Psalm 17 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 17!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Introducing Psalm 17

• Psalm 17 can be understood very simply as "an innocent person’s prayer for protection" and thus as an entreaty for justice with reference to a threat (cf. Ps 5). David (the "innocent person") prays that YHWH would deliver him from his enemies, by subduing them, and offers numerous affirmations of his personal righteousness in support of his "righteous case." The psalm concludes with a striking request: David asks to see the face of YHWH.

• Psalm 17 appropriates numerous phrases and terms from Psalm 16, which is titled as another Davidic psalm, and so a familiarity with Psalm 16 can assist in developing a better understanding of Psalm 17.

The Unified Character of Psalm 17

• Over the years, scholars have posited many different ways in which Psalm 17 can be divided into poetic sections. Nevertheless, it is commonly accepted that the psalm is a unified composition. One aspect of the poem's unity is its apparent use of body-part imagery (see visual below).

• The numerous terms for body parts pervade the psalm and serve to bind it together as a whole: - "eye" עַיִן (vv. 2, 8,11), "lips" שְׂפָתֶי/שִׂפְתֵי (vv. 1, 4), "mouth" פֶּה (vv. 3, 10), "ear" אֹזֶן (vv. 1, 6), "right hand" יָמִין (v. 7), "wings" כְּנָפֶי (v. 8), "pupil" אִישׁוֹן (v. 8), "fat" חָלָב (v. 8), "life, (throat)/life" נֶפֶשׁ (vv. 9, 13), "hand" יָד (v. 14), "belly" בֶּטֶן (v. 14), and "face" פָּנֶה (vv. 13, 15). The only verse without a body part is verse 12, in which David employs a leonine metaphor for his enemy.
• The body parts are metonyms which represent the various participants in this psalm (e.g., David, YHWH, David's enemies, etc.).
• Another Poetic Feature of Psalm 17, which employs pairs of word roots with reference to the psalm's foremost participants, further illustrates its unity as a poem (see visual below).

• The repeated roots have a contrastive role and help to communicate the central message of the psalm (viz., David is upright and his wicked enemies unjustly persecute him; so YHWH, who is righteous, will deliver David).

The Divisions of Psalm 17

• This analysis divides Psalm 17 into three main sections, with a subsection acting like a coda (i.e., a concluding movement in a piece of music) at the end of section III (visual below): I (vv. 1-5); II (vv. 6-12); III (vv. 13-15).

• Psalm 17 can also be divided according to its five Global Speech Acts (see visual below). These correspond to the foregoing threefold division which is based on poetics (the second division in the foregoing visual includes both the second and third Global Speech Acts).

See My Uprightness! (vv. 1-5)

• In this first section David entreats YHWH for justice and avows his innocence/righteousness in a manner that implies it is the basis upon which he expects to be heard (cf. Pss 5; 7:4-6, 9-11; 34:16-18; 66:18-19; 84:12; Prov 15:8-9; 29; 2 Chron 7:14).
• In the Hebrew Bible, it was the prerogative of those considered to be upright by the standards of YHWH's law to "assume the privilege of the righteous and pray for vindication."

v. 1

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
SS	תְּפִלָּ֗ה לְדָ֫וִ֥ד	A prayer. By David.
1a	שִׁמְעָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ צֶ֗דֶק	YHWH, hear a righteous case!
1b	הַקְשִׁ֥יבָה רִנָּתִ֗י	Pay attention to my cry!
1c	הַאֲזִ֥ינָה תְפִלָּתִ֑י בְּ֝לֹ֗א שִׂפְתֵ֥י מִרְמָֽה׃	Listen to my prayer which is made without deceitful lips!

Expanded Paraphrase

A prayer. By David. YHWH, hear a righteous case which I bring because of my enemies who threaten me! Pay attention to my cry because I have been wronged, though I am upright! Listen to my prayer which is made without deceitful lips!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• There are corresponding frames in Psalm 17, the beginning (vv. 1-3) and the ending (vv. 13-15), which highlight the implicit, but confident faith that impels David's prayer. In section I, David calls upon YHWH to respond to him and "see" uprightness, even as he claims that he is upright. In section III, David calls on YHWH for deliverance from his enemies and expresses his faith that YHWH will respond, implied by the phrase "after being vindicated," in asking to "see" YHWH's "face."

• Two of the main participants are introduced in v. 1: David and YHWH (yellow and purple, respectively, in the visual below).

• The vocative YHWH (יְהוָה) occurs after the verb and, in so doing, highlights the key term of Psalm 17, "righteousness/justice" (צֶדֶק), which follows it. This word order draws attention to David's righteous case which is presented to YHWH in the prayer of Psalm 17.
• David's righteous case (צֶדֶק) consists in his upright living because David is asking YHWH to respond to him, as the context makes clear.
• The term for righteous case (צֶדֶק) in v. 1, is repeated in the final verse (v. 15), though there rendered in a verbal sense, forming a thematic inclusio for the whole psalm. This poetic tactic helps the reader to know at the beginning, and to be reminded at the end, that "righteousness" (צֶדֶק) is David's concern as he prays. The exact nature of this is spelled out more clearly in between the two appearances of צֶדֶק.

• David's claim of righteousness is significant for his petition because it was expected that those who lived a righteous life would be heard by God, especially when they entreated him for justice (Pss 5; 7:4-6, 9-11; 34:16-18; 66:18-19; 84:12; Prov 15:8-9; 29; 2 Chron 7:14).
• The LXX, along with some modern translations (NIV, NET, NLT, GNT, REB), supply a 1cs (possessive) pronoun with צֶדֶק (e.g., "my just cause" NET). The pronoun may be legitimately inferred (and included in translation) from context, though it need not be.
• The context of my cry (רִנָּתִי) likely indicates more than a visceral cry (i.e., making an emotive and audible, but unintelligible sound).
• The constituent translated as without (בְּלֹא) is an inseparable preposition (בְּ) joined to the negator (לֹא) (see also Num 35:22-23).
• The two terms lips (שִׂפְתֵי) and listen (האזינה) introduce what is the most prominent lexical domain in Psalm 17, that of Parts: Creatures (see visual under Character of Psalm 17 heading). The contextual domain of Body corresponds to this and is attested throughout Psalm 17 as well. In translation, one may choose to keep the anatomical element explicit in rendering what are often changed into figurative expressions and are thereby lost (e.g., האזינה>"give ear">>"listen/hear"; שִׂפְתֵי מִרְמָה>"lips of deceit">>deceitful speech," etc.).
• Typically, deceit (מִרְמָה) "refers to untruthfulness in words designed to deceive other people (e.g., [Pss] 5:6 [7]; 10:7; 34:13 [14]" and so it is likely that David "claims a truthfulness in relation to other people that contrasts with that of (some) other people’s words (v. 10)."

v. 2

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
2a	מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א	May my judgment come from you.
2b	עֵ֝ינֶ֗יךָ תֶּחֱזֶ֥ינָה מֵישָׁרִֽים׃	May your eyes see uprightness.

Expanded Paraphrase

May my judgment come from you because you are just and discerning. I am aligning with you in asking this. May your eyes see and act upon uprightness.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• It is likely that my judgment (מִשְׁפָּטִי) is a "genitive of advantage" because David is entreating YHWH for a judgment in his favor. In light of the context, in which David is preparing to ask YHWH for protection and deliverance (vv. 7-8, 13-14a), מִשְׁפָּטִי denotes "YHWH's judgment on my behalf" (viz., that YHWH would respond favorably toward David). Alternatively, it could be a "[v]erbal notion–object" relationship because David entreats YHWH for a judgment (action) on his behalf and verse 15 suggests that David expects to be "vindicated" (i.e., judged to be in the right) by YHWH. These interpretations are not mutually exclusive and are both are valid.
• Though the verb translated as may. . . come from (יצא), which is a jussive, does not come at the beginning of a clause like a typical jussive, it is probably positioned where it is on account of information packaging which marks from you (מִלְּפָנֶיךָ) for focus.
• The whole clause, may your eyes see uprightness (עֵינֶיךָ תֶּחֱזֶינָה מֵישָׁרִים), is thetic (i.e.. "not divided between topic and comment," but rather "a unitary state of affairs"). It functions to explain the reason for the request made through the jussive ("go forth" - יצא) that came before (v. 2a). In other words, David wants his case to be judged by YHWH because YHWH is uniquely able to discern rightly between good and bad.
• The construct phrase your eyes (עֵינֶיךָ) resembles the fronted topic in v. 11b "their eyes" (עיניהם). Both are in keeping with the frequent use of body-part imagery throughout Psalm 17 (see note under The Character of Psalm 17), however, "your eyes" (עֵינֶיךָ) signifies YHWH's consciousness of David's situation in anthropomorphic terms, whereas "their eyes" (עֵינֵיהֶם; v. 11b) signifies David's enemies oppressive presence.
• It is significant that the verb see (חזה) appears here, near צֶדֶק (v. 1) at the outset of the psalm, and then again in connection with צֶדֶק in v. 15 at its end (see note on חזה under v. 15).
• The noun translated as uprightness (יָשָׁר) in plural form indicates "the various concrete manifestations of a quality" (e.g., when a judge gives the correct verdict, when a wicked person is punished for doing an evil deed or when a righteous person is rewarded for doing a good deed, etc.). This noun should probably be understood here as "an accusative of the object" (i.e., "uprightness"; YHWH will see to it that what is "right" is done) because David is appealing to YHWH in vv. 1-9 for justice/righteous judgment (מִשְׁפָּט v. 2) in light of his personal righteousness (vv. 3-5) and his enemies unwarranted (unjust) hostility (vv. 9-14).

v. 3

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
3a	בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה	You have examined my heart; you have inspected [my heart] at night;
3b	צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל־תִּמְצָ֑א	you have tested me; you find nothing.
3c	זַ֝מֹּתִ֗י בַּל־יַעֲבָר־פִּֽי׃	What I say is not different from what I think.

Expanded Paraphrase

You who see into human hearts have examined my heart; you have inspected [my heart] at night when human behavior is less constrained; you have tested me in order to determine whether I am at fault; yet, you find nothing blameworthy because I live uprightly before you. What I say is not different from what I think.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The verb examine (בחן) alludes to a widespread notion in the ANE of needing to be pure, or of "passing the test," before coming into the presence of a deity (Ps 11:4-5, 7b; Ps 24:3-6).

• Though heart (לֵבָב) has a broad semantic range, it is used in context here with "to refer to the entire person."

• There is no direct object for the verb inspect (פקד) in the Hebrew text (it could be either "my heart"/לִבִּי or "me"/נִי), however, it is implied in the context and is diagramed here as being gapped.
• The word translated as at night (לַּיְלָה) here also appears in Psalm 16:7 where it implies that nighttime is a time of moral instability when "instruction" and/or "counsel" (יעצ/יסר Ps 16:7) are absent. In Psalm 17:3, it is a nominal adverb that specifies at what time YHWH "inspected" David. David appears to be saying that there is no time when he is unfaithful to YHWH due to his vigilance (cf. תמך/שׁמר vv. 4-5).
• The clause you find nothing (בַל־תִּמְצָא) does not have an explicit direct object nor does it need one. YHWH tested David and he was found adhering to the standard of righteousness YHWH set (Pss 45:7; 97:2; 145:17) (see note for צֶדֶק, v. 1). The implication is that nothing "blameworthy" was found with David.
• The phrase what I think is a rendering of זַמֹּתִי which is a qal infinitive construct form of the verb זמם, along with a 1cs pronominal suffix. This constituent acts as the object in the clause זַמֹּתִי בַּל־יַעֲבָר־פִּי. The phrase what I say is a rendering of the metonym "my mouth" (פֶּה) which is the subject. David is claiming that his speech is a true reflection of his thoughts: "What I say is not different from what I think" (i.e., he was not duplicitous, saying one thing, yet thinking another). This rendering agrees with the accentuation and vowel pointing of the MT and best accords with the context which highlights the reality of David's sincerity, particularly concerning the correspondence between his inner life (v. 3a "you have tested my heart") and his speech (v. 1: "YHWH, hear my righteous case," "without lips of deceit," v. 2: "my justice," "your eyes will behold uprightness," etc.).

vv. 4-5

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
4a	לִפְעֻלּ֣וֹת אָ֭דָם בִּדְבַ֣ר שְׂפָתֶ֑יךָ	As for what people do, by the word of your lips
4b	אֲנִ֥י שָׁ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אָרְח֥וֹת פָּרִֽיץ׃	I have restrained violent behavior,
5a	תָּמֹ֣ךְ אֲ֭שֻׁרַי בְּמַעְגְּלוֹתֶ֑יךָ	my steps persisting in your ways.
5b	בַּל־נָמ֥וֹטּוּ פְעָמָֽי׃	My feet have not slipped.

Expanded Paraphrase

As for what other people may do, whether good or bad, I have restrained my violent behavior and that of others by the word of your lips because it enables me to know and do what is right, even as my steps have continually been persisting in your ways. My feet have not slipped.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Modern translations are extremely diverse when it comes to translating this verse. It begins with two prepositional phrases rendered here as as for what people do (לִפְעֻלּוֹת אָדָם) and by the word of your lips (בִּדְבַר שְׂפָתֶיךָ) respectively, the first being a frame-setter for specification (i.e., the lens through which to read what follows) and the latter being focal (i.e., it answers the "how" related to David's avowal of righteousness). The subject I (אֲנִי) follows and then the verb phrase (I) have restrained (שׁמר). It is a rather uncommon and awkward form of information structure which seems to communicate that a notable aspect of David's righteousness is that he "restrained" violent behavior (אָרְחוֹת פָּרִיץ) with the help of YHWH's "word" (דָּבָר: i.e., instruction[s], command[s], warning[s], etc.).
• This is the first point in Psalm 17 that a participant (viz., "people" [אָדָם]) aside from YHWH or David is mentioned (see visual below).

• The term translated people (אָדָם) sometimes has more of a positive connotation, though there are other instances in the Psalms in which אָדָם is used in an ambiguous or pejorative manner (Pss 12:2, 9; 14:2; 21:11; 22:6; 49:13, 21; 53:3; 56:12, etc.). David appears to use this term (אדם) as a designation for the class of humanity in general, himself included. David is likely moving from an assessment of his thoughts (v. 3) to his actions (vv. 4-5).
• The preposition by (ב) acts instrumentally in relation to word (דָּבָר), which is in construct to your lips (שְׂפָתֶיךָ), with YHWH as the referent of the pronominal suffix. The term "word" (דָּבָר) seems to carry special significance with regard to "the divine revelation and guidance" David has received from YHWH (cf. Ps 16:11).
• The prepositional phrase, as for what people do (לִפְעֻלּוֹת אָדָם), helps to understand how the verb (שׁמר) is employed here (cf. 1 Sam 25:21 and Job 2:6; 6:18), by specifying the "set of relations" involved (i.e., "with regard to human behavior [לִפְעֻלּוֹת אָדָם], I have guarded/restrained [שָׁמַרְתִּי] violent ways [אָרְחוֹת פָּרִיץ]"). Essentially, it is the context which favors understanding the verb שׁמר here in the sense of "I have restrained."
• Terms in v. 4 are better understood in light of their use in Psalm 16. The word translated behavior in 17:4 (אָרְחוֹת) also appears in Psalm 16:11 (אֹרַח חַיִּים "path/way of life"). The verb "to keep,/guard" (שׁמר) is also used both in Psalm 17:4 and 16:1. The point is that, in 17:4, David claims to have restrained (שָׁמַרְתִּי) violent "behavior" (אָרְחוֹת פָּרִיץ) because YHWH made the "path/way of life" (אֹרַח חַיִּים) known to him (16:11). The reuse of the verb behind "restrained" (שׁמר "to keep") signifies David's determining agency in cooperation with his previous plea for YHWH's help (cf. 16:1).
• Though the word rendered violent (פָּרִיץ) can signify a "brigand" or "robber," it is likely used here with the descriptive connotation of "violence" on account of how it is attested elsewhere.
• The verb in v. 5 translated as persisting in (תמך) also appears in 16:5 where it is YHWH who "keeps" (תמך) David's portion (חֵלֶק; cf. 17:14). David further expands on his profession of righteousness by claiming his persistence in the ways of YHWH, complementing the usage of תמך in Psalm 16:5.
• For the paralleled terms my feet/my legs (פְעָמָי/אֲשֻׁרַי) in v. 5 it may best to depart from the gloss for פַּעַם provided by SDBH ("steps") in preference of "feet" because it helps to make the most pervasive lexical domain that occurs in Psalm 17 (Parts: Creatures) clear. Moreover, it seems apt on a poetic level in which the paralleled line of 5b brings in the "concrete" image of a body part to complement and develop the verbal notion of "my steps" (אֲשֻׁרַי) in 5a.

Enemies Lurk (vv. 6-12)

• Section II of Psalm 17 (vv. 6-12) is notable for its transition in topic and focus to David's enemies and the threat they pose, implied by David's requests in vv. 6-8 and unfolding through vv. 9-12.
• The 'enemies' participant set plays a significant role in Psalm 17 as David's "prayer" is all about YHWH delivering him from them (vv. 6-7), dealing with them (v. 13) and the very real threat they pose (vv. 9-12). The key characteristics of this participant set in the context of the psalm is that they are morally wrong to threaten David as they do (vv. 9-14). It is not possible to determine their specific identity.

• In vv. 10-12, David elaborates on the evil behavior and inner condition of his enemies which is an imprecatory tactic that, in the psalms, often precedes the actual imprecation, as it does here (cf. Pss 5:10-11; 28:3-5; 56:2-3, 6-7; 58:3-6; 109:2-5, 16-20). Appealing to YHWH to punish one's enemies involved presenting a convincing depiction of one's enemies with regard to egregious nature of the evil they were guilty of. Though vv. 10-12 consist of declarative sentences (i.e., descriptions), which are ostensibly assertive illocutions (i.e., stating, explaining, or reporting "facts"), their content and the context suggest they be taken as expressive illocutions. In other words, rather than being bare statements about the "facts" that David's enemies are wicked, these descriptions constitute a speech act of 'lament.'

v. 6

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
6a	אֲנִֽי־קְרָאתִ֣יךָ כִֽי־תַעֲנֵ֣נִי אֵ֑ל	I have called out to you, God, for you answer me.
6b	הַֽט־אָזְנְךָ֥ לִ֝֗י שְׁמַ֣ע אִמְרָתִֽי׃	Incline your ear to me! Hear what I am saying!

Expanded Paraphrase

I have called out to you, God, for you answer me because you made a covenant with me and are faithful to it. Incline your ear to me! Hear what I am saying because you hear and respond to those who are righteous!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• A major disjunctive accent, the atnach, is under the vocative God (אֵל) which divides v. 6 into halves. It probably serves structural ends, slowing down to transition between the qatal/yiqtol verbs in 6a to the imperatives in 6b. Translators may, therefore, choose to maintain this rhythm by situating the vocative accordingly.
• Though the two clauses in v. 6a (אֲנִי־קְרָאתִיךָ כִי־תַעֲנֵנִי אֵל) are statements that represent reality in a descriptive way, the first clause is best interpreted as an attempt at persuasion. In other words, it carries implicit petitionary force. The subordinate clause is also a descriptive statement, but it expresses David's expectation and/or faith in God, on account of God's character (cf. v. 2b) rather than epistemic certainty which is impossible for finite beings (cf. "I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God" NLT; or the simple present tense of the NJB and GNT - ". . . you answer me").
• In v. 6, a qatal verb and a yiqtol verb complement one another (אֲנִי־קְרָאתִיךָ כִי־תַעֲנֵנִי אֵל), indicating the general reality that David considers God to be faithful to answer him when he calls. For, signified by the כִי particle, introduces the basis for David's confidence expressed with the yiqtol verb and so the qatal can be rendered in the present perfect ("I have called out to. . .") with the yiqtol in the future/posterior ("you will answer. . .").
• The short clause I have called out to you (אֲנִי־קְרָאתִיךָ) is thetic. The psalm opened (v. 1) with four imperatives, followed by David's avowal of righteousness (vv. 3-5). The discourse effect of this thetic clause here in v. 6a seems to be a pivot, through description/repetition (i.e., "I have called out"), back into the mode of petition that began the psalm: David describes what he has done (v. 6a) and then why he "calls out" (v. 6b). David then resumes this by delivering five more imperatives (vv. 6c-9) that specify the particular content of his petition.
• Unlike many of their ANE contemporaries or predecessors, Israelites were prohibited by YHWH from resorting to magical tactics (incantations, spells, etc.) against their enemies (Deut 18:9-13; Lev 19:31). Instead, they had to entreat YHWH for justice as David emphatically does in Psalm 17. This may account for some of the force with which David petitions YHWH for justice (e.g., vv. 10a, 12-13).

v. 7

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
7a	הַפְלֵ֣ה חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ מוֹשִׁ֣יעַ חוֹסִ֑ים מִ֝מִּתְקוֹמְמִ֗ים בִּֽימִינֶֽךָ׃	Carry out your covenant acts wondrously, deliverer of those who take refuge at your right hand from their adversaries.

Expanded Paraphrase

Carry out your covenant acts wondrously like you did when you freed your people from the tyranny of Pharaoh, deliverer of those who take refuge at your right hand from their adversaries.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• There are similarities in Psalm 17:7 and "the Song of the Sea (Exod 15:1–18) in which Israel celebrated its deliverance from the Pharaoh in the Exodus," such as Care out... wondrously הַפְלֵה (Ps 17:7) // עֹשֵׂה פֶלֶא (Exod 15:11); at your right hand בִּימִינֶךָ (Ps 17:7) // נָטִיתָ יְמִינְךָ (Exod 15:12); and your covenant acts חֲסָדֶיךָ (Ps 17:7) // בְחַסְדְּךָ (Exod 15:13). Also, the wings (כְנָפַיִם) imagery resonates with the exodus/Sinaitic covenant (Exod 19:4). The significance of these terms being clustered is fundamentally one of relationship between God and his people. The exodus was of momentous historical importance for God's people and ultimately based on God's covenant with Abraham (Gen 15:1-20; see vv. 13-14 in particular).

• The verb translated here as carry out. . . wondrously (פלא) means "to cause a wonderful thing to happen." The verb is translated with an adverbial nuance ("wondrously") that qualifies the basic idea of "performing" or "doing" entailed by describing the manner in which is done.
• The term חֶסֶד can be glossed in a variety of ways (e.g., "loyalty, faithfulness, kindness, love, mercy"). It has strong covenantal connotations due to its frequent usage in explicitly covenantal contexts in the OT. "It presupposes rights and obligations, and demands a favorable attitude from both parties to a relationship. A relationship built on ḥeseḏ is meant to be long-term." YHWH made a covenant with Israel, and had performed many acts of deliverance in connection with keeping this covenant (Gen 15; 17; 26:2-5; 28:11-22; 32:24-30; Exod 3-15; Josh 24; Judg 2). The term חֶסֶד carried strong covenantal connotations for Israelites by David's era.

• The word rendered as covenant acts (the plural of חֶסֶד) appearing in v. 7 is translated as it is in this context because of the allusions to the Exodus and covenantal terminology (also see notes for v. 8).
• God is the addressee of the petition carry out your covenant acts wondrously (הַפְלֵה חֲסָדֶיךָ). The language hints at God's "role" in the lives of those who take refuge at [God's] right hand from their adversaries (מוֹשִׁיעַ חוֹסִים מִמִּתְקוֹמְמִים בִּימִינֶךָ). YHWH/God, the one being petitioned, is not only able to deliver, but also the one who is obligated to David because of the covenant between them.
• The clustering of these evocative terms, with all their historical freight, together in the center of the psalm highlights how the covenant relationship between God and his people is inextricably related to calling on YHWH as deliverer and experiencing him as such.
• The preposition from (מִן ) may signify a causative relationship in מִמִּתְקוֹמְמִים (e.g., "because of [those] who rise up. . ."), however, the nature of the Psalm 17 as a righteous supplicant's appeal to YHWH for justice, and especially the content of vv. 9 and 13b-14a, make it likely that it indicates separation.
• The lengthy phrase deliverer of those who take refuge at your right hand from their adversaries (מוֹשִׁיעַ חוֹסִים מִמִּתְקוֹמְמִים בִּימִינֶךָ) has the rhetorical effect of slowing down the request communicated by David with the imperative carry out. . . wondrously (הַפְלֵה). It evinces a key presupposition in David's prayer to YHWH for deliverance: theirs is a covenant relationship (cf. 2 Sam 7).
• The choice of vocabulary is evocative of the Exodus account/deliverance (14:30; 15:7, 11–13) and this has implications for the identity of the participants in Psalm 17. "The suppliant prays as an individual whose position in relation to Israel is imperiled by people’s attacks and who needs Yhwh to act as Yhwh had acted for Israel." This portrays the participant those who take refuge (חוֹסִים) as a term designating the general category of person who can invoke the covenant obligations of YHWH to Israel for their own appropriation against "those who rise up against">>adversaries (מִמִּתְקוֹמְמִים), as the Moses and the Exodus generation did against Pharaoh and Egypt. David is the supplicant to YHWH against his enemies in the context of Psalm 17. On account of this, "those who take refuge" (חוֹסִים) is considered a participant related to the participant David and "adversaries" (מִמִּתְקוֹמְמִים) is a related participant to Enemies.
• The term translated right hand (ימין) denotes the "right side" which has positive connotations, but it can also represent the right hand which itself is symbolic for "power." The ּבְ preposition has a local significance here ("at") which is, of course, figurative due to the obvious anthropomorphism (viz., בִּימִינֶךָ). To take refuge in that symbolic "place" of strength is a poetic way of implying that YHWH is faithful as a deliverer to those who trust in him for deliverance, which is exactly what David exemplifies in this psalm.
• Though the prepositional phrase at your right hand (בִּימִינֶךָ) can be taken as modifying either adversaries (מִמִּתְקוֹמְמִים) or deliverer (מוֹשִׁיעַ), it is taken here as being modifying those who take refuge (חוֹסִים Qal participle) which is translated as a finite verb in a relative clause (cf. NLT, JPS 1985, NIV, ESV, NRSV, NJB, NET).

vv. 8-9

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
8a	שָׁ֭מְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁ֣וֹן בַּת־עָ֑יִן	Guard me like the apple of your eye!
8b	בְּצֵ֥ל כְּ֝נָפֶ֗יךָ תַּסְתִּירֵֽנִי׃	You must hide me in the shade of your wings
9a	מִפְּנֵ֣י רְ֭שָׁעִים ז֣וּ שַׁדּ֑וּנִי	from wicked people who have been violent toward me,
9b	אֹיְבַ֥י בְּ֝נֶ֗פֶשׁ יַקִּ֥יפוּ עָלָֽי׃	[from] my ravenous enemies who gather around against me!

Expanded Paraphrase

Guard me like the apple of your eye because we are in covenant relationship! You must hide me in the shade of your wings from wicked people who have been violent toward me without just cause, from my many ravenous enemies who gather around against me to attack me again!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• Some of the content in v. 8 is evocative of Deuteronomy 32 wherein covenantal language is employed: ("he will keep him as the apple of his eye" [יִצְּרֶנְהוּ כְּאִישׁוֹן עֵינוֹ Deut 32:10])//שָׁמְרֵנִי כְּאִישׁוֹן בַּת־עָיִן (Ps 17:8) and the imagery of a bird's protective covering - "his wings" (כְּנָפָיו (Deut 32:11)//כְּנָפֶיךָ (Ps 17:8).
• David employs the same verb, translated here as guard (שׁמר), at the outset of v. 8 as he did in v. 4 when he claims his uprightness in having "restrained violent ways." This complementary use of the same verb in relation to both David and God reflects the mutual obligations entailed in covenant relationship. Incidentally, David begins Psalm 16 with this same verb, also petitioning God there to "guard" him."
• The terms "little man" (אִישׁוֹן) and "daughter" (בַּת) which precede the noun in the absolute construct position (עָיִן) are figurative synonyms for the pupil, here rendered as apple, though the former is more often used in this regard than the latter.
• The figure of "little man" (אִישׁוֹן) can be understood as the reflection of oneself in another's pupil and "daughter" (בַּת) can be understood "because [the pupil] seems to be born of the eye." The use of both אִישׁוֹן and בַּת is likely for intensification relating to YHWH's care. The main idea to carry into translation is one of care and protection of that which is precious.

• Israel could be considered as the apple of [YHWH's] eye on account of YHWH's covenant commitment to Israel as his chosen people (Deut 32:10; Zech 2:8).
• Some modern translations (NLT, GNT, ESV, CEV, NET, JPS 1985) have your eye for עָיִן, including a second person possessive pronoun. “A similar idiom is employed in Deut 32:10. The suffix ('your') is implied, and may be provided from the second part of the verse on the principle of the double duty suffix".
• The words in the shade of your wings (בְּצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ) occur in this order in only three other psalms (Pss 36:7; 57:1; 63:7), signifying the protective care of God in each instance.
• The imagery of wings in connection with the care of YHWH (Pss 36:8; 57:2; 61:5; 63:8; 91:1, 4; 121:5), and the shade under them, is associated with ANE conception of "the bird which protectively spreads its wings over its young."

• There is an overt theological employment of wings (כָּנָף) concerning the divine-human relation as it is worked out in earthly events: "In 2:12, Boaz prays that Yahweh, under whose wings (כָּנָף) Ruth has found refuge, may reward her devotion to Naomi. In 3:9, Ruth asks Boaz to spread his 'garment' (כָּנָף) over her—i.e., to marry her (cf. Ezek 16:8). In effect, Ruth’s words ask Boaz to answer his earlier prayer—for his marital protective 'wing' to implement the divine protective 'wing' of Yahweh. In sum, the book teaches that sometimes Yahweh’s sovereign control comes secretly cloaked in human-run events." This sheds light on how David might have understood the answer to his request here that YHWH keep him in the shade of his wings in some unspecified practical terms if indeed such a conception is operative in Psalm 17:8.
• Israelites could pray as members of the covenant and invoke YHWH's help against their adversaries, as David does in Psalm 17, provided that they were upright and not false (Pss 5; 7:3-5, 8-10; 34:17; 66:18-19; Prov 15:8; 29; 2 Chron 7:14).
• The preposition from (מִפְּנֵי) is borrowed from the relative clause from wicked people who have been violent toward me (מִפְּנֵי רְשָׁעִים זוּ שַׁדּוּנִי) to perform double duty for the clause that follows it: from my ravenous enemies who gather around against me (אֹיְבַי בְּנֶפֶשׁ יַקִּיפוּ עָלָי). These act as adverbials to the preceding clause you must hide me (תַּסְתִּירֵנִי; v. 8b) (so the Peshitta; NIV, REB; Luther 2017, ELB, EÜ; TOB, NVSR).
• It is impossible to know whether the verb translated as they have been violent here (שׁדד) denotes actual physical violence toward David or should be taken figuratively. Some translations use a general term such as "violence" (ESV) while others communicate a more particular idea that David has been looted (e.g., “despoil” NASB95, Tanakh). Both are possible though, as the burden of proof naturally falls on the term of greater specificity, and "despoiling/looting" is not obvious from the internal evidence of Psalm 17, it seems better to go with a general term denoting violent behavior.
• The word translated here as life (נֶפֶשׁ) has an expansive semantic range ("neck," "throat," "life," "personality," "breath," "passion," "self," "desire," "emotion," "appetite," "craving," "wish," etc.). Affixed to the preposition בְּ here it is adjectival to my enemies (אֹיְבַי) and indicates their "desire" with regard to David. The meaning of the verb שַׁדּוּנִי (v. 9a), the aggression of David's foes in verse 11, and the leonine imagery in verse 12 by which David likens his enemies to ravening beasts that "are eager to tear prey," makes ravenous a suitable choice.

v. 10

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
10a	חֶלְבָּ֥מוֹ סָּגְר֑וּ	They have closed their fat;
10b	פִּ֝֗ימוֹ דִּבְּר֥וּ בְגֵאֽוּת׃	they have spoken arrogantly with their mouths.

Expanded Paraphrase

They have enclosed their [heart with] fat, resolving to show me no mercy; they have spoken arrogantly with their mouths intimidating and threatening me.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The clause translated here as they have closed their fat (חֶלְבָּמוֹ סָּגְרוּ) is an obscure idiom which communicates the idea of "rebelliousness" (see Deut 32:10-15 for similar idioms in outlining Israel's rebellion; e.g., כְּאִישׁוֹן עֵינוֹ ,כְּנָפָיו ,חֵלֶב/שֶׁמֶן, etc.).

• The word “heart" (לֵב) does not appear in the Hebrew, nor is it here posited as a suggested emendation as if it had been in the Hebrew. Its inclusion in the expanded CBC is based on a conceptual association and it has been added here for the sake of intelligibility. This is in keeping with some modern translations that also insert "heart/Herz": "They close up their callous hearts" (NIV), "They close their hearts to pity" (ESV; NRSV), Sie haben ihr Herz verschlossen und kennen kein Mitgefühl (HFA). The ELB includes "Herz" along with translating חֵלֶב: Mit ihrem Fett verschließen sie ⟨ihr Herz⟩.

• The fronted noun phrase in 10a "their fat" (חֶלְבָּמוֹ), and that of the next clause (10b) "their mouth[s]" (פִּימוֹ), both taken as nominal adverbs, are in parallel with one another and are probably accounted for as an instance of poetic repetition concerning more body-part imagery.
• The noun פֶּה ("mouth"), being singular, does not agree with דִּבְּרוּ (3cp) and so is not the subject. The way that the construct chain to which belongs is used in the clause פִּימוֹ דִּבְּרוּ בְגֵאוּת presents פֶּה as an adverbial of means, a construction reflected in various translations (Jerome: et ore locuti sunt superbe; ESV: "with their mouths they speak arrogantly"; cf. KJV, NASB).
• The prepositional phrase בְגֵאוּת "expresses the idea of accompaniment ([together] with)." It is here rendered adverbially as arrogantly because the בְּ preposition indicates the manner in which David's enemies have spoken (דבר).
• Appealing to YHWH to punish one's enemies involved presenting a convincing depiction of one's enemies with regard to egregious nature of the evil they were guilty of (see also the depiction of David's enemies in vv. 9, 11-12).

v. 11

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
11a	*אִשְּׁרֻנִי*	They have tracked me down;
11b	עַתָּ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנוּ	now they surround me.
11c	עֵינֵיהֶ֥ם יָ֝שִׁ֗יתוּ לִנְט֥וֹת בָּאָֽרֶץ׃	They fix their eyes to scan over the land.

Expanded Paraphrase

They have tracked me down; now they surround me. They fix their eyes to scan over the land so that I cannot move without them seeing and pursuing me.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The fronted discourse marker עַתָּה in v. 11b seems to function here as a temporal frame setter. The adverb now (עַתָּה) has the function of fixing the scene, so to speak, described at this particular point by David: David's enemies had "been violent" (v. 9a) toward him in the past and, more recently, tracked him down. Now, however, they actually surround him. Thus, עַתָּה serves to heighten the dramatic tension of the threat David's enemies pose. The fronted noun phrase their eyes (עֵינֵיהֶם) in 11c is the topic.
• There are textual variants in v. 11. Some readings (the Targum, ESV, JPS 1985) accept the Ketiv, "our steps," of the MT (אַשֻּׁרֵינוּ) whereas others render אשׁר verbally, with variation concerning the pronominal suffix (i.e., either a 1cs or 1cp) and verbal meaning - "blessedness/pleasure" (the Peshitta, Symmachus), "tracking/hunting" (NRSV, NIV, NLT, CEV), "driving/casting out" (LXX, 11Q7 frg. 8, 2), or even a likely emendation (ישׁר) "advancing against/attacking" (Jerome, NJB, GNT, NET REB).
• This analysis emends "our steps" (אַשֻּׁרֵינוּ) to they track me down (אִשְּׁרֻנִי - the verb אשׁר in the Piel stem with a 1cs pronominal suffix). This fits the context well and is supported by poetic and historical considerations. For a full discussion of the issue, see The Text of Psalm 17:11.
• Concerning which pronominal suffix should be attached to סבב, the Ketiv of the MT is preferable: they surround me (סְבָבוּי). The 1cs pronominal suffix coheres well with the first-person voice of the whole psalm.
• Context supports reading they fix their eyes to scan over the land from עֵינֵיהֶם יָשִׁיתוּ לִנְטוֹת בָּאָרֶץ. The comparison to a hungry lion waiting in hiding to stalk prey (v. 12) is evocative of such action. Additionally, the preposition ב complements a verb of extension to naturally indicate "in" or "on/over" which would support such a meaning.
• There is a basic locational sense involved in over the land (בָּאָרֶץ). The article may imply the land of Israel in particular, though this is only possible to infer through its association with David. Because there is no explicit reference to the land of Israel in Psalm 17, nor indeed to any other country, it is probably not implied here. Rather, "the land" in question is that in which David is and which his foes pose a threat in.

v. 12

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
12a	דִּמְיֹנ֗וֹ כְּ֭אַרְיֵה יִכְס֣וֹף לִטְר֑וֹף	He is like a lion eager to maul;
12b	וְ֝כִכְפִ֗יר יֹשֵׁ֥ב בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃	And like a vigorous lion lurking in hiding places.

Expanded Paraphrase

The chief of my enemies is particularly threatening. He is like a lion eager to maul and I am the prey he is after; and he is like a vigorous lion lurking in hiding places so that he can ambush me unexpectedly.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The individual, he, of the singular terms (ו/רָשָׁע) in vv. 12-13 is not named in Psalm 17 and there is not enough available information to be more specific regarding an identity. David may be referring to "the most threatening member of the enemy host (the chief)"
  

  A lioness devouring a Kushite soldier. Palace of Ashurnasirpal II, Nimrud. 883-854 BC. British Museum.
  for special attention before reverting to a general term "men" (מתים) again in v. 14. It is possible that this historical referent is King Saul.
• The prepositional phrases like a lion (כְּאַרְיֵה) and like a vigorous lion (כִכְפִיר) are those of simple comparison(s). David likens his enemy to a ferocious lion.
• For כְפִיר, SDBH has "a young male lion; ≈ regarded as fierce and dangerous -- young lion." This term may be glossed with an adjective (e.g., as vigorous lion) to differentiate it from the previous term (אַרְיֵה) with which it is paralleled and to avoid the idea of a young lion>>lion cub, which is not a particularly threatening image.

Ashurbanipal hunting a lion (645–635 BCE; the British Museum). In Assyrian art, kings were depicted as hunting and overcoming lions, which boosted their royal power.

• Lions provide a suitable representation for enemies because of their fearsome characteristics and also "demons have been depicted with leonine features" in the ANE (Pss 7:2; 10:9-10; 22:13-14).
• In light of how the verb for eager (כסף) is used elsewhere in the HB, as well as the context of Psalm 17:12 and specifically the leonine imagery, it is apparent that it should be translated here in connection with the meaning of the infinitive construct that follows: to maul (לִטְרוֹף).
• The preposition ל is prefixed to the infinitive construct, to tear (לִטְרוֹף), and here constitutes a "verbal complement" whereby the meaning of the preceding verb is eager (כסף) is brought to completion (i.e., mauling is what the lion is "eager" to do).
• Lurking (ישׁב) suggests a menacing type of waiting which seems appropriate in light of the lion (כְפִיר) referent and mention of hiding places (מִסְתָּרִים; see correspondence with סתר in v. 7).

Deliver Me! (vv. 13-15)

• The beginning of section III is marked by a cluster of four imperatives (קום ,קדם ,כרע ,פלט) and a pair of vocatives (יְהוָה x 2) by which David petitions YHWH to confront what appears to be his foremost enemy and deliver him from his enemies.
• Following a significant stretch of text with no 2ms suffixes (vv. 9-12), five 2ms pronominal suffixes appear in this section with YHWH as the referent.
• There is a contrastive use of "face" (פָּנֶה x 2) that occurs between vv. 13 and 15 (YHWH will "confront" David's enemy's face/David will "see" YHWH's face) and the verb "to satisfy" (שׂבע) also appears twice in section III (once in v. 14 relating to the satisfaction YHWH gives his people by providing offspring and once in v. 15 relating to David's satisfaction in YHWH's "likeness").
• The subsection that is v. 15 is distinguished within this final section by the 1cs pronoun (אֲנִי), which reactivates the thematic term "righteousness" (צֶדֶק) from verse 1, and David's unique request of YHWH that may see his "face" and be satisfied seeing his "likeness."

vv. 13-14

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
13a	קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה קַדְּמָ֣ה פָ֭נָיו הַכְרִיעֵ֑הוּ	Arise, YHWH! Confront his face! Cause him to bow down!
13b	פַּלְּטָ֥ה נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י מֵרָשָׁ֥ע חַרְבֶּֽךָ׃	Deliver my life from wicked people by your sword,
14a	מִֽמְתִ֥ים יָדְךָ֨ ׀ יְהוָ֡ה מִֽמְתִ֬ים מֵחֶ֗לֶד	from mortal men, by your hand, YHWH, from worldly people.
14b	חֶלְקָ֥ם בַּֽחַיִּים֮ וּֽצְפיּנְךָ֮ תְּמַלֵּ֪א בִ֫טְנָ֥ם	whose portion is in this life. May you fill their belly with what you have stored up for them!
14c	יִשְׂבְּע֥וּ בָנִ֑ים וְהִנִּ֥יחוּ יִ֝תְרָ֗ם לְעוֹלְלֵיהֶֽם׃	May the children eat their fill and have some left over for their little ones!

Expanded Paraphrase

Arise, YHWH because I am not able to deliver myself! Confront his face! Cause him to bow down! Deliver my life from wicked people by your sword. Deliver me from mortal men, by your hand, YHWH, from worldly people who do not care about living for you whose chosen portion is in this life which they live aloof from you. May you fill their belly with what you have stored up for them which is your judgment of them because of their wicked deeds! May the children eat their fill of your just punishment and have some of your continued punishment on them for their ancestors' wickedness left over for their little ones so that even they also experience your judgment, YHWH, on account of their forebears' evil deeds!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• In verses 13-14, David utters an imprecation as a part of his petition to YHWH for deliverance.
• As in the opening line of Psalm 17, YHWH (יְהוָה) is a vocative that is second to the imperative Rise up (קום) in verse 13 and is evidently in focus. The effect is to emphasize David's explicit plea that YHWH would take action on his behalf.
• The nominal adverb your sword (חַרְבֶּךָ) is an adjunct in relationship with deliver (פלט) and indicates the means by which YHWH will rescue David.
• A sword, in distinction from a shield, is a weapon primarily utilized for offense rather than defense. Its purpose is to slash and stab. The implication of this is that David is asking YHWH to deliver by attacking his enemies.

• Verse 14 is the most challenging verse of Psalm 17 on account of an apparent textual corruption that spans its first seven words, as the MT has it. At the heart of the discussion is whether מִמְתִים should be revocalized or emended or read with the MT. This analysis prefers to read with the text of the MT, taking מִמְתִים as a twice repeated prepositional phrase - from mortals/from people that refers to David's enemies. It appears to be an instance of "staircase parallelism" which fits the context: deliver my life from wicked people by your sword, from mortal men, by your hand, YHWH, from worldly people," reads פַּלְּטָה נַפְשִׁי מֵרָשָׁע חַרְבֶּךָ מִמְתִים יָדְךָ יְהוָה מִמְתִים מֵחֶלֶד as an instance of "stair-case parallelism," "with each line linking back to the preceding but adding some new progression" (cf. Pss 92:10; 94:3; Prov 31:2). Also, this option best accounts for the many variants. For a fuller discussion of this issue, see The Text and Meaning of Ps 17:14.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls treatment of Psalm 22:7[6] and Job 25:6 indicate that the word translated men (מתים) likely connotes the mortality of human beings and so translating the term with the adjective mortal is appropriate here.
• The vocative YHWH (יְהוָה) in v. 14 intervenes between the repeated prepositional phrase from mortal men/people (מִמְתִים x 2) and assists the staircase parallelism in this verse.
• The adverb worldly comes from חֶלֶד, a term that can signify "duration, world" or "duration of life" (Job 11:17; Ps 39:6). SDBH defines it as "primarily used in poetry: = the earth as opposed to the sky, with special focus on the area that is inhabited by humans" and glosses it as "world." In v. 14 the preposition from (מִן) is joined to חֶלֶד which indicates the "origin" of David's enemies ("from life/the world"), perhaps thereby implying their finitude. By contrast, YHWH is God over all heaven and earth (Pss 108:6; 124:8; 134:3; 148:13).
• Their portion is in this life (חֶלְקָם בַּחַיִּים) describes David's enemies. The use of חֵלֶק recalls its appearance in Psalm 16:5 ("YHWH is my portion" - יְהוָה מְנָת־חֶלְקִי) with the apparent contrast that, whereas YHWH is David's "portion," David's worldly enemies have their "portion in life."
• The expression what you have stored up (וּצְפוּנְךָ) in 14c is marked for focus. The Qere (וּצְפוּנְךָ; a Qal passive participle) is preferred here instead of the Ketiv (וּצְפִינְךָ).
• The preferred reading of v. 14b-c is that, in it, David is appealing to YHWH to punish his (David's) enemies and their offspring as a judgment for their wickedness. David's call for judgment on his enemies coheres with the theme of Psalm 17 as a prayer to YHWH for personal vindication. David's description of his enemies (vv. 9-12) builds to a direct appeal to YHWH in vv. 13-14a and climaxes in v. 14bc as David calls on YHWH to judge them. This reading is consistent with the imperatives that begin this section (v. 13) and completes David's prayer for vindication. For a fuller discussion of the issues involved, see The Text and Meaning of Ps 17:14 Part II.
• David appeals to YHWH to punish his enemies and their offspring with verbal expressions such as may you fill their belly (תְּמַלֵּא בִטְנָם) and may the children eat their fill (יִשְׂבְּעוּ בָנִים), the latter verb (שׂבע) being repeated in the next verse with reference to David finding satisfaction in YHWH. The typical meaning of the verb שֹבע pertains to finding satisfaction from food and so its appearance here utilizes an ironic reversal in light of the vivid imagery of a lion looking for prey to eat in v. 12. David's enemies are "eager to maul" (i.e., hungry to devour David and eat their fill), but in v. 14 David asks YHWH that the children of his enemies would "eat their fill [of divine punishment!] and have some left over for their little ones!"

v. 15

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
15a	אֲנִ֗י בְּ֭צֶדֶק אֶחֱזֶ֣ה פָנֶ֑יךָ	After being vindicated, may I see your face.
15b	אֶשְׂבְּעָ֥ה בְ֝הָקִ֗יץ תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃	May I be satisfied with [seeing] your likeness when I awake.

Expanded Paraphrase

After being vindicated by you, God, because you see that my cause is righteous, may I see your face. That is, may I experience you more fully. And may I be more deeply satisfied with seeing your likeness when I awake.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The two clauses (14d-e) which precede the 1cs personal pronoun I (אֲנִי) that begins v. 15 have default word order. "I" (אֲנִי) reactivates David as the topic and David expresses his desire: May I see your face (פָּנֶה). The prepositional phrase that follows, "in righteousness" (בְּצֶדֶק), is positioned before the verb for focus and functions adverbially. It reprises the theme (viz., David's righteousness) that began Psalm 17. The manner and time in which David sees YHWH's "face" is as a man after being vindicated in his cause by YHWH's judgment. The meaning is that David's action of "seeing" is from a state of being "proven to be in the right."
• Aside from four occurrences elsewhere, (Exod 18:21; 24:11; Num 24:4, 16), the verb "to see" חזה is used in prophetic and/or poetic texts and often in connection with God. It may carry a visionary connotation because of how it is used in connection with dreams, visions, and divinity.

• When David asks YHWH to see your face (פָנֶיךָ), it is a poetic way of expressing a desire for a deeper experiential knowledge of God and all that this entailed in his understanding (e.g., experiencing ritual worship in the sanctuary, experiencing deliverance from his enemies, understanding more about God's ways, etc.).
• There is a contrastive use of be satisfied שֹבע (cf. v. 14) here: David's enemies "speak" (פֶּה; v. 10) arrogantly and seek satisfaction in devouring David (v. 12), whereas David "speaks" (פֶּה; v. 3) righteously and will be "satisfied" with YHWH's likeness (אֶשְׂבְּעָה . . .תְּמוּנָתֶךָ) (v. 15).
• The phrase translated when I awake consists of a preposition בְּ which is joined to an infinitive construct (בְהָקִיץ) and signifies "a temporal frame" for the action of the verb (קיץ). David specifies that his satisfaction in seeing YHWH will follow an awakening of some kind.
• The term translated likeness (תְּמוּנָה) indicates a "form [or] manifestation. . . without thereby suggesting a defined outline. . . . the basic meaning of the [substantive] is appearance, external shape." Psalm 17:15b refers to an experience of YHWH that can be equated with "seeing." In light of the lexical theme of body-parts pervading Psalm 17, the usage is probably figurative with the verbal idea of "seeing" carried on from חזה in v. 15a (e.g., "when I awake, I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness" NIV; cf. NLT, CEV, NRSV)."

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colours on grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

Bibliography

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Footnotes

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