Psalms 17: The Apple of His Eye
A prayer for vindication in which David, surrounded by deadly enemies, pleads to be kept as the apple of God's eye and looks forward to seeing his face.
Psalms 17 (WEB)
1 Hear, Yahweh, my righteous plea; Give ear to my prayer, that doesn’t go out of deceitful lips.
2 Let my sentence come out of your presence. Let your eyes look on equity.
3 You have proved my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me, and found nothing. I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.
4 As for the works of men, by the word of your lips, I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths. My feet have not slipped.
6 I have called on you, for you will answer me, God. Turn your ear to me. Hear my speech.
7 Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who oppress me, my deadly enemies, who surround me.
10 They close up their callous hearts. With their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now surrounded us in our steps. They set their eyes to cast us down to the earth.
12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey, as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, Yahweh, confront him. Cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword;
14 from men by your hand, Yahweh, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life. You fill the belly of your cherished ones. Your sons have plenty, and they store up wealth for their children.
15 As for me, I shall see your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form.
Psalms 17 (KJV)
1 Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; let thine eyes behold the things that are equal.
3 Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.
5 Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.
6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
7 Shew thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them.
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies, who compass me about.
10 They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now compassed us in our steps: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth;
12 Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey, and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down: deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword:
14 From men which are thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world, which have their portion in this life, and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure: they are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.
Psalms 17 (ASV)
1 Hear the right, O Jehovah, attend unto my cry; Give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence; Let thine eyes look upon equity.
3 Thou hast proved my heart; thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me, and findest nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
4 As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to thy paths, My feet have not slipped.
6 I have called upon thee, for thou wilt answer me, O God: Incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.
7 Show thy marvellous lovingkindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them that take refuge in thee From those that rise upagainst them.
8 Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9 From the wicked that oppress me, My deadly enemies, that compass me about.
10 They are inclosed in their own fat: With their mouth they speak proudly.
11 They have now compassed us in our steps; They set their eyes to castusdown to the earth.
12 He is like a lion that is greedy of his prey, And as it were a young lion lurking in secret places.
13 Arise, O Jehovah, Confront him, cast him down: Deliver my soul from the wicked by thy sword;
14 From men by thy hand, O Jehovah, From men of the world, whose portion is inthislife, And whose belly thou fillest with thy treasure: They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their substance to their babes.
15 As for me, I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with beholding thy form.
Summary
This is a prayer of David (titled “a prayer”) crying out for a righteous hearing before God. He begins by laying his case before the Lord, appealing to lips that do not deceive and asking God to judge him with equity. David invites divine scrutiny: God has proved his heart, visited him in the night, and found nothing, for he has kept himself from the ways of the violent by the word of God's lips. He calls on the LORD to show his marvelous loving kindness and to keep him as the apple of his eye, hidden under the shadow of his wings. The threat is vivid: arrogant enemies surround him like a lion crouching to tear its prey, men whose only portion is in this present life. David asks God to arise, confront the wicked, and deliver his soul. He draws a sharp contrast between those who are satisfied with worldly wealth and his own deeper longing. The psalm ends in serene confidence: David will see God's face in righteousness and be satisfied, when he awakes, with seeing God's likeness. It is a model of bringing a clear conscience and a hungry heart to God in the face of persecution.
Voices
- David — The persecuted petitioner who pleads his integrity, seeks refuge under God's wings, and longs above all to see God's face.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The righteous Judge who tests hearts in the night, saves those who take refuge at his right hand, and hides his own under his wings.
- The deadly enemies — Proud, callous men, likened to a lion lurking for prey, whose whole portion is in this life and who seek to cast David to the ground.
Key Verse
Psalm 17:8 (WEB)
Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings,
Lessons Learned
- We can bring an honest conscience before God, inviting him to test our hearts.
- God treasures his people as the apple of his eye and shelters them under his wings.
- The wicked may prosper, but their portion is only in this life; the believer's hope is fuller and longer.
- The deepest satisfaction is not deliverance from enemies but seeing God's face.
- Bring your case honestly to God. “You have proved my heart… you have tried me, and found nothing” (Psalm 17:3, WEB). David welcomes God's scrutiny rather than hiding from it.
- God guards his people tenderly. “Keep me as the apple of your eye. Hide me under the shadow of your wings” (Psalm 17:8, WEB). We are precious and protected in his care.
- Worldly wealth is a poor portion. David speaks of “men of the world, whose portion is in this life” (Psalm 17:14, WEB). Those who have only this life have already received all they will get.
- The face of God is our final reward. “I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with seeing your form” (Psalm 17:15, WEB). True satisfaction is found in beholding God himself.
- How does David approach God's testing of his heart in verses 1-5?
- What do the images of the apple of the eye and the shadow of God's wings tell us about God's care?
- How does David describe his enemies, and what is their “portion” according to verse 14?
- Why is verse 15 a fitting climax, and what does it teach us about real satisfaction?
- When you are wronged or pressured, do you long more for relief from the trouble or for God himself? How might this psalm reshape that longing?
- David invites rather than fears God's examination, claiming a clear conscience kept by God's word (17:3-4). This is not sinless perfection but honest integrity before the only Judge whose verdict matters, a posture of openness rather than self-defense.
- The apple of the eye is the most carefully guarded part of the body, and a bird shelters its young under its wings. Together the images speak of God's intimate, protective tenderness toward those who take refuge in him.
- David sees them as proud, ruthless, and lionlike, yet notes their portion is only “in this life” (17:14). They have wealth and heirs, but nothing beyond; their fullness is already spent.
- After all the danger, David rests not in escape but in the hope of seeing God's face and being satisfied with his likeness. It teaches that communion with God, not mere rescue, is the believer's truest reward.
- This is a personal-application question. Gently invite members to examine whether they pray mainly for circumstances to change or for God himself. Affirm that asking for relief is good, but point them toward the deeper longing David models.