The Bible — World English Bible
Psalm 17
In brief
Psalm 17 is a prayer of David. Pursued by relentless enemies, he asks God to hear his plea and to examine his heart, whose integrity he affirms. He begs God to keep him as the apple of his eye and to hide him under the shadow of his wings. He describes adversaries compared to lions, then sets their portion, limited to this life, against his own hope: to see God's face when he awakes.
The chapter in 4 parts
1Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea; Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.
2Let my sentence come out of your presence. Let your eyes look on equity.
3You have proved my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me, and found nothing. I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.
4As for the deeds of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
5My steps have held fast to your paths. My feet have not slipped.
6I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech.
7Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.
8Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9from the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies, who surround me.
10They close up their callous hearts. With their mouth they speak proudly.
11They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
12He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey, as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13Arise, Yahweh, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
14from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
15As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
Key verses
Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea; Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.
David does not pray with empty words: he asks God to listen to a prayer that comes from lips without deceit.
Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
The apple of the eye is the most delicate and best protected part of the body. The shadow of wings recalls a bird sheltering its young.
Arise, Yahweh, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
David asks God to act against injustice and to deliver him from the wicked: he places justice in God's hands rather than taking revenge.
As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
His hope goes beyond the goods of this world. What satisfies him is seeing God's face when he awakes.
Bible verses to meditate on
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Frequently asked questions about Psalm 17
What does Psalm 17 mean?
Psalm 17 is the prayer of a man unjustly attacked, who places his cause in God's hands. David affirms his integrity, asks to be kept as the apple of God's eye and to be delivered from his enemies. It ends with a hope greater than the goods of this life: seeing the face of God.
Who wrote Psalm 17?
The title is simple: it is a prayer of David. The psalm does not say what event prompted it, but the image of enemies closing in fits the years when Saul pursued David. Anyone can recognize their own situation of injustice in it.
How can I pray or meditate on Psalm 17?
Place yourself before God as in verse 3, asking him to examine your heart rather than pleading your case. Then repeat verse 8, naming what threatens you. Finish with verse 15, thanking him for the meeting that awaits you one day and that begins in prayer.
Articles quoting Psalm 17
World English Bible translation — public domain.