Psalms 17:13

13 Lord, rise thou up, before come thou him, and deceive thou him/and overturn thou him; deliver thou my life from the unpious, deliver thou thy sword; (Lord, rise thou up, come thou before him, and overturn thou him; save thou my life from the unpious, with thy 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 casted me forth, and have (en)compassed me now; they ordained to bow down their eyes into [the] earth. (They surround me now, wherever I turn; they lie in wait, to bring me down to the ground.)

12 They, as a lion made ready to his prey, have taken me; and as the whelp of a lion dwelling in hid places. (They be ready to catch me, like a lion catcheth its prey; and like the cub of a lion living in hidden places.)

13 Lord, rise thou up, before come thou him, and deceive thou him/and overturn thou him; deliver thou my life from the unpious, deliver thou thy sword; (Lord, rise thou up, come thou before him, and overturn thou him; save thou my life from the unpious, with thy sword,)

14 from the enemies of thine hand. Lord, part thou them from a few men of the land in the life of them; their womb is [full-]filled of thine hid things. They be [full-]filled with sons; and they left their remnants, either residue, to their little children. (yea, from the enemies of thy hand. Lord, save thou me from those of the land who have their portion in this life; their womb is filled full of thy good things. They be filled full with sons and daughters; and they have left all that they have to their little children.)

15 But I in rightfulness shall appear to thy sight; I shall be [ful]filled, when thy glory shall appear. (But I shall appear upright, or righteous, before thee; and I shall be fulfilled, when thy glory shall appear.)