Psalm 17 is the 17th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry". In the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, it is psalm 16 in a slightly different numbering system, "Exaudi Domine iustitiam meam".[1] Its authorship is traditionally assigned to King David.
| Psalm 17 | |
|---|---|
| "Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry" | |
 Verse 15 at the Michaelerkirche in Vienna | |
| Other name |
|
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
| Psalm 17 | |
|---|---|
← Psalm 16 Psalm 18 → | |
| Book | Book of Psalms |
| Hebrew Bible part | Ketuvim |
| Order in the Hebrew part | 1 |
| Category | Sifrei Emet |
| Christian Bible part | Old Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 19 |
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies.
Text
editHebrew
editThe following table shows the Hebrew text[2][3] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ צֶ֗דֶק הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י בְּ֝לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃ | A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry; Give ear unto my prayer from lips without deceit. |
| 2 | מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵישָׁרִֽים׃ | Let my judgment come forth from Thy presence; Let Thine eyes behold equity. |
| 3 | בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַעֲבׇר־פִּֽי׃ | Thou hast tried my heart, Thou hast visited it in the night; Thou hast tested me, and Thou findest not That I had a thought which should not pass my mouth. |
| 4 | לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֭דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אׇרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ׃ | As for the doings of men, by the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent. |
| 5 | תָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֭שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטּוּ פְעָמָֽי׃ | My steps have held fast to Thy paths, My feet have not slipped. |
| 6 | אֲנִֽי־קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי־תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל הַֽט־אׇזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי׃ | As for me, I call upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me, O God; Incline Thine ear unto me, hear my speech. |
| 7 | הַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃ | Make passing great Thy mercies, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand From assailants them that take refuge in Thee. |
| 8 | שׇׁ֭מְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃ | Keep me as the apple of the eye, Hide me in the shadow of Thy wings, |
| 9 | מִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֭שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי אֹיְבַ֥י בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי׃ | From the wicked that oppress, My deadly enemies, that compass me about. |
| 10 | חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָּגְר֑וּ פִּ֝֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת׃ | Their gross heart they have shut tight, With their mouth they speak proudly. |
| 11 | אַ֭שֻּׁרֵינוּ עַתָּ֣ה (סבבוני) [סְבָב֑וּנוּ] עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ | At our every step they have now encompassed us; They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth. |
| 12 | דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֭אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְרֹ֑ף וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ | He is like a lion that is eager to tear in pieces, And like a young lion lurking in secret places. |
| 13 | קוּמָ֤ה יְהֹוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃ | Arise, O LORD, confront him, cast him down; Deliver my soul from the wicked, by Thy sword; |
| 14 | מִ֥מְתִֽים־יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהֹוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ (וצפינך) [וּֽצְפוּנְךָ֮] תְּמַלֵּ֢א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃ | From men, by Thy hand, O LORD, From men of the world, whose portion is in this life, And whose belly Thou fillest with Thy treasure; Who have children in plenty, And leave their abundance to their babes. |
| 15 | אֲנִ֗י בְּ֭צֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ | As for me, I shall behold Thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness. |
King James Version
edit- Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
- Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
- Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
- Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
- Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
- I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
- Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
- Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
- From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
- They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
- They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
- Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
- Arise, O LORD, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
- From men which are thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
- As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Commentator C. S. Rodd notes that the text is uncertain in a number of places, making the exact meaning doubtful,[4] for example in verses 3, 4 and 14.[5]
Analysis
editCharles and Emilie Briggs summarize this psalm as follows: "Psalm 17 is a prayer for divine interposition on behalf of the righteous (v. 1-7). The psalmist has been tested by God in mind and conduct and approved (v. 3-4a); he has kept the divine ways and avoided wicked deeds (v. 4b-5), therefore he invokes God with confidence (v. 6a). He prays again that his Saviour may show kindness and keep him as the pupil of the eye (v. 6b-8a); that he may be sheltered from his greedy and arrogant enemies (v. 8b-10), who surround him to prey upon him (v. 11-12). Again he prays for divine interposition and deliverance by the slaying of the wicked (v. 13-14a); that penalty may be visited on them to the third generation, but that he himself may enjoy the divine presence (v. 14b-15)."[6]
The Briggs believe Psalm 17 to have been written in the Persian period, after Zerubbabel but before Ezra's reforms, possibly by the same author as Psalm 16.[7] Rodd suggests that the context could possibly be a declaration on innocence made before the supreme temple tribunal in accordance with the directive on difficult cases in Deuteronomy 17:8–13.[4]
Uses
editJudaism
edit- Verse 2 is found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah.[8]
- Verse 8 is part of the prayers of the Bedtime Shema.[9]
Christianity
edit- Verse 8, Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, is used in the office of Compline.[10]
- In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, Psalm 17 is appointed to be read on the morning of the third day of the month.[11]
Musical settings
editHeinrich Schütz set Psalm 17 in a metred version in German, "Herr Gott, erhör die Grechtigkeit", SWV 113, as part of the Becker Psalter. Willy Burkhard composed in 1937 a setting for unison voices and organ, as his opus 49.The Irish hymn "mo ghrá Thu" is based on Psalm 17 [11]
References
edit- ^ "Parallel Latin/English Psalter / Psalmus 16". Archived from the original on 2017-09-30. Retrieved 2019-07-28.
- ^ "Psalms – Chapter 17". Mechon Mamre.
- ^ "Psalms 17 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
- ^ a b Rodd, C. S., 18. Psalms in Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001), The Oxford Bible Commentary Archived 2017-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, p. 372
- ^ Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc. (1970), Footnote a to Psalm 17 in the New American Bible Revised Edition
- ^ Charles Augustus Briggs; Emilie Grace Briggs (1960) [1906]. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. p. 127.
- ^ Charles Augustus Briggs; Emilie Grace Briggs (1960) [1906]. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. p. 112.
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah, page 349
- ^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 293
- ^ "Night Prayer (Compline)". The Church of England. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
- ^ Church of England, Book of Common Prayer: The Psalter as printed by John Baskerville in 1762, pp. 196ff
11^https://www.lyricsondemand.com/a/aoifenifhearraighlyrics/moghrthsalm17lyrics.html
Sources
edit- Coogan, Michael David (2007). Coogan, Michael David; Brettler, Marc Zvi; Newsom, Carol Ann; Perkins, Pheme (eds.). The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books: New Revised Standard Version, Issue 48 (Augmented 3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195288810.
External links
edit
- Pieces with text from Psalm 17: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- Psalm 17: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
- Psalm 17 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
- Text of Psalm 17 according to the 1928 Psalter
- A prayer of David. / Hear, LORD, my plea for justice; pay heed to my cry text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Psalm 17:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
- Psalm 17 – Shelter Under the Shadow of His Wings enduringword.com
- Psalm 17 / Refrain: Deliver me, O Lord, by your hand. Church of England
- Psalm 17 at biblegateway.com
- Hymns for Psalm 17 hymnary.org