Psalm 17

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 17

David being in great distress and danger by the malice of his enemies, does, in this psalm, by prayer address himself to God, his tried refuge, and seeks shelter in him. I. He appeals to God concerning his integrity, Ps. 17:1-4. II. He prays to God still to be upheld in his integrity and preserved from the malice of his enemies, Ps. 17:5-8, 13. III. He gives a character of his enemies, using that as a plea with God for his preservation, Ps. 17:9-12, 14. IV. He comforts himself with the hopes... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 17:1-7

This psalm is a prayer. As there is a time to weep and a time to rejoice, so there is a time for praise and a time for prayer. David was now persecuted, probably by Saul, who hunted him like a partridge on the mountains; without were fightings, within were fears, and both urged him as a suppliant to the throne of mercy. He addresses himself to God in these verses both by way of appeal (Hear the right, O Lord! let my righteous cause have a hearing before thy tribunal, and give judgment upon it)... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 17:8-15

We may observe, in these verses, I. What David prays for. Being compassed about with enemies that sought his life, he prays to God to preserve him safely through all their attempts against him, to the crown to which he was anointed. This prayer is both a prediction of the preservation of Christ through all the hardships and difficulties of his humiliation, to the glories and joys of his exalted state, and a pattern to Christians to commit the keeping of their souls to God, trusting him to... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 17

INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 17 A Prayer of David . This prayer was put up by David either in his own person, on his own account, praying to God for the vindication of his cause, and for salvation and deliverance from his enemies; or in the person of the Messiah, whose type he was, and of the whole church, so Jerom of old interpreted it; and the title of it in the Arabic version is, "a prayer in the person of a perfect man, and of Christ himself, and of everyone that is redeemed by him;' ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 17:1

Hear the right, O Lord ,.... The psalmist appeals to the Lord as a Judge, sitting on the throne judging right, that he would hear his cause litigated between him and his adversaries, determine and give the decisive sentence about it; so Christ committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, 1 Peter 2:23 ; for by "right" may be meant his right and cause, or his righteous cause, as in Psalm 9:4 ; unless rather his righteous prayer should be intended, so the Targum paraphrases it, "my... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 17:2

Let my sentence come forth from thy presence ,.... Not of condemnation, such as came forth from God and passed on Adam and all his posterity, Romans 5:12 ; though such an one was executed on Christ, as he was the surety and representative of his people; but of justification, which came forth from God and passed on Christ, when he rose from the dead, and upon his people in him, 1 Timothy 3:16 . Here it chiefly designs the vindication of the innocence of the psalmist before men; and his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 17:3

Thou hast proved mine heart ,.... This properly belongs to God, who is the searcher of the heart and reins, and is desired by all good men; and though God has no need to make use of any means to know the heart, and what is in it; yet in order to know, or rather to make known, what is in the hearts of his people, he proves them sometimes by adversity, as he did Abraham and Job, and sometimes by prosperity, by mercies given forth in a wonderful way, as to the Israelites in the wilderness, ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 17:4

Concerning the works of men ,.... Of wicked men, as to what respects and concerns them, or in the midst of them; in the midst of a wicked generation of men, and their filthy conversation; who appear to be so, by the word of thy lips ; the law of God, the Scriptures of truth, the rule and standard of faith and practice, which show what works are good and what are not; by the use, help, and benefit of this; I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer ; such is the devil, who was a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 17:5

Hold up my goings in thy paths ,.... Which being spoken by David in his own person, and for himself, shows that he was conscious of his own weakness to keep himself in the ways of God, and to direct his steps therein; and that he was sensible of, the need he stood in of divine power to uphold and support him in them; that my footsteps slip not ; out of the paths of truth and duty, of faith and holiness; of which there is danger, should a man be left to himself, and destitute of divine... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 17:6

I have called upon thee ,.... In prayer. This had been the constant practice of the psalmist, and he still continued in it; for thou wilt hear me, O God ; God is a God hearing prayer; he is used to hear his people, and they have frequent experience of it, and they may be assured that whatsoever they ask according to his will, and in the name of Christ, he will hear; and such an assurance is a reason engaging the saints to a constant calling upon God, Psalm 116:2 ; and such confidence... read more

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