Salmos 17

ARC · Chapter 17/150

1Ouve, Senhor, a justiça, attende ao meu clamor; dá ouvidos á minha oração, que não é feita com labios enganosos.

2Saia o meu juizo de diante do teu rosto; attendam os teus olhos á razão.

3Provaste o meu coração; visitaste-me de noite; examinaste-me, e nada achaste; propuz que a minha bocca não transgredirá.

4Quanto ao trato dos homens, pela palavra dos teus labios me guardei das veredas do destruidor.

5Dirige os meus passos nos teus caminhos, para que as minhas pégadas não vacillem.

6Eu te invoquei, ó Deus, pois me queres ouvir; inclina para mim os teus ouvidos, e escuta as minhas palavras.

7Faze maravilhosas as tuas beneficencias, ó tu que livras aquelles que em ti confiam dos que se levantam contra a tua mão direita.

8Guarda-me como á menina do olho, esconde-me debaixo da sombra das tuas azas,

9Dos impios que me opprimem, dos meus inimigos mortaes que me andam cercando.

10Na sua gordura se encerram, com a bocca fallam soberbamente.

11Teem-nos cercado agora nossos passos; e abaixaram os seus olhos para a terra;

12Parecem-se com o leão que deseja arrebatar a sua preza, e com o leãosinho que se põe em esconderijos.

13Levanta-te, Senhor, detem-n'a, derriba-o, livra a minha alma do impio, com a espada tua,

14Dos homens que são a tua mão, Senhor, dos homens do mundo, cuja porção está n'esta vida, e cujo ventre enches do teu thesouro occulto: estão fartos de filhos e dão os seus sobejos ás suas creanças.

15Emquanto a mim, contemplarei a tua face na justiça; satisfazer-me-hei da tua similhança quando acordar.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

David asks God to examine his heart and confirm his integrity before cruel accusers, comparing them to lions ready to attack, and asks for protection 'as the apple of the eye.'

Explanation

The psalm is a prayer from someone who feels unjustly persecuted and appeals to his own integrity as examined by God — not out of arrogance, but out of confidence that he acted with sincerity. The image 'keep me as the apple of the eye' (the pupil, the most sensitive and protected part of the body) has become one of the best-known biblical expressions for asking for maximum protection. The psalm ends with a hope that reaches beyond the present life: 'I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness,' suggesting an expectation of full encounter with God beyond this life.

Fun facts

  • The expression 'apple of the eye' also appears in Deuteronomy 32:10 and Zechariah 2:8, always related to the extreme protection God offers to those He loves.
  • The Hebrew word for 'apple of the eye' (ishon) literally means 'little man,' referring to the tiny reflection of a person seen in another's pupil — hence the image of intimacy and care.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Salmos 17:1The psalm opens asking God to listen, taking care to stress that the prayer comes without deceit, spoken in sincerity and not just from the lips.
  2. Salmos 17:2He asks that the judgment on his case come directly from God's presence, trusting that a watchful eye will recognize what is right.
  3. Salmos 17:3It describes a thorough examination: God has already tested his heart even at night, when no one else is watching, and still found no ground for accusation.
  4. Salmos 17:4It explains how he managed to stay clear of violence: it was by following God's instructions that he avoided going down the paths of the destroyer.
  5. Salmos 17:5He asks that this same guidance continue: directing his steps so that he does not stumble or wander from the right path.
  6. Salmos 17:6It repeats the request for attention, but now with a confidence already demonstrated: he calls on God precisely because he knows he will be heard.
  7. Salmos 17:7He asks that God's lovingkindness show itself in a visible, extraordinary way, the kind that has already delivered those who trust in Him from powerful adversaries.
  8. Salmos 17:8The apple of the eye is the pupil, the most sensitive and protected part of the body; the shadow of the wings recalls a bird covering its young with its own feathers. Together the two images ask for the most delicate and complete protection there is.
  9. Salmos 17:9It specifies from whom he needs protection: these aren't just any rivals, they're enemies surrounding him on every side with intent to kill.
  10. Salmos 17:10It describes the enemies as people grown fat from abundance, and shielded by that prosperity, they speak with utter arrogance.
  11. Salmos 17:11It shows the enemies already closing in, their eyes fixed on the ground searching for the victim, like someone about to strike.
  12. Salmos 17:12Again the image of the lurking lion, common in psalms of lament to describe enemies: a silent predator waiting for the moment to attack someone unprotected.
  13. Salmos 17:13He asks that God rise up and personally confront the wicked, as though wielding His own sword to rescue the psalmist from danger.
  14. Salmos 17:14It's a difficult verse: it seems to acknowledge that the wicked enemies have wealth and abundance in this life, even though they are evil. The psalmist contrasts this with his own hope, in the next verse, of seeing God's face, saying he prefers something else entirely.
  15. Salmos 17:15The psalm closes in contrast to the enemies satisfied with earthly wealth in the previous verse: his true satisfaction is to awake and behold God's face.

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