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Psalms 17

Psalms 17

The big picture

Psalms 17 opens in verse 1 with “Hear the right, O LORD , attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 8 with “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,”, and closes in verse 15 with “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake…” Repeated or prominent terms include hear, LORD, eyes, hand, lion. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.

Scripture beside the summary

Psalms · King James Version · 15

Psalms 17:1-8

1–8: Hear the right, O LORD , attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer…

Psalms 17:1–8 opens with “Hear the right, O LORD , attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of…” and reaches “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 17 develops its own movement around hear, LORD, eyes, hand, lion, with particular weight carried by hear, lips, paths.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “Hear the right, O LORD , attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of…” By verse 4, the text has turned to “Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the…” It lands on “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. The passage has a voice and pulse of its own, including 1 verse with a speech marker, 1 verse naming the LORD or God. Those features reveal where the narrative slows down, speaks directly, or changes direction.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as hear, lips, paths, right, apple, attend tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Psalms 17 develops its own movement around hear, LORD, eyes, hand, lion,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Concerning, God, Hear, Hold, Keep, Shew. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 4: “Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: hear, lips, paths, right, apple, attend

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 17:1

    “Hear the right, O LORD , attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.” Naming Hear keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  2. Psalms 17:2

    “Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.” The line’s distinctive content terms include equal, eyes, presence. Its relationship to verses 1 and 3 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. Psalms 17:3

    “Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

  4. Psalms 17:4

    “Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.” Naming Concerning keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. Psalms 17:5

    “Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” Naming Hold keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Psalms 17:6

    “I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

  7. Psalms 17:7

    “Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those…” Naming Shew keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  8. Psalms 17:8

    “Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,” Naming Keep keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

Psalms 17:1-8

King James Version

1Hear the right, O LORD , attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.

2Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.

3Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

4Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

5Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

6I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

7Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.

8Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Psalms 17:9-15

9–15: From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me…

Psalms 17:9–15 opens with “From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.” and reaches “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 17 develops its own movement around hear, LORD, eyes, hand, lion, with particular weight carried by lion, LORD, wicked.

Deep dive

The movement opens with “From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.” By verse 12, the text has turned to “Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret…” It lands on “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with…” The distance between those lines matters as much as any isolated phrase. Its subjects, actions, connecting terms, and consequences reveal how the thought develops before any interpretation is added.

Speaker, parallel lines, images, emotional movement, and changes in voice carry the argument. Wise guidance is richer than a mechanical promise. Words such as lion, LORD, wicked, Arise, awake, babes tie the complete block together. The central idea, “Psalms 17 develops its own movement around hear, LORD, eyes, hand, lion,” should remain answerable to the text. Some conclusions are explicit, some gather support across several verses, and others remain strong inferences or interpretations.

Names or load-bearing terms in this scene include Arise, Like. The nearest hinge to the center comes in verse 12: “Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.” That detail helps separate the opening situation from what the passage changes next.

Words to trace: lion, LORD, wicked, Arise, awake, babes

Verse-by-verse path

  1. Psalms 17:9

    “From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.” The line’s distinctive content terms include compass, deadly, enemies. Its relationship to verses 10 shows what work it does in this passage.

  2. Psalms 17:10

    “They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.” The line’s distinctive content terms include inclosed, mouth, proudly. Its relationship to verses 9 and 11 shows what work it does in this passage.

  3. Psalms 17:11

    “They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;” The line’s distinctive content terms include bowing, compassed, earth. Its relationship to verses 10 and 12 shows what work it does in this passage.

  4. Psalms 17:12

    “Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.” Naming Like keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  5. Psalms 17:13

    “Arise, O LORD , disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:” Naming Arise keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

  6. Psalms 17:14

    “From men which are thy hand, O LORD , from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly…” The line’s distinctive content terms include babes, belly, children. Its relationship to verses 13 and 15 shows what work it does in this passage.

  7. Psalms 17:15

    “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

Psalms 17:9-15

King James Version

9From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.

10They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.

11They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;

12Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.

13Arise, O LORD , disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:

14From men which are thy hand, O LORD , from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

15As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Questions to keep in mind while reading

  1. Follow the speaker, images, parallel lines, questions, and emotional movement.
  2. Notice where tension or suffering resists an easy answer.
  3. Read a saying as wisdom for faithful discernment, not as a mechanical promise detached from context.

Text first

Where readers differ

The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.

The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.

Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.

Questions beneath the surface

  1. What account of God, human freedom, responsibility, and the good life emerges from Psalms 17?
  2. Which tension does the chapter refuse to resolve quickly?
  3. What changes when the chapter is read as part of the whole canon rather than as an isolated moral story?
  4. Where might a sincere reader confuse a familiar tradition with something the text states directly?

Questions for serious personal contemplation

These open-ended questions make room for tension, honest response, prayer, and conclusions that remain accountable to the chapter.

Observe without rushing

  1. What part of Psalms 17 makes you stop, feel unsettled, or feel surprised, and why?

  2. Which detail in the passage would be easiest to overlook? How does that detail change your understanding?

  3. Where do you see tension between what happens and this focus: Psalms 17 develops its own movement around hear, LORD, eyes, hand, lion?

  4. What important question does the passage leave open instead of resolving quickly?

Examine your inner life honestly

  1. Which person, response, fear, or desire in the passage feels most like your own life right now?

  2. What assumption about God, other people, or yourself does this text challenge?

  3. Which part would you rather soften, avoid, or explain away too quickly? What might that reaction reveal?

  4. If this Scripture could ask you one direct question, what do you think it would ask?

Respond with wisdom and courage

  1. What do you need to remember, confess, grieve, thank God for, or trust after reading this passage?

  2. How might another faithful person read this situation differently without ignoring the text?

  3. What obedient response would be costly, uncomfortable, or slow, yet still faithful to Scripture?

  4. What question will you carry into prayer this week, and which verses will you keep in front of you?