Psalm Seventeen

Intro:

A prayer of David.

Lord, I beg You ... listen to what I have to say. Hear my cries for fairness and lend Your help. For my pleas do not come from deceitful lips or a heart filled with lies and deception.

I know that when You judge me I will be found guiltless; for You have examined my heart and see the Truth within. You questioned and tested me all night and found no variance in my answers. I have not sinned by word nor deed. Not only that Lord, but I have heard and obeyed Your orders and have not done as evil people would do. I have not failed You.

I know that when I call on You, You will answer; so hear me now, Lord. Listen to what I have to say. 

show us Your wonderful mercy and loving kindness, You that saves Your children with the awesome might of Your right hand; You protect them from the destruction of the wicked.

So protect me Lord, as You would the very sight of Your eyes, from those who would destroy me. Shelter me as You would a young bird beneath Your Mighty, Sheltering Wings,thus keeping those who would oppress me ... from the enemies of my soul that seek my death, that surround me everywhere I go. 

Look at how selfish they are! They are all wrapped up in their own wealth, boasting for any and all who would listen.*

They have run me to ground, wearing me out completely to aid them in their attack. Look at them, they are like young, crouching lions waiting to attack .... prepared to pounce on me for the kill.

Rise up, Lord, and destroy their plans to attack. Humble them with Your sword - the powerful words from Your lips, as You deliver me from their hands.

Thoughts:

*Verse 10 in the King James Version of the Bible reads,"They are enclosed in their own fat:with their mouth they speak proudly."

This verse didn’t mean much to me, so I did a bit of research. I used the Strong’s Concordance to do a word by word, phrase by phrase study to find a clear meaning. I also looked into the cultural thoughts of the day to know the thoughts of people of that time period in regards to weight. Below is what I learned:

Strong’s Definitions:

• ·        They are enclosed = cagar (saw-gar’) – to shut up; figuratively, to surrender: close up, deliver up, give over to, enclose, X pure, repair, shut (in, self, out, up, up together), stop, X straightly.
• ·        In their own fat = cheleb (kheh-lev) – to be fat; fat, whether literal or figuratively; hence, the richest or choice part: -- X best, fat(-ness), X finest, grease, marrow.
• ·        With their mouth = peh – the mouth (as the means of blowing), whether literal or figuratively (particularly speech); specifically edge, portion or side; adverbially (with preposition) according to: --accord(-ing, as, -ing to), after appointment, assent, collar, command(-ment), X eat, edge, end, entry, file, hole, X in mind, mouth, part, portion, X (should), say(-ing), sentence, skirt, sound, speech, X spoken, talk, tenor, X to, two-edged, wish, word.
• ·        They speak = dâbar (daw-bar) – perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue: -answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, X well, X well, X work.
• ·        Proudly = gê’ûwth (gay-ooth’) – excellent thingfs, lifting up, majesty, pride, proudly, raging.

Point by point, stepping through the definitions I found these phrases can be written as follows:

• They are enclosed = They are closed, shut up, they are delivered, they are repair(-ing, -ed), they are all bound up in, they are enclosed … 
• In their own fat = in their own overweight condition, because of their riches, their vast finery, their wealth … 
• With their mouth = blowing with their mouth, (speaking) out of the side of the mouth … 
• They speak = they talk, they give a speech, they speak … 
• Proudly = exalting, giving majesty, with great pride, proudly …

After reading through these definitions, I looked into the culture. I found that in this time, just like our earlier western cultures, those with wealth could afford to eat more and more often. They wore their wealth proudly in their weight as well as their jewelry and decor. The bigger the body, the more opulent the jewelry, the bigger the bank account, so to speak. Yes, fat was considered beautiful, at least to the affluent.

Because of the above definitions and the thoughts of the day on wealth and beauty, I came to rewrite the passage as:

“Look at how selfish they are! They are all wrapped up in their own wealth, boasting for any and all who would listen.”

So when you are reading from God’s word and get “stuck in translation,” you can find the meaning by using the free study tools that you can find online at blueletterbible.org. There are a variety of useful tools, including the Strong’s Concordance that I used here.

I hope that I have brought you some clarity in your bible reading. Until next time …

Be Blessed!