I. (17:1–2) Request for Vindication. The words suggest someone under attack or accusation, asking God to bring the singer’s innocence to light.

The triple parallel “hear . . . attend . . . give ear” conveys a note of urgency. The plea of innocence is likewise threefold: “just cause [tsedeq, “righteousness”] . . . lips free of deceit . . . vindication [mishpat, “just ruling”].”

II. (17:3–5) Claim of Innocence. The next section amplifies the assertion of innocence from verses 1–2.

The singer has opened himself to the Lord’s examination: (1) “You have tried my heart,” that is, “you see and assess my deepest motivations” (cf. 1 Chron. 29:17; Pss. 7:9; 26:2; 139:23; Prov. 17:3); (2) “You have visited me by night,” at the time when I am most willing to be honest and reflective (as in Ps. 16:7); and (3) “You have tested me,” using an image from testing silver (as in 66:10). The result is that “you will find nothing”—the singer professes that even this examination will clear him of the charges made against him.

In support of this he also recounts his efforts to stay pure: (1) “I have purposed” (an inner and invisible activity known only to God; 31:13; 37:12; 140:8 [“plot”]) and (2) “I have avoided” (again, only God knows for sure what options were available to me)—hence 17:5, “My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.” This uses the common metaphor for one’s actions and moral orientation as a walk along a path (1:1; 16:11). Thus in verse 5 the singer claims to have made moral decisions in line with God’s revealed will and to have kept firmly to these decisions.

III. (17:6–9) Request for Protection. The song moves back to requesting an answer to the prayer—specifically, protection from violent adversaries.

The request or assurance found in verse 6 that God will “answer” (Hb. ʿanah) when his faithful “call” (qaraʾ, “call” or “cry”) recurs frequently in the Psalms (3:4; 4:1; 20:9; 27:7; 81:7; 86:7; 91:15; 99:6; 102:2; 118:5; 119:145; 120:1; 138:3). Occasionally we find the fear that God might not answer when the faithful call (22:2).

The request in 17:7 (“wondrously show your steadfast love”) might also be rendered “distinguish me by your steadfast love” (ESV mg.). This turns on the Hebrew word hapleh, which looks like it comes from the root palah, which appears in Exodus 8:22; 9:4; 11:7; 33:16 (“set apart” or “make a distinction”), but might be from the form palaʼ, the verb that appears in Psalm 31:21 (“he has wondrously shown his steadfast love”) and is seen as well in the frequent reference to God’s “wondrous works.”158 The similar 31:21, together with the testimony of some Hebrew manuscripts that actually use the spelling hapleʾ (with ʾaleph rather than heh),159 probably tip the balance in favor of the ESV text: the prayer is for God to display his steadfast love by answering the prayers in a way that clearly displays the divine opinion. The singer associates himself with “those who seek refuge from their adversaries” at God’s “right hand”; this is a claim of having faithfully embraced the covenant (cf. comment on 16:1–2).

Verse 8 uses the Hebrew expression for the pupil of the eye (ʾishon -[bat-]ʿayin), which is commonly thought to mean something like “the little man of the eye,” perhaps because a tiny image appears there.160 The English idiom “apple of your eye” is quite old, dating back into Anglo-Saxon usage (presumably based on the shape of the pupil).161 As in the other places that use this expression, the idea is that it is precious, to be “kept” or “guarded” (Deut. 32:10; Prov. 7:2). The psalm amplifies this with “the shadow of your wings,” which always refers to a place of safety (cf. Pss. 36:7; 57:1; 63:7).

The threats come from “the wicked” (17:9), which commonly refers to those members of God’s people who reject covenant faithfulness; probably most uses of this psalm assume that these are the source of the accusations for an Israelite. The words of the psalm, however, are general enough that they can also apply in cases in which the accusations come from outside God’s people altogether.

IV. (17:10–12) The Pitiless Enemies. The dreadful plight of the singer is clear: no appeal to the attackers’ “pity” or remorse is possible, since they “close their hearts” to such feelings, preferring instead to “speak arrogantly” (v. 10, as in 31:18). They eagerly watch for the opportunity to trip the innocent singer up and then to destroy him (vv. 11–12). The image of a predatory beast (here, a lion) is commonly applied to persons and imperial powers that would do harm (Isa. 5:29; 11:6; Jer. 4:7; 5:6; Ezek. 22:27; Zeph. 3:3; Nah. 2:11–13; Dan. 7:17; Luke 10:3; 2 Tim. 4:17; Rev. 13:2).162

V. (17:13–14) May God Defeat Them! In such an environment of threat and faith the proper recourse is prayer for the enemy’s defeat, and thus the psalm returns to its request. Although their repentance may be preferred (made explicit in Ps. 83:16), that avenue seems closed (which v. 10 seems to imply), and thus deliverance for the pious requires defeat for the attacker. The specific kind of defeat is left up to God.

The psalms frequently implore God to “arise,” as in verse 13 (cf. 3:7; 7:6; 9:19; 10:12; 35:2; 44:26; 74:22; 82:8). This urgent demand asks God to make his preferences manifest in the world, when they seem so hidden, by clearly vindicating and defending his faithful (here, “deliver my soul”).

The Hebrew for 17:14 presents some challenges (cf. ESV mg.). The ESV text reasonably navigates these difficulties, giving a sense that describes the attackers as people whose only “portion” (or reward) is in this life, namely, their “treasure” and their “children.” These wicked leave all their wealth behind when they die (in contrast to the faithful, in this life and the next; 16:5, 9–11). This leads to the expectation of the pious in 17:15.

VI. (17:15) Confidence for Everlasting Satisfaction. The psalm finishes in triumph, anticipating eternal fellowship in God’s presence.

The person singing this expects to “behold” God’s “face,” and to do so “in righteousness,” which corresponds to his “just cause” of verse 1. This goes beyond vindication in this life; it will occur “when I awake,” which is best taken as implying “awake from the sleep of death” (cf. 13:3, where death is likened to sleep; comment on 11:4–7).163 Thus the beholding and the satisfaction of this verse refer to the everlasting bliss the godly look for; we may even go so far as seeing the general resurrection here (cf. 11:7; Rev. 22:4), which makes this psalm a suitable companion to Psalm 16.