means “robber,” cf. Jer. 7:11, but can mean “violent,”
cf. Ezek. 18:10), Ps. 17:4

c. he has walked God’s paths, Ps. 17:5a

d. he has not slipped, Ps. 17:5b (cf. Ps. 18:36)

The concept of “path” means that the psalmist has followed
carefully God’s covenant guidelines (cf. Ps. 37:31; 40:2; 44:18; 66:9;
73:2; 119:105; Pro. 14:15). Wicked people

1. deviate from the path to the right or left

2. stumble on the path

3. have slippery steps

See SPECIAL
TOPIC: GOD TESTS HIS PEOPLE.

17:3d The UBS Text Project (pp. 182-183) has
a good brief note about the options for translating this line of poetry.

“If  תמזי is interpreted as an infinitive
construct with a suffix, the last part of Ps. 17:3 should be interpreted
as ‘my plans (thoughts) do not go beyond my mouth’ (i.e., my
thoughts correspond with my words, my words confirm with my ideas). If
זמתי is interpreted as a verb in the first person
singular, the clause should be interpreted as ‘if I devise {something}
(i.e. something wicked), {this} should not cross my mouth.”

Also see NIDOTTE, vol. 1, p. 1112, for the same suggested emendation. The
change from the MT, “my wickedness” (BDB 273, KB 273) to “I
have considered” or “I planned” (BDB 273, KB 273, Qal
perfect) involves only a change of vowels.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 17:6-12
 ⁶I
have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God;
 Incline Your ear to me, hear my
speech.
 ⁷Wondrously
show Your lovingkindness,
 O
Savior of those who take refuge at Your right hand
 From those who rise up against
them.
 ⁸Keep
me as the apple of the eye;
 Hide
me in the shadow of Your wings
 ⁹From
the wicked who despoil me,
 My
deadly enemies who surround me.
 ¹⁰They
have closed their unfeeling heart,
 With their mouth they speak proudly.
 ¹¹They have now
surrounded us in our steps;
 They
set their eyes to cast us down to the ground.
 ¹²He is like a lion that
is eager to tear,
 And as a
young lion lurking in hiding places.

17:6-12 This strophe describes God’s actions
toward the psalmist and his opponents’ actions.

1. God’s actions

a. he called and God answered, Ps. 17:6

b. God showed His covenant love and loyalty (i.e., lovingkindness,
see
Special Topic:
Lovingkindness)

c. God gave him refuge (see note at Ps. 5:11)

d. God kept/protected “the apple of my eye” (an idiom of
tender care for someone especially close, cf. Deut. 32:10; Pro. 7:2)

e. God hid him in the shadow of His wings (see
Special Topic:
SHADOW AS METAPHOR FOR PROTECTION AND CARE)

2. the opponent’s actions

a. they despoiled him (i.e., kill him), Ps. 17:9

b. they surrounded him, Ps. 17:9b,11a

c. they closed their heart (lit. “their fat [BDB 316] they have
closed” [BDB 688, KB 742, Qal perfect],” cf. LXX; “fat”
is used in a negative sense of people in Ps. 73:4 and 119:70)

d. they speak proudly against him

e. they set their eyes against him

f. they tear him like a lion, Ps. 17:12

What a sharp contrast!

17:6

NASB, NKJV“incline Your ear to me”
TEV, NJB,
JPSOA“turn
your ear to me”

This is a Hebrew idiom, which when used in prayers, asks YHWH to turn/bend
(cf. 2 Kgs. 19:16; Isa. 37:17; Dan. 9:18; Ps. 31:2; 71:2; 86:1; 88:2;
102:2; 116:2).

YHWH, though a non-corporal spiritual being, is described in human
vocabulary. See the
Special Topic: God Described as Human (anthropomorphism). Humans
have no vocabulary but that related to this planet and their physicalness.
Human vocabulary used of God or the spiritual realm is always figurative.

17:7 This verse has a series of powerful,
emotive theological terms related to YHWH’s person and mercy.

1. wondrously show — BDB 811, KB 930, Hiphil imperative (see related word BDB 810 in Ps. 33:22,
see
Special Topic:
Wonderful Things)

2. lovingkindness, YHWH’s hesed — BDB 338 (see
Special
Topic: Lovingkindness) which denotes His covenant loyalty and steadfast love

3. O Savior — BDB 446, Hiphil participle,
i.e., the one who saves, cf. Ps. 106:7,21

4. refuge — BDB 340, Qal participle,
YHWH is a strong and mighty fortress for those who take refuge in Him, cf.
Ps. 5:11; 18:2

 

▣ “at Your right hand” This
phrase can be understood in several senses.

1. the place close to YHWH where the needy seek refuge, cf. NASB, TEV

2. the means by which YHWH delivers the needy (i.e., His strong right
hand, cf. NKJV, JPSOA, REB, see SPECIAL
TOPIC: HAND)

3. the close association between the psalmist and his enemies (i.e.,
close associates, cf. NRSV)

 

17:9 “the wicked” It is hard to
identify this group. It could refer to

1. covenant partners who, for their own purposes, attack the psalmist

2. covenant partners who knowingly violate YHWH’s covenant

3. the surrounding nations who ignorantly, blindly follow idols and
not YHWH

Only the context of the Psalm and the individual strophe can help the
identification. I am not sure “the wicked” realize they are
such. Often they think they are serving God in their actions.

In this Psalm they seem to be wealthy, successful Israelites who see their
possessions and children as a covenant sign of God’s approval.

17:11 “They have now surrounded us”
The MT has the verb (BDB 685, KB 738) as singular but it is paralleled in the next line with
a plural verb. So the Masoretic scholars put a
marginal note (Qere) suggesting it be read as a plural
(cf. NASB “us” in Ps. 17:11, lines a and b).

I think the singular (MT) is best. This Psalm
is an individual lament, but later came to be used liturgically for the
whole community, which is so common in the Psalms.

NASB, NKJV“our steps”
NRSV“they track me down”
NJB“they are advancing”

The Hebrew of Ps. 17:11 starts with “our steps” (BDB 81, feminine plural, אשׁרינו)
but by a change of vowels, can become a verb,
“advance” (BDB 80, אשׁר), which is in one
Hebrew manuscript, cf. NRSV, NJB.

NASB“to cast us to the ground”
NKJV“crouching down to the earth”
NRSV“to cast me to the ground”
TEV“to pull me down”
NJB“hurl
me to the ground”
LXX“to incline
at the ground”
Peshitta“to bury
me in the ground”

The verbal “to cast” (Qal
infinitive construct) is literally the verb “incline” (BDB 639, KB 692) used in
Ps. 17:6, but here that translation does not fit the context. Remember
words have meaning only in context! Poetry forces words to be used in
unique ways.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: PSALM 17:13-15
 ¹³Arise,
O Lord, confront him, bring him low;
 Deliver my soul from the wicked with
Your sword,
 ¹⁴From
men with Your hand, O Lord,
 From men of the world, whose portion
is in this life,
 And
whose belly You fill with Your treasure;
 They
are satisfied with children,
 And
leave their abundance to their babes.
 ¹⁵As
for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness;
 I will be satisfied with Your
likeness when I awake.

17:13-15 The psalmist calls on God to act on
his behalf (Ps. 17:13).

1. arise – BDB 877, KB 1086, Qal imperative

2. confront – BDB 869, KB 1068, Piel imperative

3. bring low – BDB 502, KB 499, Hiphil imperative

4. deliver – BDB 812, KB 930, Piel imperative

Notice the “froms,” which characterize the opponents (Ps.
17:13b-14).

1. from the wicked

2. from men (NET Bible [p. 867, #32] emends it to “from those
who kill,” i.e., “murderers” in both lines a and b)

a. whose portion in life is of the world

b. whose belly is full

c. who have many children

d. who leave their wealth to their children

However, the psalmist is characterized as

1. one who beholds God’s face in righteousness (idiom of intimacy,
cf. Ps. 11:7)

2. one who is satisfied with God’s presence (cf. Ps. 16:11)

Both of the verbs of Ps. 17:15 are cohortatives.

1. see/behold – BDB 302, KB 301, Qal imperfect
used in a cohortative sense

2. satisfied – BDB 959, KB 1302, Qal cohortative

 

17:15 As the wicked (and their posterity)
are satisfied (BDB 959, KB 1302, Qal imperfect)
with earthly things, ill-gotten gains; the psalmist (emphatic “I”)
is satisfied (BDB 959, KB 1302) with YHWH’s presence!

▣ “when I awake” This verb (BDB 884, KB 1098, Hiphil infinitive construct) is used in several senses.

1. awake from a special vision of God

2. awake from a night’s sleep

3. awake from drunkenness

4. awake from death

I think #4 best fits the context (i.e., YHWH’s presence, cf. 2 Kgs. 4:31;
Job 14:12; Ps. 139:18; Isa. 26:19; Jer. 51:39,57; Dan. 12:2). If
so, then the ending of Psalm 16 and Psalm 17 are similar!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary, which means
that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of
us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are
priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the
major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be
thought-provoking, not definitive.

1. How did YHWH deal with the psalmist’s claim of innocence?

2. How does the psalmist claim that he is innocent?

3. Explain the imagery of “at Your right Hand.”

4. Explain the imagery of “the apple of the eye.”

5. Explain the imagery of “in the shadow of Your wings.”

 

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