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Psalm Seventeen
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 17
A Prayer of David. This prayer was put up by David either in
his own person
on his own account
praying to God for the vindication of his
cause
and for salvation and deliverance from his enemies; or in the person of
the Messiah
whose type he was
and of the whole church
so Jerom of old
interpreted it; and the title of it in the Arabic version is
"a
prayer in the person of a perfect man
and of Christ himself
and of everyone
that is redeemed by him;'
in
which preservation and protection are prayed for
and hope of eternal life is
expressed. It was written
according to Theodoret
when David suffered
persecution from Saul.
Psalm 17:1 Hear
a just cause
O Lord
Attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful
lips.
YLT
1A Prayer of David. Hear
O
Jehovah
righteousness
attend my cry
Give ear [to] my prayer
without lips of
deceit.
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 give the
decisive sentence about it; so Christ committed himself to him that judgeth
righteously
1 Peter 2:23; for by "right" may
be meant his right and cause
or his righteous cause
as in Psalm 9:4; unless rather his righteous
prayer should be intended
so the Targum paraphrases it
"my prayer in
righteousness"; not presented for the sake of his own righteousness
but
on account of the righteousness of Christ
and for the vindication of his
righteous cause before men: the Vulgate Latin
Ethiopic
and Arabic versions
render it "my righteousness"
meaning his righteous cause; but rather
the word may be rendered "righteousness"F26צדק "justitiam"
Vatablus
Cocceius
Gejerus; το δικαιον
Aquila in Drusius;
"justitiam"
i.e. "me qui sum justus"
Piscator.
or the
"righteous one"
and may design the psalmist himself
who was a
righteous person
and such the Lord hears; or Christ
whose name is the Lord
our righteousness
Jeremiah 23:6; and who
as an advocate or
intercessor for himself and for his people
is Jesus Christ the righteous
1 John 2:1. The Septuagint version takes it
to be an epithet of the Lord himself
translating it
"O Lord of my
righteousness"
as in Psalm 4:1; and so the Syriac version
"hear
O holy Lord"; and in this manner does Christ address his
father in prayer
John 17:11; and the consideration of the
holiness and righteousness of God is of use in prayer to glorify God
and to
command a proper awe and reverence of him;
attend unto my cry; the word for "cry" signifies both
a noise made in a way of joy and grief; wherefore the Chaldee paraphrase
renders it
"attend to my praise"
or hymn of praise
and which
arises from sorrow and distress; and intends not mental prayer attended with
groanings which cannot be uttered
but vocal prayer expressed in a loud and
mournful manner
signifying the distress the person is in
and his earnestness
and importunacy for help; and of this sort were some of Christ's prayers; see Hebrews 5:7;
give ear unto my prayer
that goeth not out of feigned lips; hypocritical
and deceitful ones; but this went forth from his heart
which was lifted up
with his hands to God
to whom he drew nigh with a true heart
and called upon
him in the sincerity and uprightness of his soul; and of this sort were all
Christ's prayers
in whose mouth there is no guile: the various expressions
"hear
attend
give ear"
which signify the same thing
show the
distress the supplicant was in
the fervency of his prayer
and his vehement
and earnest desire to be heard and answered immediately; and since the accent "athnach"
is upon the word תפלתי
"my prayer"
this
last clause is not to be joined only to that
but refers to all that is said
before; as that his "right" and his "cry"
as well as his
prayer
were unfeigned.
Psalm 17:2 2 Let my vindication come
from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright.
YLT
2From before thee my
judgment doth go out; Thine eyes do see uprightly.
Let my sentence come forth from thy presence
.... Not of
condemnation
such as came forth from God and passed on Adam and all his
posterity
Romans 5:12; though such an one was
executed on Christ
as he was the surety and representative of his people; but
of justification
which came forth from God and passed on Christ
when he rose
from the dead
and upon his people in him
1 Timothy 3:16. Here it chiefly designs the
vindication of the innocence of the psalmist before men; and his request is
that as he was fully persuaded that he was clear of the things he was charged
with in the sight of God
that he would openly and publicly make him appear so
before men; that he would bring forth his righteousness as the light
and his
judgment as the noonday
Psalm 37:6; and of which he made no doubt
but he would; so Christ
though he was traduced by men
knew he should be justified
by his Father
and by his children
Isaiah 50:8;
let thine eyes behold the things that are equal; which is not
to be understood barely of the eyes of his omniscience; for these behold things
both equal and unequal
good and evil
things which agree and disagree with the
law of God
the rule of righteousness and equity; but of his approbation of
them
and that he would some way or other testify that approbation; for the
petition intends the favouring of his just and equal cause
and making it to
appear to be so.
Psalm 17:3 3 You have tested my heart; You
have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I
have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
YLT
3Thou hast proved my heart
Thou hast inspected by night
Thou hast tried me
Thou findest nothing; My
thoughts pass not over my mouth.
Thou hast proved mine heart
.... This properly
belongs to God
who is the searcher of the heart and reins
and is desired by
all good men; and though God has no need to make use of any means to know the
heart
and what is in it; yet in order to know
or rather to make known
what
is in the hearts of his people
he proves them sometimes by adversity
as he
did Abraham and Job
and sometimes by prosperity
by mercies given forth in a
wonderful way
as to the Israelites in the wilderness
Deuteronomy 8:2; sometimes by suffering
false prophets and false teachers to be among them
Deuteronomy 13:3; and sometimes by leaving
corruptions in them
and them to their corruptions
as he left the Canaanites
in the land
and as he left Hezekiah to his own heart
Judges 2:22. In one or other or more of
these ways God proved the heart of David
and found him to be a man after his
own heart; and in the first of these ways he proved Christ
who was found
faithful to him that appointed him
and was a man approved of God;
thou hast visited me in the night; God visited
and redeemed his people in the night of Jewish darkness; he visits and calls
them by his grace in the night of unregeneracy; and so he visits with his
gracious presence in the night of desertion; and he often visits by granting
counsel
comfort
and support
in the night of affliction
which seems to be
intended here; thus he visited the human nature of Christ in the midst of his
sorrows and sufferings
when it was the Jews' hour and power of darkness.
Elsewhere God is said to visit every morning
Job 7:18;
thou hast tried me; as silver and gold are tried in the
furnace; thus the people of God
and their graces in them
are tried by
afflictions; so David was tried
and in this manner Christ himself was tried;
wherefore he is called the tried stone
Isaiah 28:16;
and shalt find nothing; or
"shalt not find": which is variously supplied; some "thy
desire"
or what is well pleasing to thee
so Jarchi; or "thou hast
not found me innocent"
as Kimchi; others supply it quite the reverse
"and iniquity is not found in me"
as the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and Ethiopic versions; or "thou hast not found iniquity in me"
as
the Syriac and Arabic versions; to which agrees the Chaldee paraphrase
"and thou hast not found corruption"; which must be understood
not
as if there was no sin and corruption in David; for he often makes loud complaints
and large confessions of his sins
and earnestly prays for the forgiveness of
them; but either that there was no sin in his heart which he regarded
Psalm 66:18; which he nourished and
cherished
which he indulged and lived in; or rather there was no such crime
found in him
which his enemies charged him with; see Psalm 7:3. This is true of Christ in the
fullest sense; no iniquity was ever found in him by God
by men or devils
John 14:30
1 Peter 2:22; and also of his people
as
considered in him
being justified by his righteousness
and washed in his
blood
Jeremiah 50:20; though otherwise
as
considered in themselves
they themselves find sin and corruption abounding in
them
Romans 7:18;
I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress; by murmuring
against God
on account of his visitation and fiery trials
or by railing at
men for their false charges and accusations; this resolution was taken up by
the psalmist in the strength of divine grace
and was kept by him
Psalm 39:9; so Christ submitted himself
patiently to the will of God without repining
and when reviled by men reviled
not again
Luke 22:42; and from hence may be learned
that the laws of God may be transgressed by words as well as by works
and that
the one as well as the other should be guarded against; see Psalm 39:1.
Psalm 17:4 4 Concerning the works of
men
By the word of Your lips
I have kept away from the paths of the
destroyer.
YLT
4As to doings of man
Through
a word of Thy lips I have observed The paths of a destroyer;
Concerning the works of men
.... Of wicked men
as to
what respects and concerns them
or in the midst of them; in the midst of a
wicked generation of men
and their filthy conversation; who appear to be so
by the word of thy lips; the law of God
the
Scriptures of truth
the rule and standard of faith and practice
which show
what works are good and what are not; by the use
help
and benefit of this;
I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer; such is the
devil
who was a murderer from the beginning; antichrist
whose name is Abaddon
and Apollyon
both which signify a destroyer; false teachers
and all wicked
men: the "paths" of such are their wicked principles and practices
their damnable errors and heresies
their sins and lusts
which make up the
broad road that leads to destruction: these the psalmist "kept" or
"observed"F1שמרתי
"custodivi"
Pagninus
Montanus; "observavi"
Musculus
Piscator
Cocceius
Gejerus; so Ainsworth; "vel prohibui"
Muis.
for the words "me" and "from" are not in the original text;
and the sense is
that he took notice of them
and avoided them
and
as a
faithful prince and magistrate
forbad his subjects walking in them
and restrained
them from them
making the word of God the rule of his conduct.
Psalm 17:5 5 Uphold my steps in Your
paths
That my footsteps may not slip.
YLT
5To uphold my goings in Thy
paths
My steps have not slidden.
Hold up my goings in thy paths
.... Which being spoken
by David in his own person
and for himself
shows that he was conscious of his
own weakness to keep himself in the ways of God
and to direct his steps
therein; and that he was sensible of
the need he stood in of divine power to
uphold and support him in them;
that my footsteps
slip not; out of the paths of truth and duty
of faith and holiness; of
which there is danger
should a man be left to himself
and destitute of divine
direction and aid; see Psalm 73:2; and though Christ had no moral
weakness in him
and was in no danger of falling into sin
or slipping out of
the ways of God; yet these words may be applied to him in a good sense
as
considered in human nature
and attended with the sinless infirmities of it
he
being God's servant
whom he upheld
and of whom he gave his angels charge to
keep him in all his ways
Isaiah 42:1.
Psalm 17:6 6 I have called upon You
for You will hear me
O God; Incline Your ear to me
and hear my speech.
YLT
6I -- I called Thee
for
Thou dost answer me
O God
incline Thine ear to me
hear my speech.
I have called upon thee
.... In prayer. This had
been the constant practice of the psalmist
and he still continued in it;
for thou wilt hear me
O God; God is a God hearing
prayer; he is used to hear his people
and they have frequent experience of it
and they may be assured that whatsoever they ask according to his will
and in
the name of Christ
he will hear; and such an assurance is a reason engaging
the saints to a constant calling upon God
Psalm 116:2; and such confidence of being
always heard Christ had
John 11:41;
incline thine ear unto me
and hear my speech; meaning his
prayer
which he now directed to him in full assurance of being heard
and is
as follows.
Psalm 17:7 7 Show Your marvelous
lovingkindness by Your right hand
O You who save those who trust in You From
those who rise up against them.
YLT
7Separate wonderfully Thy
kindness
O Saviour of the confiding
By Thy right hand
from withstanders.
Show thy marvellous loving kindness
.... Such is the
lovingkindness of God to his people in Christ; which is sovereign
free
special
distinguishing
everlasting
and unchangeable; it is better than life
and passes knowledge; and which is set upon men and not angels
some and not
all
and these many of them the worst and vilest of men
and all of them by
nature children of wrath as others; and which has appeared in choosing them in
Christ
putting them into his hand
and making a covenant with him for them; in
sending him into the world to suffer and die for them; in regenerating
adopting
justifying
pardoning
and saving them with an everlasting salvation;
all which is marvellous in their eyes
and will be the wonder of men and angels
to all eternity: this sometimes is hidden from the objects of it
as it might
be from the psalmist
and therefore he desires a manifestation of it to him; or
else his sense is
that God would show to others in what a marvellous manner he
loved him
by the help
deliverance
and salvation he would give him. Such a
petition will agree with Christ; see Psalm 40:10. Some render the wordsF2Kimchi
& Ben Melech.
"separate thy lovingkindness"
or cause it to
pass "from them that rise up on" or "against thy right
hand"; but these were never the objects of it; and there is no separation
of them from it
nor of that from them who are interested in it
Romans 8:38; much better may it be
rendered
"separate" or "distinguish thy lovingkindness"F3הפלה "separa"
Junius & Tremellius;
"segrega"
Montanus; so some in Vatablus; see Ainsworth. ; that is
let it appear that I have special interest in thy lovingkindness
distinct from
others; distinguish me by thy lovingkindness
remember me with that which thou
bearest to a peculiar people
Psalm 106:4;
O thou that savest by thy right hand; either by his
power
or by the man of his right hand
his own son;
them which put their trust in thee; not in men
not in an arm of flesh
not in themselves
in their own power
wisdom
riches
and righteousness; but in the Lord their God
who is the Saviour of all men
but especially of them that believe
1 Timothy 4:10; for these he saves both in
a temporal and in a spiritual manner;
from those that rise up against them; from all
their spiritual enemies
sin and Satan; and from all outward ones
from the men
of the world
oppressors and violent persecutors
who are afterwards described:
the phrase
"by thy right hand"
is by some
as Aben Ezra
connected
with the word trust
and rendered
"them which trust in thy right
hand"F4חוסים־בימינך "eos qui
fidunt in dextera tua"
so some in Vatablus
Castalio
Ainsworth;
"recipentes se ad dexteram suam"
Junius & Tremellius. ; either
in the grace
mercy
and favour of God
dispensed by his right hand; or in his
strength
and the mighty power of his arm; and by others it is joined to the
last clause
and so it stands in the original text
and rendered
"from
those that rise up against thy right hand"F5ממתקוממים
בימינך "ob insurgentes in dexteram tuam"
Pagninus
Montanus
Cocceius; so Michaelis
Gejerus
Musculus. ; and so the
words describe such persons who in a bold and presumptuous manner set
themselves against God
and strengthen themselves against the Almighty; who
resist his counsel and will
oppose themselves to the Lord and his Anointed
the man of his right hand
made strong for himself; and to his saints
who are
as dear to him as his right hand
and who are preserved by him in the hollow of
his hand.
Psalm 17:8 8 Keep me as the apple of
Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings
YLT
8Keep me as the apple
the
daughter of the eye; In shadow of Thy wings thou dost hide me.
Keep me as the apple of the eye
.... Which is weak and
tender
and is hurt and put to pain
and made uneasy by every little thing that
annoys it
and than which nothing is more dear to a man
or he is more careful
of preserving from being hurt; and fitly represents the weak estate and
condition of God's people
his affection for them
and tender care of them; who
as he has provided tunics for the eye
and guarded it with eyebrows
so he has
taken care for the safety of his dear children
Deuteronomy 32:10;
hide me under the shadow of thy wings; alluding either
to the wings of the cherubim over the mercy seat
where God granted his
presence; so the Targum paraphrases it
"under
the shadow of thy Shechinah hide me;'
or
to birds
who cover their young ones with their wings to save them from birds
of prey; see Psalm 91:1. From such passages perhaps the
Heathens had their notion of presenting their gods with wingsF6Vid.
Cuperi Apotheos. Homer. p. 169
&c. .
Psalm 17:9 9 From the wicked who
oppress me
From my deadly enemies who surround me.
YLT
9From the face of the wicked
who spoiled me. Mine enemies in soul go round against me.
From the wicked that oppress me
.... Or "waste"
or "destroy"F7זו שדוני "quid vastant"
Vatablus
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator; "qui vastaverunt"
Pagninus
Montanus
Cocceius
Michaelis. ; as wild beasts do a field or vineyard when they get into
it; and such havoc do persecutors and false teachers make of the church and
people of God
when they are suffered to get in among them
Psalm 80:13; wherefore from such wicked and
unreasonable men protection is desired
2 Thessalonians 3:2;
from my deadly
enemies; enemies against his soul or life
who sought to take it away
nothing would satisfy them but this;
who compass me about; on all sides
in order to obtain their desire; such were the enemies of Christ
and so they
are described
Psalm 22:12.
Psalm 17:10 10 They have closed up their
fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly.
YLT
10Their fat they have closed
up
Their mouths have spoken with pride:
They are enclosed in their own fat
.... Or "their fat
has enclosed them"; either their eyes
that they can hardly see out of them
or their hearts
so that they are stupid and senseless
and devoid of the fear
of God; the phrase is expressive of the multitude of their wealth and increase
of power
by which they were swelled with pride and vanity
and neither feared
God nor regarded man; so the Targum paraphrases it
"their
riches are multiplied
their fat covers them;'
see
Deuteronomy 32:15; some read it
"their fat shuts their mouths"
so Aben Ezra and Kimchi; or
"with their fat they shut them"F8So De Dieu. ; but the
accent "athnach" will not admit of this reading; the last word
belongs to the next clause;
with their mouth they speak proudly; against God and his
people
belching out blasphemies against the one
and severe menaces and
threatenings against the other.
Psalm 17:11 11 They have now surrounded
us in our steps; They have set their eyes
crouching down to the earth
YLT
11`Our steps now have
compassed [him];' Their eyes they set to turn aside in the land.
They have now compassed us in our steps
.... The sense
is
they could not stir a step but they were at their heels
surrounding them
on every side. This was true of David
when he was pursued by Saul
and
followed by him to Keilah and the wilderness of Maon
1 Samuel 23:8; according to the
"Cetib"
or textual writing
it should be rendered
"they have
compassed me"; but
according to the "Keri"
or marginal
reading
and the points
it is as we have translated it
and which is followed
by the Targum
and both are right
and design David as a principal person
and
those that were with him
who were encompassed by Saul and his men. This also
was verified in Christ
when Judas followed him into the garden with a band of
men to betray him
and when he was enclosed by wicked men as he went to the
cross
and hung upon it
John 18:2; and may likewise be accommodated
to the case of all the saints
who are troubled on every side
are beset with
the corruptions of their hearts
the temptations of Satan
and the reproaches
and persecutions of the men of the world
2 Corinthians 4:8;
they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth; which posture
either denotes fraudulence and hypocrisy
showing
by looking only upon the
ground
as if they were harmless and inoffensive
and had no ill designs
and
took no notice of anything; which
as it was true of David's enemies
so of the
Jews and of Judas with respect to Christ
and of false teachers with respect to
the church
Luke 20:20
Matthew 7:15; or else inhumanity and
contempt
not caring to turn their eyes to look upon them in distress
but kept
their eyes fixed upon the earth
so Christ was treated by the Jews
Isaiah 53:3; or rather their being intent
upon mischief
their diligence and watchfulness to observe all motions
and
take every opportunity "to strike"
or "cast me down to the
earth"
as the Arabic and Syriac versions render it; or the sense is
as
Kimchi gives it
their eyes are upon our ways
to spread nets for us in the
earth to take us.
Psalm 17:12 12 As a lion is eager to tear
his prey
And like a young lion lurking in secret places.
YLT
12His likeness as a lion
desirous to tear
As a young lion dwelling in secret places.
Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey
.... Or
"the likeness of him is as a lion"F9דמיונו
כאריה "similitudo ejus
vel cujusque est tanquam
leonis"
Pagninus
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius; so Musculus
Gejerus
Michaelis. ; meaning Saul
as Kimchi interprets it; or everyone of
them that compassed them about
as Aben Ezra observes; sometimes wicked and
persecuting princes are compared to lions
for their strength and cruelty; see Proverbs 28:15; so the devil is called a
roaring lion
1 Peter 5:8; and the antichristian beast is
said to have the mouth of a lion
Revelation 13:2;
and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places; to leap upon
its prey
and seize it at once
as it has opportunity; this denotes the secret
and insidious method which the enemies of Christ take to do mischief; see Psalm 10:9.
Psalm 17:13 13 Arise
O Lord
Confront him
cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword
YLT
13Arise
O Jehovah
go before
his face
Cause him to bend. Deliver my soul from the wicked
Thy sword
Arise
O Lord
.... See Psalm 3:7;
disappoint him
or "prevent his face"F11קדמה פניו "praeveni faciem
ejus"
Pagninus
Montanus
Vatablus
Musculus
Gejerus; "anticipa
faciem ejus"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator. ; be beforehand with him
and so disappoint him
when he is about to seize his prey; who is comparable to
the lion
or to the young lion; meaning the chief of his enemies
it may be
Saul;
cast him down; everyone of them that set themselves to
cast down others to the earth. Jarchi's note is
"cut
off his feet
'
that
he may bow down and fall;
deliver my soul from the wicked
which is thy sword; so Jarchi
Aben Ezra
Kimchi
and Ben Melech
render the words; that is
from wicked men
whom God makes use of as instruments to afflict and chastise his people: so the
Assyrian monarch is called the "rod" of his anger
with whom he
scourged his people Israel
Isaiah 10:5. Compare with this Psalm 22:20. The words are rendered by
some
"deliver my soul from the wicked by thy swords"F12מרשע חרבך "gladio tuo ab
improbis"
Junius & Tremellius; Gejerus; so Ainsworth. ; meaning not
the sword of the Spirit
the Word of God by which Christ was delivered from the
wicked one
when tempted by him in the wilderness; but the avenging justice of
God
the sword of the Lord
which
being whetted and taken hold on
and used by
him
brings vengeance on his enemies
and salvation to his people; see Deuteronomy 32:41. The Targum paraphrases
the clause thus
"deliver
my soul from the wicked
who deserves to be slain by thy sword.'
Psalm 17:14 14 With Your hand from men
O
Lord
From men of
the world who have their portion in this life
And whose belly
You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children
And leave
the rest of their possession for their babes.
YLT
14From men
Thy hand
O
Jehovah
From men of the world
their portion [is] in life
And [with] Thy
hidden things Thou fillest their belly
They are satisfied [with] sons; And
have left their abundance to their sucklings.
From men which are thy hand
O Lord
.... Some
understand these words
with what follows
as independent of the former
and of
another set of men
even of good men; so the Targum
"and
the righteous who deliver their souls for thy sake
O Lord
unto death in the
earth
their portion is in eternal life;'
so
Jarchi gives the like sense of them: but the words are to be connected with the
preceding
as they are by Aben Ezra
Kimchi
and Ben Melech; and the sense is
deliver my soul from men
which are instruments in thine hand to chastise thy
people: so even Satan himself
and the Sabeans and Chaldeans
whom he instigated
to afflict Job
are called the "hand" of the Lord that touched him
because he suffered them to do what they did for the trial of him
Job 19:21. The words may be rendered
"the men of thy hand"F13ממתים ידך "ab inimieis manus tuae"
V. L. so Sept.
"a viris manus tuae"
Lutherus
Musculus. ; who are raised up by
thine hand to the power and dignity they have; and who can easily be pulled
down by it; and who are in thine hand
and at thy beck and control
and whose
wrath and fury thou canst restrain. Or they may be rendered
"from men by
thy hand"F14"Manu tua"
Montaus
Junius &
Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius
Gejerus. ; that is
deliver me from them by thy
strong hand and mighty power; as Israel of old was delivered from the Egyptians
by the strong and mighty hand of God;
from men of the world: who are
as they were
when they came into the world
in sin
in darkness
and in a carnal and
unregenerate state; who are not only in the world
but of it
and belong to it
and to it only; and are under the influence of the god of the world
and are
taken with the lusts and pleasures of it
and live in them and serve them: and
are of worldly spirits
inordinately love the things of the world
mind earth
and earthly things
and are unconcerned about the things of another world; see Luke 16:8;
which have their portion
in this life; and in this only; have a large share of the good things of this
life; and which is all their portion
Luke 16:25;
and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: earthly
treasure
as gold and silver
which is called hid treasure
because it is first
hid in the bowels of the earth
out of which it is dug
and afterwards hid in
the coffers of worldly men; and oftentimes kept to the hurt of the owners of
it. Or the phrase may denote the value and preciousness of it. And to have the
belly filled with this is to have a very great affluence and plenty of it;
though it is very rare
let it be ever so large
that men are fully satisfied
with it;
they are full of children; which among the eastern
nations was reckoned a considerable part of outward prosperity and happiness;
see Job 21:7; or their "children are
full"
or "filled"F15ישבעו בנים "saturantur vel satiantur filii"
Munster
Muis
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Gejerus; so Targ. Ar. Ainsworth. with
hidden treasure also;
and leave the rest of their substance to their babes; their
children's children; their grandchildren
as Kimchi explains it; and which is
said
not by way of complaint
as an evil in them
since it is lawful and right
for parents to lay up for their children
and leave it to them: unless the
sense is
that they engross all to themselves
and to their posterity
in life
and death; while they live
they indulge their sensual appetites and lusts
and
fill themselves and theirs
but give nothing to the poor and hungry; nor part
with anything for the interest of God and true religion; and when they die
leave nothing for such use and service
but all to their posterity: but rather
the phrase is expressive of their great plenty; that having lived in and
enjoyed great fulness themselves
and given large portions to their children
yet have much left; which
at death
they bequeath to the young generation. Now
from such men in power and dignity
and from being hurt by them
as well as
from communion and conversation with them
the psalmist desires to be
delivered; and expresses his satisfaction in other and better things than they
enjoy
in the following words.
Psalm 17:15 15 As for me
I will see Your
face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.
YLT
15I -- in righteousness
I
see Thy face; I am satisfied
in awaking
[with] Thy form!
As for me
.... I do not desire to be in their place and stead
with all
their plenty and prosperity; I am content with my present condition and
situation: for
I will
or "shall"
behold thy face in righteousness; that is
appear before
God in public worship
where was the ark
the symbol of the face of God; enjoy
his gracious presence
have the discoveries of his love
and see his face and
favour; than which nothing was more desirable by him and delightful to him. Or
God himself may be meant by "his face"; and especially God as he is
to be beheld in the face of Christ
the Angel of his presence; and who is to be
beheld by faith in the present state of things
though as through a glass
darkly; and in the future state perfectly
and as he is
both with the eyes of
the understanding
and
after the resurrection
with the eyes of the body; see Job 19:26; and to this state the psalmist
seems more especially to have respect
as Jarchi interprets it: and the
beatific vision of God in Christ will be very glorious and exceeding
delightful; it will be assimilating and appropriating; it will be free from all
darkness and interruption
and will continue for ever. And this shall be seen
"in righteousness"; the psalmist believing that he should then appear
as an innocent person clear of all the false charges brought against him; and
so this may be understood of the righteousness of his cause
in which he should
stand before God
and enjoy communion with him:
or this may design that
perfect holiness and purity of heart
without which no man shall see the Lord;
and which
though now imperfect
shall in the other state be without spot or blemish:
or rather
the righteousness of Christ
which fits believers for
and in which
they are brought into and stand in
the King's presence;
I shall be satisfied
when I awake
with thy likeness; which will be
in the resurrection morn: or
as Jarchi expresses it
when the dead shall awake
from their sleep; for this is not to be understood of awaking from natural
sleep in the morning; when it is a satisfaction to a believer to be with God
and to have God with him
Psalm 139:18; nor of awaking from a sleepy
drowsy frame of spirit
which sometimes attends the saints; but of rising from
the dead: for as death is oftentimes expressed by sleep in Scripture
so the
resurrection by an awaking out of it
Isaiah 26:19; at which time the saints will
arise with the image of the heavenly One upon them: they will be like to Christ
both in soul and body; in soul
in perfect knowledge and complete holiness: in
body
in incorruption and immortality
in power
glory
and spirituality; in
this will lie their happiness and satisfaction. Or the meaning is
that he
should be satisfied with the likeness of God
with Christ the image of God
when he should arise from the dead; seeing he should then appear with him in
glory
see him as he is
and be like him
and be for ever in his presence;
which will yield endless pleasure and unspeakable satisfaction. For the words
may be interpreted
not of David's awaking
but of the glory of God awaking or
appearing; which would afford an infinitely greater satisfaction than worldly
men have in worldly thingsF16Vid. Castel. Lexic. Heptaglott. col.
2014.
to which this is opposed
Psalm 17:10; so the Septuagint and Vulgate
Latin versions read
I shall be satisfied when thy glory appears
or is seen;
and so the Ethiopic and Arabic versions.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》