Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 17

Hear the right - Margin, as in Hebrew, “justice.” The prayer is that God would regard what was “right” in the case, or that He would vindicate the psalmist from what was wrong. It is the expression of his confident assurance, even in the presence of God, that his cause was right and that he was asking only what would be consistent for a “just” God to do. We can offer an acceptable prayer only when we are sure that it would be right for God to answer it, or that it would be consistent with perfect and eternal justice to grant our requests.

It is to be observed here, however, that the ground of the psalmist’s petition is not that “he” was righteous; that is, he did not base his petition on his own merits, but that his “cause” was righteous and that he was unjustly oppressed and persecuted by his enemies. We cannot ask God to interpose on our behalf because we have a claim to His favor on the ground of our own merit; we may ask Him to interpose because wrong is done, and His glory will be promoted in securing what is just and right.

Attend to my cry - The word used here—רנה rinnâh—means either a shout of joy (Psalms 30:5; Psalms 42:4; Psalms 47:1) or a mournful cry, outcry, or wailing (Psalms 61:1; and often). It is expressive, in either case, of deep feeling that expresses itself in an audible manner. Here it denotes the earnest “utterance” of prayer.

Give ear to my prayer - See the notes at Psalms 5:1.

That goes not out of feigned lips - Margin, as in Hebrew, “without lips of deceit.” This means it is sincere, or that it proceeds from the heart. The utterance of the lips does not misrepresent the feelings of the heart. True prayer is that in which the lips “do” represent the real feelings of the soul. In hypocritical prayer, the one is no proper representation of the other.

It is evident that the prayer here was not mere mental prayer or a mere desire of the heart. It was uttered prayer, or oral prayer; and, though private, it was in the form of uttered words. The feeling was so great that it was expressed in an audible cry to God. Deep emotion usually is expressed in such audible and fervent expressions. Compare the Savior’s earnest prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:41 and following).

Let my sentence - Hebrew, “my judgment.” The allusion is to a judgment or sentence as coming from God regarding the matter referred to in the psalm, namely, the injuries which he had received from his enemies. He felt that they had done him injustice and wrong; he felt assured that a sentence or judgment from God in the case would be in his favor. So Job often felt that if he could bring his case directly before God, God would decide in his favor. .

Come forth from your presence - From before you. That is, he asks God to pronounce a sentence in his case.

Let your eyes behold - He asked God to examine the case with his own eyes, or attentively to consider it, and to see where justice was.

The things that are equal - The things that are just and right. He felt assured that his own cause was right, and he prays here that justice in the case may be done. He felt that, if that were done, he would be delivered from his enemies. As between ourselves and our fellow human beings, it is right to pray to God that he would see that exact justice should be done, for we may feel certain that justice is on our side, and that we are injured by them; but as between ourselves and God, we can never offer that prayer, because if justice were done to us, we could not help but be condemned. Before him our plea must be for mercy, not justice.

You have proved my heart - In this verse, he refers to his own character and life in the matter under consideration, or the consciousness of his own innocence regarding his fellow men who are persecuting and opposing him. He appeals to the Great Searcher of hearts as proof that, in this respect, he was innocent. He also refers to different forms of trial by God. These trials demonstrate that after the most thorough search, God would find (and indeed did find) that in these respects he was an innocent man, and that his enemies had no reason to treat him as they had done.

It is important to remember here that the trial the psalmist asks from God was not to prove that he was innocent toward God, or that he had a claim to God's favor because of his own personal holiness. Instead, it was to show that he was innocent of any wrongdoing toward those who were persecuting him. In other words, after the most searching trial, even by his Maker, it would be found that he had given them no cause for treating him thus.

The word translated here as “proved” means “to try, to prove, to examine,” especially metals, to test their genuineness (see Psalms 7:9-10, note; Job 12:11, note). The psalmist here says that God had tried or searched “his heart.” God knew all his motives and had examined all his desires and thoughts. The psalmist felt assured that, after the most thorough trial, even God would not find anything in his heart that would justify the conduct of his enemies toward him.

You have visited me - That is, for the purpose of inspecting my character, or of examining me. The English word “visit,” like the Hebrew, is often used to denote a visitation for the purpose of inspection and examination. The idea is that God had come to him for the very purpose of “examining” his character.

In the night - In solitude. In darkness. When I was alone. In the time when thoughts are less under restraint than when surrounded by others. In a time when it can be seen what we really are; when we do not put on appearances to deceive others.

You have tried me - The word used here—צרף (tsâraph)—properly means “to melt, to smelt,” etc., for metals, or separating the pure metal from the dross. The meaning is that God, in examining his character, had subjected him to a trial as searching as that employed in purifying metals by casting them into fire.

You shall find nothing - You will find nothing that could give occasion for the conduct of my enemies. The future tense is used here to denote that, even if the investigation were continued, God would find nothing in his heart or in his conduct that would warrant their treatment of him. He had the most full and settled determination not to do wrong to them in any respect whatever. Nothing had been found in him that would justify their treatment of him; he was determined so to live, and he felt assured that he would so live, that nothing of the kind would be found in him in the future. “I am purposed.” I am fully resolved.

My mouth shall not transgress - Transgress the law of God, or go beyond what is right. That is, I will utter nothing that is wrong, or that can give occasion for their harsh and unkind treatment. Much as he had been provoked and injured, he was determined not to retaliate, or to give occasion for their treating him in the manner in which they were now doing. Professor Alexander renders this, “My mouth shall not exceed my thought”; but the common version gives a better idea and is sanctioned by the Hebrew. (Compare Gesenius, Lexicon.)

Concerning the works of men - Regarding the works or actions of men. The reference here is probably to the ordinary or common actions of humankind, or to what generally characterizes human conduct. Since their conduct is so commonly and characteristically wicked, wickedness may be spoken of as their 'work,' and it is to this, undoubtedly, that the psalmist refers.

Regarding the sinful courses or 'paths' to which people are so prone, he says that he had kept himself from them. This aligns with what he says in the previous verse: that he had given no occasion by his conduct for the treatment he had received from his enemies.

By the word of your lips - Not by his own strength, nor by any power he himself possessed, but by the commands and promises of God—by what had proceeded from His mouth. The reference is undoubtedly to all that God had spoken: to the law which prescribed his duty, and to the promises God had given to enable him to walk in the path of uprightness. He had relied on the word of God as teaching duty; he had submitted to it as authority; he had found encouragement in it in striving to do right.

I have kept myself - I have preserved myself. I have so guarded my conduct that I have not fallen into the sins that are so common among people.

The paths of the destroyer - The paths that the 'destroyer' treads; the course of life that such people lead. The idea is not that he had been able to save himself from violence from them, but that he had been enabled to avoid their way of life.

The word translated 'destroyer' is from a verb meaning 'to break, to rend, to scatter,' and would properly refer to acts of violence and lawlessness. He had kept himself from the ways of life of the violent and the lawless; that is, he had been enabled to lead a peaceful and quiet life. He had given no occasion to his enemies to treat him as a violent, lawless, or wicked man.

Hold up my goings in thy paths - He had been enabled before this to keep himself from the ways of the violent by the word of God (Psalms 17:4). He felt his dependence on God still to enable him, in the circumstances in which he was placed and under the provocations to which he was exposed, to live a life of peace and to keep himself from doing wrong. He, therefore, calls on God, and asks him to sustain him, and to keep him still in the right path.

The verb used here is in the infinitive form, but used instead of the imperative. DeWette. - Prof. Alexander renders this less correctly, “My steps have laid hold of thy paths;” for he supposes that a prayer here “would be out of place.” But prayer can never be more appropriate than when a man realizes that he owes the fact of his having been until now enabled to lead an upright life only to the word of God, and when provoked and injured by others he feels that he might be in danger of doing wrong. In such circumstances nothing can be more proper than to call upon God to keep us from sin.

That my footsteps slip not - Margin, as in Hebrew: “be not moved.” The idea is, “that I may be firm; that I may not yield to passion; that, provoked and wronged by others, I may not be allowed to depart from the course of life which I have been until now enabled to pursue.” No prayer could be more appropriate.

When we feel and know that we have been wronged by others; when our lives have given no cause for such treatment as we receive at their hands; when they are still pursuing us, and injuring us in our reputation, our property, or our peace; when all the bad passions of our nature are liable to be aroused, prompting us to seek revenge, and to return evil for evil, then nothing can be more proper than for us to lift our hearts to God, entreating that he will keep us, and save us from falling into sin; that he will enable us to restrain our passions, and to subdue our resentments.