Psalm 17

Psalm 17 is the 17th psalm from the Book of Psalms in the Hebrew Bible (or the Old Testament of Christian Bible); one of the 41 psalms in Book One (of the five parts or "books" within the book of Psalms).[1]

Analysis

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)."[2]

The Briggses believed 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.[3]

Uses

Judaism

Verse 2 is found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah.[4]
Verse 8 is part of the prayers of the Bedtime Shema.[5]

Christianity

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.[6]

References

Coogan 2007, p. 776 Hebrew Bible.
Charles Augustus Briggs; Emilie Grace Briggs (1960) [1906]. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. 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. 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.

Sources

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

Psalm 17 in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre
Psalm 17 King James Bible - Wikisource

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[FOOTNOTECoogan2007776_Hebrew_Bible-1] Coogan 2007, p. 776 Hebrew Bible.

[2] Charles Augustus Briggs; Emilie Grace Briggs (1960) [1906]. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. 1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. p. 127.

[3] Charles Augustus Briggs; Emilie Grace Briggs (1960) [1906]. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Psalms. International Critical Commentary. 1. Edinburgh: T & T Clark. p. 112.

[4] The Complete Artscroll Machzor for Rosh Hashanah page 349

[5] The Complete Artscroll Siddur page 293

[6] "Night Prayer (Compline)". The Church of England. Retrieved 27 May 2020.