Psalm 17:4 Kommentar

David being in great distress and danger by the malice of his enemies, does, in this psalm, by prayer address himself to God, his tried refuge, and seeks shelter in him. I. He appeals to God concerning his integrity (Psa 17:1-4). II. He prays to God still to be upheld in his integrity and preserved from the malice of his enemies (Psa 17:5-8, Psa 17:13). III. He gives a character of his enemies, using that as a plea with God for his preservation (Psa 17:9-12, Psa 17:14). IV. He comforts himself with the hopes of his future happiness (Psa 17:15). Some make him, in this, a type of Christ, who was perfectly innocent, and yet was hated and persecuted, but, like David, committed himself and his cause to him that judgeth righteously. A prayer of David.

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.

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" (a), 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. (a) "custodivi", Pagninus, Montanus; "observavi", Musculus, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus; so Ainsworth; "vel prohibui", Muis.

"That My mouth may not speak the works of men" [Psalm 17:4]. That nothing may proceed out of My mouth, but what relates to Your glory and praise; not to the works of men, which they do beside Your will. "Because of the words of Your lips." Because of the words of Your peace, or of Your prophets. "I have kept hard ways." I have kept the toilsome ways of human mortality and suffering.

What the Lord has commanded seems hard and harsh, that any who wish to follow him should deny themselves. But nothing can be hard and harsh that is commanded by one who helps us to do what he commands. You see, both these things are true, both what is said to him in the psalm: “Because of the words of your lips I have kept to hard ways”; and what he himself said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The fact is, whatever is hard in the commandments is made easy by charity.

When sins are avoided, the path is hard, and the ascent is always difficult. But when we slip toward vices, the road is easy and downhill. But the Lord Christ appeared before us in this world and demonstrated the laws of meekness and self-control. So he rightly says that through the commands of the Lord he walked the hard ways of people with undefiled feet.

Second, he explains by what fire he was examined, when he says, "On account of the words of your lips, I kept to hard ways." Hard ways are adversities; and I endured this on account of the words of your lips, that is, in order to keep your words, or to proclaim your words. Jer. 20: "The word of the Lord became a reproach and a derision to me." Jerome has, "that I might keep to the broad ways." Robbers seek byways to hide; so did David when Saul pursued him. Ps. 17: "He made my feet like those of deer." Spiritually, this is said of Christ, punished among robbers as a malefactor: Jn. 18: "If this man were not a malefactor, we would not have handed him over to you." If you begin the verse at "On account of the works of men, I kept to hard ways," you may say that the hard ways are the works of men. Prov. 4: "I will show you the way of wisdom; I will lead you along the paths of equity, which when you have entered," etc.

This Psalm is termed a prayer because the language of petition is predominant. With a just cause, sincerely presented, the writer prays for a just decision and help and protection. Pleading former mercies as a ground of hope, he urges his prayer in view of the malice, pride, rapacity, and selfishness of his foes, whose character is contrasted with his pious devotion and delight in God's favor. (Psa 17:1-15) sentence--acquitting judgment. from thy presence--Thy tribunal. things that are equal--just and right, do Thou regard.

works of men--sinful practices. by the word of thy lips--as a guide (Psa 119:9, Psa 119:11, Psa 119:95). destroyer--violent man.