Psalms 17:1

Hear the right, O Lord,.... The psalmist appeals to the Lord as a Judge, sitting on the throne judging right, that he would hear his cause litigated between him and his adversaries, determine and

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

Psalms 17 David being now grievously persecuted and distressed by Saul and other enemies, and being also bespattered with many calumnies, he appeals to the heart-searching God, makes a solemn protestation of his integrity, earnestly begs of God protection and deliverances; and being made weary of this life by his pressing and manifold calamities, he comforts himself with the contemplation and hope of a happier life. David, in confidence of his integrity, , prayeth to God for defence against his enemies, . He showeth their pride, craft, and eagerness to make a prey of the innocent, ; and prayeth against them in confidence of his hope, . The right, Heb. righteousness, i.e. me, who, notwithstanding all their accusations and slanders, am righteous. Or, my righteous cause; do thou take notice of it, and give sentence for me. Or, my righteous prayer. I desire nothing that is unreasonable or unjust, but that thou wouldst judge righteously between me and mine enemies, and vindicate thine own honour and faithfulness in making good thy promise to me; which thy righteousness obliges thee to do. My cry, i.e. my fervent prayer attended with strong cries. Not out of feigned lips, Heb. not with deceitful lips, which speak one thing, when my heart knoweth and designeth another. And this profession of his sincerity in his words doth fitly make way for his solemn appeal to God in the following verses.

Psalms 17:1 « A Prayer of David. » Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, [that goeth] not out of feigned lips.A Prayer of David] He was a man of prayer; but this was his appeal to God, the supreme Judge, as the word importeth. Ver. 1. Hear the right, O Lord] Heb. Righteousness, which crieth unto God no less than blood doth, Genesis 4:10 Or, hear the right, that is, my prayer, saith R. David, rightly made with heart and voice. Or, Hear, O righteous Lord, as Christ also saith, O righteous Father, John 17:25 Attend unto my cry] Some profane persons bear well their crosses, because their cause is good; but they cry not when God bindeth them, Job 36:13. Or, if they cry, they cry out of hard fortune, as the Athenians did when their good General Nicias was slain, and their army routed in Sicily (Thucyd.); or against dame Virtue, as if it were no more than a mere name, as Brutus did, when beaten out of the field (Dio). Or, against providence, as if there were a mist over the eye of it, as Pompey did, when discomfited by Caesar; so blaming the sun, because of the soreness of his own blear eyes. But David (greatly wronged by Saul and his courtiers) by humble and hearty prayer maketh his request known to God with thanksgiving, Philippians 4:6. And this, like his harp, drove away the evil spirit of grief and discontent. That goeth not out of feigned lips] His devotion was not sorrowful, as is that of hypocrites; it was not an empty ring, a mere outside, the labour of the lips, but the travail of the heart; it was sincere and thoroughly wrought, as St James hath it, ενεργουμενη, James 5:16. Wicked men speak God fair, but it is as the devil did our Saviour, to be rid of him, or as those, Psalms 78:36, who flattered him with their mouths, and lied unto him with their tongues.

(1) Hear the right.—Or (see margin), justice. Some ancient versions read, “Hear, Lord of righteousness.” Others make it concrete: “Hear me, the righteous; “but the Authorised Version has the true sense.

PSALM XVII David implores the succour of God against his enemies; and professes his integrity and determination to live to God's glory, 1. He prays for support, and expresses strong confidence in God, 5-9; describes the malice and cruelty of his enemies, and prays against them, 10-14; receives a strong persuasion of support and final victory, 15. NOTES ON PSALM XVII The title is, A prayer of David; in which there is nothing that requires explanation. David was most probably the author of this Psalm; and it appears to have been written about the time in which Saul had carried his persecution against him to the highest pitch. See 1 Samuel 27:1-12. The Arabic calls it "A prayer of a perfect man, of Christ himself, or of any one redeemed by him." Dr. Delaney, in his life of David, supposes that this poem was written just after parting with Jonathan, when David went into exile. Verse 1. Hear the right] Attend to the justice of my cause, יהוה צדק Yehovah tsedek, righteous Jehovah. "O righteous Jehovah, attend unto my cry." Goeth not out of feigned lips.] My supplication is sincere: and the desire of my heart accompanies the words of my lips.

1, 2. An appeal for justice.

Hear the right - Margin, as in Hebrew, “justice.” The prayer is, that God would regard that which was “right” in the case, or that he would vindicate the psalmist from that which was wrong.

1. Hear the right—To hear the right, or righteousness, is the same as to hear the prayer for righteousness, or that righteousness may obtain.