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Psalm 17

Prayer for Deliverance from Persecutors

A Prayer of David.

1

Hear a just cause, O L ord; attend to my cry;

give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.

2

From you let my vindication come;

let your eyes see the right.

 

3

If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,

if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;

my mouth does not transgress.

4

As for what others do, by the word of your lips

I have avoided the ways of the violent.

5

My steps have held fast to your paths;

my feet have not slipped.

 

6

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;

incline your ear to me, hear my words.

7

Wondrously show your steadfast love,

O savior of those who seek refuge

from their adversaries at your right hand.

 

8

Guard me as the apple of the eye;

hide me in the shadow of your wings,

9

from the wicked who despoil me,

my deadly enemies who surround me.

10

They close their hearts to pity;

with their mouths they speak arrogantly.

11

They track me down; now they surround me;

they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.

12

They are like a lion eager to tear,

like a young lion lurking in ambush.

 

13

Rise up, O L ord, confront them, overthrow them!

By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,

14

from mortals—by your hand, O L ord

from mortals whose portion in life is in this world.

May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them;

may their children have more than enough;

may they leave something over to their little ones.

 

15

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;

when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.


1. Hear my righteousness, O Jehovah. The Psalmist begins the psalm by setting forth the goodness of his cause. He does this because God has promised that he will not suffer the innocent to be oppressed, but will always, at length, succor them. Some explain the word righteousness as denoting righteous prayer, an interpretation which appears to me unsatisfactory. The meaning rather is, that David, confiding in his own integrity, interposes God as a Judge between himself and his enemies, to cognosce or determine in his cause. We have already seen, in a preceding psalm, that when we have to deal with wicked men, we may warrantably protest our innocence before God. As, however, it would not be enough for the faithful to have the approving testimony of a good conscience, David adds to his protestation earnest prayer. Even irreligious persons may often be able justly to boast of having a good cause; but as they do not acknowledge that the world is governed by the providence of God, they content themselves with enjoying the approbation of their own conscience, as they speak, and, gnawing the bit, bear the injuries which are done to them rather obstinately than steadfastly, seeing they do not seek for any consolation in faith and prayer. But the faithful not only depend upon the goodness of their cause, they also commit it to God that he may defend and maintain it; and whenever any adversity befalls them, they betake themselves to him for help. This, therefore, is the meaning of the passage; it is a prayer that God, who knew David to have done justly, and to have performed his duty without giving occasion to any to blame him, 339339     “Que David se soit portd justement et fait son devoir sans donner a aucun occasion de le blasmer.” — Fr. and, therefore, to be unrighteously molested by his enemies, would graciously look upon him; and that he would do this especially, since, confiding in his aid, he entertained good hope, and, at the same time, prays to him with a sincere heart. By the words cry and prayer he means the same thing; but the word cry, and the repetition of what it denotes, by a different expression, serve to show his vehement, his intense earnestness of soul. Farther, as hypocrites talk loftily in commendation of themselves, and to show to others a token of the great confidence which they have in God, give utterance to loud cries, David protests concerning himself that he does not speak deceitfully; in other words, that he does not make use of his crying and prayer as a pretext for covering his sins, but comes into the presence of God with sincerity of heart. By this form of prayer the Holy Spirit teaches us, that we ought diligently to endeavor to live an upright and innocent life, so that, if there are any who give us trouble, we may be able to boast that we are blamed and persecuted wrongfully. 340340     “Que nous sommes blasmez et persecutez a tort.” — Fr. Again, whenever the wicked assault us, the same Spirit calls upon us to engage in prayer; and if any man, trusting to the testimony of a good conscience which he enjoys, neglects the exercise of prayer, he defrauds God of the honor which belongs to him, in not referring his cause to him, and in not leaving him to judge and determine in it. Let us learn, also, that when we present ourselves before God in prayer, it is not to be done with the ornaments of an artificial eloquence, for the finest rhetoric and the best grace which we can have before him consists in pure simplicity.

2. From the presence of thy countenance. Literally it is, from before thy face, or, before thy face. By these words David intimates that if God does not rise up as the vindicator of his cause, he will be overwhelmed with calumnies though innocent, and will be looked upon as a guilty and condemned person. The cognisance which God will take of his cause is tacitly set in opposition to the dark inventions of falsehood which were spread against him. 341341     “Car la cognoissance que Dieu prendra de sa cause est tacitement mise in l’opposite des tenebres des mensonges qu’on semoit contre luy.” — Fr. His language is as if he had said, I do not ask for any other judge but God, nor do I shrink from standing before his judgment-seat, 342342     “Et qu’il ne refuse point de respondre derant le siege judicial d’iceluy.” — Fr. “Nor do I refuse to answer before his judgment-seat.” since I bring with me both a pure heart and a good cause. What he immediately adds with respect to God’s looking upon his uprightness is of similar import. He does not mean to say that God is blind, but only beseeches him actually to show that he does not connive at the wickedness of men, and that it is not to him a matter of indifference when he beholds those who have not the means of defending themselves 343343     “Qui n’ont pas moyen de se defendre.” — Fr. receiving evil treatment undeservedly. Some take the word judgment in too restricted a sense for the right to the kingdom which was promised to David, as if he petitioned to be placed on the royal throne by the power of God, inasmuch as he had been chosen by him to be king, and had also, in his name and by his authority, been anointed to this office by the hand of Samuel. The meaning which I attach to David’s language is simply this, that being oppressed with many and varied wrongs, he commits himself to the protection and defense of God.


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