Discovery BoxPsalms 17:3-15
Context17:3 You have scrutinized my inner motives; 1
you have examined me during the night. 2
You have carefully evaluated me, but you find no sin.
I am determined I will say nothing sinful. 3
17:4 As for the actions of people 4 –
just as you have commanded,
I have not followed in the footsteps of violent men. 5
17:5 I carefully obey your commands; 6
I do not deviate from them. 7
17:6 I call to you for you will answer me, O God.
Listen to me! 8
Hear what I say! 9
17:7 Accomplish awesome, faithful deeds, 10
you who powerfully deliver those who look to you for protection from their enemies. 11
17:8 Protect me as you would protect the pupil of your eye! 12
Hide me in the shadow of your wings! 13
17:9 Protect me from 14 the wicked men who attack 15 me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. 16
they speak arrogantly. 18
17:11 They attack me, now they surround me; 19
they intend to throw me to the ground. 20
17:12 He 21 is like a lion 22 that wants to tear its prey to bits, 23
like a young lion crouching 24 in hidden places.
17:13 Rise up, Lord!
Confront him! 25 Knock him down! 26
Use your sword to rescue me from the wicked man! 27
17:14 Lord, use your power to deliver me from these murderers, 28
from the murderers of this world! 29
They enjoy prosperity; 30
you overwhelm them with the riches they desire. 31
They have many children,
and leave their wealth to their offspring. 32
17:15 As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; 33
when I awake you will reveal yourself to me. 34
[17:3] 1 tn Heb “you tested my heart.”
[17:3] 2 tn Heb “you visited [at] night.”
[17:3] 3 tc Heb “you tested me, you do not find, I plan, my mouth will not cross over.” The Hebrew verbal form זַמֹּתִי (zammotiy) is a Qal perfect, first person singular from the root זָמַם (zamam, “plan, plan evil”). Some emend the form to a suffixed form of the noun, זִמָּתִי (zimmatiy, “my plan/evil plan”), and take it as the object of the preceding verb “find.” However, the suffix seems odd, since the psalmist is denying that he has any wrong thoughts. If one takes the form with what precedes, it might make better sense to read זִמּוֹת (zimmot, “evil plans”). However, this emendation leaves an unclear connection with the next line. The present translation maintains the verbal form found in the MT and understands it in a neutral sense, “I have decided” (see Jer 4:28). The words “my mouth will not cross over” (i.e., “transgress, sin”) can then be taken as a noun clause functioning as the object of the verb.
[17:4] 4 tn Heb “with regard to the deeds of man[kind].”
[17:4] 5 tn Heb “by the word of your lips, I, I have watched the paths of the violent” (i.e., “watched” in the sense of “watched for the purpose of avoiding”).
[17:5] 6 tn Heb “my steps stay firm in your tracks.” The infinitive absolute functions here as a finite verb (see GKC 347 §113.gg). God’s “tracks” are his commands, i.e., the moral pathways he has prescribed for the psalmist.
[17:5] 7 tn Heb “my footsteps do not stagger.”
[17:6] 8 tn Heb “Turn your ear toward me.”
[17:7] 10 tn Heb “Set apart faithful acts.”
[17:7] 11 tn Heb “[O] one who delivers those who seek shelter from the ones raising themselves up, by your right hand.” The Lord’s “right hand” here symbolizes his power to protect and deliver.
[17:8] 12 tc Heb “Protect me like the pupil, a daughter of an eye.” The noun בַּת (bat, “daughter”) should probably be emended to בָּבַת (bavat, “pupil”). See Zech 2:12 HT (2:8 ET) and HALOT 107 s.v. *בָּבָה.
[17:8] 13 sn Your wings. The metaphor compares God to a protective mother bird.
[17:9] 14 tn Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[17:9] 15 tn Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.
[17:9] 16 tn Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (bÿnefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).
[17:10] 17 tn Heb “their fat they close.” The Hebrew term חֵלֶב (khelev, “fat”) appears to stand by metonymy for their calloused hearts. They attack the psalmist without feeling any pity or remorse. Some propose emending the text to חֵלֶב לִבָּמוֹ (khelev libbamo, “fat of their heart[s]; cf. Ps 119:70, “their heart is insensitive like fat”). This assumes haplography of the לב (lamed-bet) consonantal sequence.
[17:10] 18 tn Heb “[with] their mouth they speak with arrogance.”
[17:11] 19 tc Heb “our steps, now they surround me.” The Kethib (consonantal text) has “surround me,” while the Qere (marginal reading) has “surround us,” harmonizing the pronoun to the preceding “our steps.” The first person plural pronoun does not fit the context, where the psalmist speaks as an individual. In the preceding verses the psalmist uses a first person singular verbal or pronominal form twenty times. For this reason it is preferable to emend “our steps” to אִשְּׁרוּנִי (’ishÿruni, “they attack me”) from the verbal root אָשֻׁר (’ashur, “march, stride, track”).
[17:11] 20 tn Heb “their eyes they set to bend down in the ground.”
[17:12] 21 tn Here the psalmist switches to the singular pronoun; he views his enemies collectively, or singles out a representative of the group, perhaps its leader.
[17:12] 22 tn Heb “his likeness [is] like a lion.”
[17:12] 23 tn Heb “[that] longs to tear.”
[17:13] 25 tn Heb “Be in front of his face.”
[17:13] 26 tn Or “bring him to his knees.”
[17:13] 27 tn Heb “rescue my life from the wicked [one] [by] your sword.”
[17:14] 28 tc Heb “from men [by] your hand,
[17:14] 29 tn Heb “from men, from [the] world.” On the emendation of “men” to “murderers,” see the preceding note on the word “murderers.”
[17:14] 30 tn Heb “their portion, in life.”
[17:14] 31 tn Heb “and [with] your treasures you fill their belly.”
[17:14] 32 tn Heb “they are satisfied [with] sons and leave their abundance to their children.”
[17:15] 33 tn Heb “I, in innocence, I will see your face.” To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 11:7; see also Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזַה (khazah), is used]). Here, however, the psalmist may be anticipating a mystical experience. See the following note on the word “me.”
[17:15] 34 tn Heb “I will be satisfied, when I awake, [with] your form.” The noun תְּמוּנָה (tÿmunah) normally carries the nuance “likeness” or “form.” In Job 4:16 it refers to a ghostlike spiritual entity (see v. 15) that revealed itself to Eliphaz during the night. The psalmist may anticipate a mystical encounter with God in which he expects to see a manifestation of God’s presence (i.e., a theophany), perhaps in conjunction with an oracle of deliverance. During the quiet darkness of the night, God examines the psalmist’s inner motives and finds them to be pure (see v. 3). The psalmist is confident that when he awakens, perhaps sometime during the night or in the morning, he will be visited by God and assured of vindication.
