Verse by Verse

1 Hear a just cause, O Lord,
Attend to my cry;
Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.

² Let my vindication come from Your presence;
Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.

³ You have tested my heart;
You have visited me in the night;
You have tried me and have found nothing;
I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

⁴ Concerning the works of men,
By the word of Your lips,
I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

⁵ Uphold my steps in Your paths,
That my footsteps may not slip.

⁶ I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God;
Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

⁷ Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand,
O You who save those who trust in You
From those who rise up against them.

⁸ Keep me as the apple of Your eye;
Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

⁹ From the wicked who oppress me,
From my deadly enemies who surround me.

¹⁰ They have closed up their fat hearts;
With their mouths they speak proudly.

¹¹ They have now surrounded us in our steps;
They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth,

¹² As a lion is eager to tear his prey,
And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

¹³ Arise, O Lord,
Confront him, cast him down;
Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword,

¹⁴ With Your hand from men, O Lord,
From men of the world who have their portion in this life,
And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure.
They are satisfied with children,
And leave the rest of their possession for their babes.

¹⁵ As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

The 17th Psalm was a prayer of David which was probably written in the wilderness of Maon when King Saul and his men thought they were in the very act of capturing David. The story is told in 1 Samuel 23. Though David prayed the prayer and made the predictions therein, the Psalm goes far beyond him to present a view of the sinless Messiah.

At no time in the life of David could the virtues mentioned have been those of David. These were as follows:

The all searching eyes of Jehovah found no fault in Him (v.3).

There was no deceit in his lips (v.4).

A mouth of no transgression (v.4).

His steps never slipped (v.5).

Christ alone could claim such perfection; He was the holy, righteous One. He is pronounced righteous ten times in this psalm. — Phillips, pages 34-35.

Prayer (heading) — five psalms are called prayers — this one, the 86th, 90th, 102nd and the 142nd.

A comparison of these five psalms bears out, not unexpectedly, certain similarities that serve to mutually reinforce and clarify the content of each psalm individually. Especially prominent in each of these psalms is the explicit phraseological-conceptual triumvirate of (1) an appeal that God “hear” or “give heed” — or in the case of Psalm 90, to “return” with a compassionate answer — to the psalmist’s cry/supplication, (2) a description of the “affliction,” “trouble,” or “distress” of the psalmist or the people of Israel collectively, and (3) an appeal to God’s “lovingkindness,” “compassion,” and/or “grace.” — Wechsler, page 59-60.

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The speaker in this psalm, as in the previous one, is the Messiah; but here in verses 7 and 11 He associates His people with Himself. The Messiah appeals to God from the unjust judgment of man, and claims an affirmative sentence upon His upright conduct. — Williams, page 308.

attend (v.1) = favorably answer

hear (v.1) — Such words as hear, attend, give ear, let thy eyes see give shape and force both to the cry (lit. a loud cry) from his heart, and to the strong conviction of his own righteousness. These are thrown into greater prominence, first, by an implicit comparison with the prayer of lips … of deceit, and secondly by his clear sense of innocence, shown in his willingness to be scrutinized by Thy eyes which see the right of the matter. — Guthrie, page 460.

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The second verse may read thus: Let sentence in My favor be pronounced by Thee; for Thine eyes discern upright actions. — Williams, pages 308-309.

tested (v.3) = tried, melted, as gold is tried in the furnace and found to have no dross.

night (v.3) — This, and the final phrase in verse 15, may indicate that this psalm was written for the evening.

I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress (v.3) — an expression of sincerity

The path of the Destroyer and the path of Jehovah are contrasted in verses 4 and 5, and the statement is made that preservation from the one and perseverance in the other alone are secured by allegiance to the Scriptures. This was demonstrated in the temptation in the desert. The Destroyer (v.4) and the Wicked, and the Enemies (v.9) are titles proper to the future Antichrist and his followers. The Hebrew text distinguishes between Wicked One and wicked men. — Williams, page 309.

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I have called (v.6) — The note of passionate appeal is reintroduced in such words as I call, Thou wilt answer me, incline, hear, show, and there is again in indirect allusion to his opponents (v.7c). The new note, as compared with the preemptoriness of vs. 1-2, is that of worship and trust. — Guthrie, page 460.

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After the 6th verse, the Messiah makes an appeal for the saved of any period, but particularly for the saved remnant of the Tribulation period. Isaiah foresaw the Messiah identifying Himself with the afflicted remnant of Israel in the last days (Isaiah 63:7-9). When Christ spoke to Saul of Tarsus He did not say, Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute believers in Me?” but He said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” It is like that in this section of Psalm 17; He identifies Himself  with the persecuted saints. David was persecuted and suffered, and that was a prophetic type of the suffering Christ. — Phillips, page 37.

apple (v.8) = the little man of the eye; the pupil, the middle — so, protect him as a man would react to any threat to his eye

fat (v.10) = unfeeling

crouching down to the earth (v.11) = to cast me down to the ground, to throw me down

the wicked with Your sword (13) — “The wicked, Thy sword” (not “with Thy sword,” there being no preposition in the Hebrew text) — i.e., the “sword” of God’s chastisement (on the well-recognized biblical principle of God using the wicked to chastise and refine believers). — Wechsler, page 61.

David is aware that it often appears that the wicked are rewarded with their desires (v.14), but he knows that that reward is only in this life and, often, carries its own punishment. The sense of the verse is that the wicked are motivated by treasure and look to accumulate it on earth and leave it to their children, rather than seeking rewards in heaven.

David concludes in characteristic fashion by looking beyond the present life to his guaranteed future state in eternity — a state characterized by perfect righteousness (here serving to “bookend” the psalm with the same term in verse 1 — albeit there translated “just cause”) — when he will behold the face (or “presence”) of God. Implicit in this conclusion is the recognition (and acceptance of the possibility) that God may choose, for now (or for his life), not to protect him from further affliction by the wicked, but rather — as in the case of Job — to permit it for David’s further refinement (not necessarily chastisement), and in the end, therefore, for God’s greater glory. — Wechsler, pages 61-62.

1 Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

² He who walks uprightly,
    And works righteousness,
    And speaks the truth in his heart;

³ He who does not backbite with his tongue,
    Nor does evil to his neighbor,
    Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

⁴ In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
    But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;

⁵ He who does not put out his money at usury,
    Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things shall never be moved.

Categorized as a wisdom psalm.

The psalm and the Sermon on the Mount describe those who are to be citizens of the millennial kingdom.

But the great theme of the Psalm is: Who shall be entitled to reign on Mount Zion as a king over the kingdom? i.e., Who is to be the Chief Citizen of the kingdom of Heaven when established upon earth? The answer (vs.2-5) describes a Man who once lived on earth and who has never had a moral peer. That man is Messiah. He alone satisfies the requirements of vs. 2-5. — Williams, page 307

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Thematically it serves as a link between the previous and the following psalms, presenting the counterpart of the fool (i.e., unrighteous) described in Psalm 14 while at the same time anticipating the specific content of faith described in Psalm 16. — Wechsler, page 54.

Your holy hill (v.1) — probably a reference to Mount Zion in Jerusalem where the tabernacle was located. Some commentaries suggest that the psalm was written when the Ark was taken to the tabernacle.

David is anticipating the final state of the believer (on which note he ends the psalm), in the new heavens and new earth, when, rather than being a restricted place within creation, God’s Tabernacle will consist of all creation (cf. Revelation 21:3, 22) and the believer, clothed in immortality and perfection will indeed dwell forever therein. — Wechsler, page 55.

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The truly faithful person not only works (i.e., does deeds of) righteousness — which, at least with respect to fulfilling the requirements of God’s Law, even the faithless can (and did) do — but also one who speaks truth in his heart — that is to say, whose “inner works” (i.e., thoughts and motivations) are also characterized by righteousness and love. This point, it should be noted, is a central theme throughout the Bible … (see, e.g., Genesis 6:5; Deuteronomy 30:6, 10; Psalm 51:17; Proverbs 23:7; Isaiah 19:18), and epitomized in both testaments by the two greatest commandments (Deuteronomy 6:5; Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:36-40). Indeed, the second of these is here specifically intimated by the statement “he does no evil to his neighbor” — which is the precise apophatic counterpart of the command to “love” one’s “neighbor.” — Wechsler, page 55.

backbite (v.3) = slander

usury (v.5) — loaning money at high interest rates.

never be moved (v.5) = never lose or be separated — from his promised inheritance of life in the eternity in the presence of God. This theme is taken up in Psalm 16.

David wrote this psalm during the dispensation of the law. The Bible makes it clear that no man can be justified by the law (Galatians 2:16) because no man can keep the law. God, in His grace, gave us the moral law to point us to Christ. But before Christ came, those (everyone) who broke the moral law could keep the ceremonial law, which was a picture of Christ and which covered sins until Christ died and rose again. So, this psalm could not be talking about the general condition of individual Israelites at the time it was written. Therefore, it makes sense to me that it points forward to the kingdom when believing Jews will have the law written on their hearts and will be able to keep it, and also it points to Jesus Christ, the Messiah, who is the only Man who has kept the law. At the same time, it could refer to the heart condition of a Jew who desired to be righteous and was keeping the ceremonial law — with the caveat that this was a condition that would be frequently compromised by sin and which could only be maintained by a rigorous following of the ceremonial law.

1 Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.

² They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

³ May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks proud things,

⁴ Who have said,
“With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?”

⁵ “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

⁶ The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.

⁷ You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

⁸ The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

For the heading, see notes on Psalms 3 and 4.

A lament psalm

Violence and falsehood are Satan’s two great weapons against the servants of God. The violence of the False Messiah is, accordingly, the theme of Psalms 11 and 13, and his falsehood, the theme of Psalms 12 and 14. — Williams, page 304

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The activity of the wicked is primarily felt by the innocent and godly as being in the realm of speech, i.e., the falsification and perversion of the divine gift of language. Hence the intervention of the Lord must be not only in deeds but in words. — Guthrie, page 458

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A series of contrasts appear. The first verse contrasts with the eighth; the second with the sixth; the third with the seventh; and the fourth with the fifth. — Williams, page 305

double heart (v.2) = lit. “a heart and a heart” — deceit.

By virtue of the implied contrast between verses 1 and 2, the godly/faithful are not simply those who do what God requires, but those who strive to do so with a whole — that is, with a devoted and sincerely “faith-filled” — heart. As depicted in the Old Testament, both one’s thoughts and one’s words proceed from the heart (i.e., the “heart” and “mind,” as we distinguish them, are presented as one item, not two) and hence one who thinks one thing and says or does another is described as having “two hearts,” or “a double heart.”

The notion of deceit and double mindedness is further underscored by the statement in verse 2, “they speak false hood to one another” (lit., “a man towards his neighbor”), which hearkens to the phraseology of the ninth commandment in Deuteronomy 5:20: “You shall not bear false witness (lit. “a witness of falsehood”) towards your neighbor.” — Wechsler, page 48.

I think it’s important to keep in mind the greater dispensational perspective when reading these psalms. Remember that David wrote his psalms  during the dispensation of law which was given by God to prove that all men are guilty and unable to keep the law. The Holy Spirit inspired him to write words that would provide hope for those living in Old Testament Israel, but also that would provide hope for those living during the Tribulation. At that time, the saved in Israel will have the law written on their hearts and will be able to keep it. Part of David’s assurance here, I think, is that those days are coming.

As for the heart of the believer, contrast what David says here with what Paul says in Romans 7:15-25 about sin in the believer during the dispensation of grace.

By his appeal “may the Lord …” (v.3) David is not addressing whether, but when God will bring deliverance — a deliverance which David desired to be nothing less than the final deliverance attending the establishment of God’s kingdom, as indicated by (1) the unrestricted expression “all flattering lips” and (2) the verbatim repetition of the words “‘Now I will arise,’ says the Lord” in Isaiah 33:10, in a clearly eschatological context, as well as the closely parallel phraseology of God’s ensuing declaration”I will establish him in the deliverance (“I will set him in the safety” for which he longs” and the description of His coming kingdom in Isaiah 26:1: “In that day … He will establish deliverance by walls and bulwarks …”) — Wechsler, page 49

purified seven times (v.6) — superlative purity, the highest possible degree of purity — In Scripture, “seven” indicates purity and completion.

you shall preserve them (v.7) — This promise does not guarantee the preservation of the godly from affliction and oppression by the wicked in this life (which can hardly be reconciled with a time frame of “forever”), but rather their preservation from the fate of the wicked, as the phraseologically parallel passages in Psalms 37:28 and 97:10 make clear. — Wechsler, pages 49-50

1 In the Lord I put my trust;
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?

² For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot secretly at the upright in heart.

³ If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?

⁴ The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.

⁵ The Lord tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

⁶ Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be the portion of their cup.

⁷ For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
His countenance beholds the upright.

Psalms 9 and 10 having portrayed the Lawless One, Psalms 11-14 describe the lawlessness which will characterize his kingdom, and the consequent oppression and suffering of the righteous. — Williams, page 304.

This psalm is thought by some commentaries, to have been written when David was pursued by Saul.

Though no historical event is mentioned in the heading, the imagery of David’s words in verse 1 (“Flee as a bird to your mountain”) bear a close similarity to his words in 1 Samuel 26:20 (the king of Israel has come out … just as one hunts a partridge in the mountains”), suggesting the latter as a likely venue. — Wechsler, pages 45-46.

After opening with a statement of his faith in God, David tells of the counsel he is receiving beginning with the final line in verse 1 — “Flee as a bird …” — and continuing through the end of verse 3. This may have been the counsel of friends or of  David’s own heart (1 Samuel 27:1). The final four verses return to the subject and David’s reason for his faith— he knows that God is watching and will punish the wicked and reward the righteous with His presence.

bird (v.1) = sparrow — the littlest of birds

wicked (v.2) — plural — a multitude of wicked

foundations (v.3) — a metaphor for the order of society and the authorities (see Psalm 75:3; 82:5; Ezekiel 30:4)

holy temple (v.4) — referring not to the earthly temple (since this term for “temple” [lit. “sanctuary”] is used in the Old Testament for the fixed structure later built by Solomon in Jerusalem, not for the tent-tabernacle), but to God’s heavenly temple, of which the earthly one was only “a copy and shadow.” This point is further driven home by the parallel statement, “the Lord’s throne is in heaven” (v.4), which also indicates God’s dual role — embodied and eternally fulfilled in the Son of God — as both king (per the reference to His throne) and priest (per the reference to His being in the holy temple), which combination was otherwise forbidden among the Israelites. — Wechsler, page 46

tests (v.5) = tries — used for refining (making purer and better) metals

violence (v.5) = the Hebrew word used here always refers to wicked violence — not that which God does to the wicked for instructs His people to do

His countenance beholds the upright (v.7) — Among the monotheistic religions of the world this is a unique (and perhaps the greatest hope), according to which the believer looks forward not simply to worshiping an eternally transcendent and intangible God, but One who, consistent with His initial desire at creation, seeks to relate to man in all the ideal ways that we were made to exist and relate. It is in Jesus, specifically, that God’s “face” — that is, His person and presence — is revealed, and it is He whom the Christian, with Paul, looks forward yearningly to behold “face to face” and “know fully” even as we are “fully known” by Him (1 Corinthians 13:12). — Wechsler, page 47

1 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?

² The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

³ For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.

⁴ The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
God is in none of his thoughts.

⁵ His ways are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

⁶ He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”

⁷ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

⁸ He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.

⁹ He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.

¹⁰ So he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his strength.

¹¹ He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”

¹² Arise, O Lord!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.

¹³ Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”

¹⁴ But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.

¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

¹⁶ The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.

¹⁷ Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,

¹⁸ To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.

An acrostic psalm that appears to be linked to Psalm 9. (See the beginning notes on Psalm 9.) This explains the absence of a heading. It also means that this Psalm was written by David.

The psalmist opens with an unbridled, heartfelt expression of what may justly be termed complaint — i.e., expressing anguish and dismay over what appears to be God’s inaction in the fact of the ongoing — and apparently flourishing — activity of the wicked (v.2). Yet the essence of the psalmist’s complaint — and what justifies its inclusion in this expression of worship — is that it is ultimately motivated not by the desire that the wicked be punished or the afflicted relieved of their distress, but by the glory and honor of God. — Wechsler, page 44.

the wicked boasts (v.3) — the wicked praises himself

The wicked man doesn’t deny the existence of God but he scoffs at the idea that God cares about the affairs of this world (vs. 6, 11). He thinks that God has either forgotten His people or unable (or unwilling) to see their troubles.

Verse 7 is quoted in Romans 3:14, where “the wicked” refers to both Jews and Gentiles.

requite (v.13) = seek out — The same word is translated “seek out” in verse 15.

helper (v.14) — from the same Hebrew root as “helpmate” in Genesis 2:18, 20.

break the arm (v.15) — an idiom meaning the crushing of power and glory (cf. Job 22:8-9)

have perished (v.16) — The use of the past tense for something that has not yet occurred expresses the certainty of the event because of God’s power and promises. In a way, it’s looking back at the event from God’s timeless perspective.

The psalmist concludes (in typically Davidic fashion) with a confident look at the final, future state, when all men will recognize the Lord for who He is and always has been — the true King of all the earth (cf. Psalm 47:7) — and nations (lit., “Gentiles,” referring, as typically in the Old Testament, to those opposed to the True God and His people) will have perished from His land (i.e., all of the redeemed/recreated “new earth”; cf. Zechariah 14:9; Revelation 21:1). — Wechsler, page 45.

man of the earth (v.18) — pointing out the weakness of men before God

Wechsler’s quote (above) somewhat points to a future time. Williams takes it a step further and makes this Psalm a direct prophecy of the Tribulation. I think it makes sense, although it certainly also applied to Israel’s troubles in David’s time as well.

Psalm 10 gives a vivid picture of the appalling sufferings that Israel will undergo in the future “time of trouble.”

As in Psalm 9, so here, the Anti-Christ is called the “wicked” or “lawless one” in verses 2, 3, 4, 13 and 15, and “the covetous one” in verse 3. “The strong ones” (v.10) are his followers. Their temporary prosperity and successful oppression of the saints of the Most High are described in verses 2 to 11.

Psalm 9:12, 17-18 and Psalm 10:12, when compared, prove that God does not, and will not, forget His oppressed people. “He will never see it” (v.11) may be compared with “Thous hast seen it, for Thou wilt behold travail and grief,” i.e., persecution, “in order to take the matter into Thy hand” (v.14). Because the helpless and the fatherless know and believe this, therefore they commit themselves unto Him.

The doom of the false Messiah is the subject of verse 15, and the reign of the True Messiah the prediction of verse 16. These events will result in the disappearance out of the earth of the hostile heathen. — Williams, page 304.