Psalms 17:13

13 Lord, rise up, face the enemy, and throw them down. Save me from the wicked with your sword.

Psalms 17:13 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 17:13

Arise, O Lord
See ( Psalms 3:7 ) ( 7:6 ) ( 9:19 ) ( 10:12 ) ;

disappoint him,
or "prevent his face" ^F11; be beforehand with him, and so disappoint him, when he is about to seize his prey; who is comparable to the lion, or to the young lion; meaning the chief of his enemies, it may be Saul;

cast him down;
everyone of them that set themselves to cast down others to the earth. Jarchi's note is,

``cut off his feet,''

that he may bow down and fall;

deliver my soul from the wicked, [which is] thy sword;
so Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, render the words; that is, from wicked men, whom God makes use of as instruments to afflict and chastise his people: so the Assyrian monarch is called the "rod" of his anger, with whom he scourged his people Israel, ( Isaiah 10:5 ) . Compare with this ( Psalms 22:20 ) . The words are rendered by some, "deliver my soul from the wicked by thy swords" ^F12; meaning not the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God by which Christ was delivered from the wicked one, when tempted by him in the wilderness; but the avenging justice of God, the sword of the Lord, which, being whetted and taken hold on, and used by him, brings vengeance on his enemies, and salvation to his people; see ( Deuteronomy 32:41 ) ( Isaiah 27:1 ) ( Jeremiah 47:6 Jeremiah 47:7 ) . The Targum paraphrases the clause thus,

``deliver my soul from the wicked, who deserves to be slain by thy sword.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wynp hmdq) "praeveni faciem ejus", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Musculus, Gejerus; "anticipa faciem ejus", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F12 (Kbrx evrm) "gladio tuo ab improbis", Junius & Tremellius; Gejerus; so Ainsworth.

Psalms 17:13 In-Context

11 They have chased me until they have surrounded me. They plan to throw me to the ground.

12 They are like lions ready to kill; like lions, they sit in hiding.

13 Lord, rise up, face the enemy, and throw them down. Save me from the wicked with your sword.

14 Lord, save me by your power from those whose reward is in this life. They have plenty of food. They have many sons and leave much money to their children.

15 Because I have lived right, I will see your face. When I wake up, I will see your likeness and be satisfied. For the director of music. By the Lord's servant, David. David sang this song to the Lord when the Lord had saved him from Saul and all his other enemies.