Psalm 17
Psalm 17 | |
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"Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry" | |
Other name |
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Language | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 17 | |
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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 |
Psalm 17is the 17th psalm of theBook of Psalms,beginning in English in theKing James Version:"Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry". In the GreekSeptuagintand the LatinVulgate,it is psalm 16 in a slightly different numbering system, "Exaudi Domine iustitiam meam".[1]Its authorship is traditionally assigned to KingDavid.
The psalm forms a regular part ofJewish,Catholic,Lutheran,Anglicanand other Protestant liturgies.
Text
[edit]Hebrew
[edit]The following table shows the Hebrew text[2][3]of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon theJPS 1917translation (now in thepublic domain).
Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
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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
[edit]Charles 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, afterZerubbabelbut beforeEzra's reforms, possibly by the same author asPsalm 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 inDeuteronomy 17:8–13.[4]
Uses
[edit]Judaism
[edit]- Verse 2 is found in the repetition of theAmidahduringRosh Hashanah.[8]
- Verse 8 is part of the prayers of theBedtime 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 ofCompline.[10]
- In theChurch of England'sBook of Common Prayer,Psalm 17 is appointed to be read on the morning of the third day of the month.[11]
Musical settings
[edit]Heinrich Schützset Psalm 17 in a metred version in German, "Herr Gott, erhör die Grechtigkeit", SWV 113, as part of theBecker Psalter.Willy Burkhardcomposed 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".Archivedfrom the original on 2017-09-30.Retrieved2019-07-28.
- ^"Psalms – Chapter 17".Mechon Mamre.
- ^"Psalms 17 - JPS 1917".Sefaria.org.
- ^abRodd, C. S.,18. Psalmsin Barton, J. and Muddiman, J. (2001),The Oxford Bible CommentaryArchived2017-11-22 at theWayback Machine,p. 372
- ^Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc.(1970),Footnote atoPsalm 17in theNew 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.Retrieved27 May2020.
- ^Church of England,Book of Common Prayer: The Psalteras printed byJohn Baskervillein 1762, pp. 196ff
11^https:// lyricsondemand /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.ISBN9780195288810.
External links
[edit]- Pieces with text from Psalm 17:Scores at theInternational Music Score Library Project
- Psalm 17:Free scores at theChoral Public Domain Library(ChoralWiki)
- Psalm 17in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
- Text of Psalm 17 according to the1928 Psalter
- A prayer of David. / Hear, LORD, my plea for justice; pay heed to my crytext and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
- Psalm 17:1introduction and text, biblestudytools
- Psalm 17 – Shelter Under the Shadow of His Wingsenduringword
- Psalm 17 / Refrain: Deliver me, O Lord, by your hand.Church of England
- Psalm 17at biblegateway
- Hymns for Psalm 17hymnary.org