Psalm 17

Psalm 17
"Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry"
Verse 15 at the Michaelerkirche in Vienna
Other name	Psalm 16 Exaudi Domine iustitiam meam
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 17
← Psalm 16 Psalm 18 →
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

Psalm 17 is the 17th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry". In the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, it is psalm 16 in a slightly different numbering system, "Exaudi Domine iustitiam meam".^[1] Its authorship is traditionally assigned to King David.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies.

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Transcription

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[2]^[3] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ צֶ֗דֶק הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י בְּ֝לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃‎	A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry; Give ear unto my prayer from lips without deceit.
2	מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵישָׁרִֽים׃‎	Let my judgment come forth from Thy presence; Let Thine eyes behold equity.
3	בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַעֲבׇר־פִּֽי׃‎	Thou hast tried my heart, Thou hast visited it in the night; Thou hast tested me, and Thou findest not That I had a thought which should not pass my mouth.
4	לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֭דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אׇרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ׃‎	As for the doings of men, by the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent.
5	תָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֭שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטּוּ פְעָמָֽי׃‎	My steps have held fast to Thy paths, My feet have not slipped.
6	אֲנִֽי־קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי־תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל הַֽט־אׇזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי׃‎	As for me, I call upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me, O God; Incline Thine ear unto me, hear my speech.
7	הַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃‎	Make passing great Thy mercies, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand From assailants them that take refuge in Thee.
8	שׇׁ֭מְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃‎	Keep me as the apple of the eye, Hide me in the shadow of Thy wings,
9	מִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֭שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי אֹיְבַ֥י בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי׃‎	From the wicked that oppress, My deadly enemies, that compass me about.
10	חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָּגְר֑וּ פִּ֝֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת׃‎	Their gross heart they have shut tight, With their mouth they speak proudly.
11	אַ֭שֻּׁרֵינוּ עַתָּ֣ה (סבבוני) [סְבָב֑וּנוּ] עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃‎	At our every step they have now encompassed us; They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
12	דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֭אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְרֹ֑ף וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃‎	He is like a lion that is eager to tear in pieces, And like a young lion lurking in secret places.
13	קוּמָ֤ה יְהֹוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃‎	Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; Deliver my soul from the wicked, by Thy sword;
14	מִ֥מְתִֽים־יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהֹוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ (וצפינך) [וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮] תְּמַלֵּ֢א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃‎	From men, by Thy hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly Thou fillest with Thy treasure; Who have children in plenty, And leave their abundance to their babes.
15	אֲנִ֗י בְּ֭צֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃‎	As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.

King James Version

Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
Thou 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.
Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
Shew 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.
Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
From 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.
As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Commentator C. S. Rodd notes that the text is uncertain in a number of places, making the exact meaning doubtful,^[4] for example in verses 3, 4 and 14.^[5]

Analysis

Charles and Emilie Briggs summarize this psalm as follows: "Psalm 17 is a prayer for divine interposition on behalf of the righteous (v. 1-7). The psalmist has been tested by God in mind and conduct and approved (v. 3-4a); he has kept the divine ways and avoided wicked deeds (v. 4b-5), therefore he invokes God with confidence (v. 6a). He prays again that his Saviour may show kindness and keep him as the pupil of the eye (v. 6b-8a); that he may be sheltered from his greedy and arrogant enemies (v. 8b-10), who surround him to prey upon him (v. 11-12). Again he prays for divine interposition and deliverance by the slaying of the wicked (v. 13-14a); that penalty may be visited on them to the third generation, but that he himself may enjoy the divine presence (v. 14b-15)."^[6]

The Briggs believe Psalm 17 to have been written in the Persian period, after Zerubbabel but before Ezra's reforms, possibly by the same author as Psalm 16.^[7] Rodd suggests that the context could possibly be a declaration on innocence made before the supreme temple tribunal in accordance with the directive on difficult cases in Deuteronomy 17:8–13.^[4]

Uses

Judaism

Verse 2 is found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah.^[8]
Verse 8 is part of the prayers of the Bedtime Shema.^[9]

Christianity

Verse 8, Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, is used in the office of Compline.^[10]
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, Psalm 17 is appointed to be read on the morning of the third day of the month.^[11]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set Psalm 17 in a metred version in German, "Herr Gott, erhör die Grechtigkeit", SWV 113, as part of the Becker Psalter. Willy Burkhard composed in 1937 a setting for unison voices and organ, as his opus 49.The Irish hymn "mo ghrá Thu" is based on Psalm 17 [11]