Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 17:4

"As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent." — Psalms 17:4 (ASV)

Concerning the works of men — that is, regarding the actions of men, or in ordinary human actions; for the expression, compare Job 31:33 and Hosea 6:7, where the margin has Adam.

By the word of thy lips. — Some take this clause closely with the foregoing and interpret it as “against the word,” and so on, but the Authorised Version is better. The Divine standard for action, not the human or worldly, influences the writer.

I have kept me. — Literally, I for my part have observed ways of violence. But usage (Proverbs 2:20) almost compels us to understand this as, “I have kept ways of violence,” which is impossible here. Hence we must either give the verb the unusual sense “guard against,” or suppose an error in the text.