‘A Prayer of David.' A further psalm from the Davidic psalms. Psalms 17:1 ‘Hear, O YHWH, righteousness, attend to my cry, Give ear to my prayer, which goes not out of deceitful lips. Let my verdict come forth from your presence, Let your eyes look on rightness (or ‘your eyes look on what is ri... [ Continue Reading ]
‘You have proved my heart, you have visited me in the night, You have tried me, and find nothing, I am determined that my mouth shall not transgress.' ‘You have proved my heart.' That is, have tried it and tested it and found out the truth about it. ‘You have visited me in the night.' The night i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘As for the works of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. My steps have held fast to your paths, My feet have not slipped.' When he compares his behaviour with the behaviour of others he can justly claim that because he has heard YHWH's word from His li... [ Continue Reading ]
‘I have called on you, for you will answer me, O God, Incline your ear to me, and hear my speech. Show your marvellous covenant love, O you who save by your right hand, Those who take refuge in you, From those who rise up.' He calls on YHWH as the Deliverer, the One Who reveals His marvellous... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me under the shadow of your wings, From the unrighteous who oppress (spoil) me, My deadly enemies, who encompass me about.' The apple of the eye is the pupil. It represented the precious gift of sight. Thus it is above all things what a man guards, and it i... [ Continue Reading ]
‘They are enclosed in their own fat (midriff?), With their mouth they speak proudly. They have now encompassed us in our steps, They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.' It may be that he vividly picture his enemies as being entrapped in their own midriff. (Different parts of the body a... [ Continue Reading ]
‘He is like a lion which is greedy for his prey, And as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.' The ‘he' here is some individual who is like a hunting lion greedy for its prey, a prime young lion of the pack lurking in hiding ready to pounce. There is always a ringleader, one who is especi... [ Continue Reading ]
‘Arise, O YHWH. Confront him, make him bow down, Deliver my soul from the unrighteous by your sword, From men by your hand, O YHWH, 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 the rest of their s... [ Continue Reading ]
‘As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with your form (likeness).' In contrast to his enemies the psalmist beholds YHWH's face ‘in righteousness'. This may mean that it is because God has accounted him as righteous in that he has responded to Him... [ Continue Reading ]