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The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

Psalms 17:3-5

PSALM—NOTE ON Psalms 17:3 The singer proclaims his innocence (tried, visited, tested), and he recounts his efforts to stay pure.

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See also Psalms 17:3-5 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Psalms 17:3. _THOU HAST PROVED MINE HEART_] Thou well knowest whether there be any evil way in me. Thou hast given me to see many and sore trials; and yet, through thy mercy, I have preserved my...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    THOU HAST PROVED MINE HEART - In this verse he refers to his own character and life in the matter under consideration, or the consciousness of his own innocence in respect to his fellow-men who are pe...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    Psalms 17 The Prayer of Christ Against the Enemy _ 1. The Righteous Intercessor (Psalms 17:1)_ 2. Prayer for deliverance (Psalms 17:6) 3. The deliverance ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    XVII. THE PRAYER OF A GODLY MAN FOR DELIVERANCE FROM HIS FOES. These foes are not foreign enemies but worldly Jews who persecute their pious and innocent neighbours. The cry for Divine help is made in...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    FIND NOTHING. None but Christ could say this. See John 14:30....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Thou hast_tried _mine heart_(Psalms 7:9; Psalms 11:4-5); _thou hast visited me in the night_, when men's thoughts range unrestrainedly, and they appear in their true colours (Psalms 36:4); _thou hast...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    The bold language of a good conscience. See Introd. p. lxxxvii. Cp. Acts 23:1; Acts 24:16....

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    THOU HAST VISITED ME IN THE NIGHT— "Thou hast been present with me in my greatest privacies; to discover whether, in my retirement from the eyes of men, I was forming any evil designs, or indulging an...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PSALMS 17 DESCRIPTIVE TITLE One who is Righteous Prays, in Great Trouble, for Divine Deliverance and Manifestation. ANALYSIS Stanza I., Psalms 17:1-2, The Prayer of Righteousness. Stanza II., vers,...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _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._ Thou hast proved ... tried me - as pure...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    The Psalmist makes his appeal to the justice of God (Psalms 17:1), and supports his prayer by an assertion of his conscious innocence (Psalms 17:3) and an account of the eager cruelty of his enemies ...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    PROVED] tested. IN THE NIGHT] when man is alone with God, and conscience shows things in their true character. SHALT FIND, etc.] RM 'findest no evil purpose in me.'...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Psalms 1:41 _GORDON CHURCHYARD_ Words in boxes are from the Bible. The notes explain some of the words with a *star by them. Tap the * before a word to show an explanation. The translated Bible tex...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    IN THE NIGHT (as Psalms 16:7). — The time of calm reflection and self-examination. Some, however, taking this verse in connection with Psalms 17:15, think the poem was composed at night. I AM PURPOSED...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    בָּ֘חַ֤נְתָּ לִבִּ֨י ׀ פָּ֘קַ֤דְתָּ לַּ֗יְלָה צְרַפְתַּ֥נִי בַל...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    Psalms 17:1 THE investigations as to authorship and date yield the usual conflicting results. Davidic, say one school; undoubtedly post-exilic, say another, without venturing on closer definition; lat...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD'S TRUE SERVANTS SAFELY KEPT Psalms 17:1 This also dates from the Sauline persecutions. In the earlier verses David protests his innocence, pleads for deliverance from his foes, and ends with glad...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    This psalm is generally conceded to be closely linked with the preceding one. There is an evident similarity of outlook. In each case the singer declares his abstention from complicity with ungodly me...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    Thou hast (c) proved mine heart; thou hast visited [me] in the night; thou hast tried me, [and] shalt find nothing; I am purposed [that] my (d) mouth shall not transgress. (c) When your Spirit examin...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Firmament. Hebrew, "rock and my citadel, and my deliverer. My God, ( or strong one) my rock." St. Jerome, "my strong one." The two words which are rendered "my rock," are salhi and metsudathi. (Haydoc...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    As none but Jesus could ever make appeal in the justice of his cause, so it is blessed to discover him in this sweet prayer. Reader, you and I may, in his righteousness, look up to that God, who is an...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    3._Thou hast proved my heart. _Some are of opinion that in the three first verbs the past tense is put for the future. Others more correctly and more clearly resolve the words thus: If thou provest my...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    The key to Psalms 16 was in the words, "In thee do I put my trust"; to Psalms 17, "Hear the right." In Psalms 16 we have seen the blessed path and working of that spirit of confidence. It is, though t...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    THOU HAST PROVED MINE HEART,.... This properly belongs to God, who is the searcher of the heart and reins, and is desired by all good men; and though God has no need to make use of any means to know t...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    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. Ver. 3. _Thou hast proved my heart_...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Thou hast proved mine heart_ Or _searched_, or _tried_ it, by many temptations and afflictions; by which the sincerity or hypocrisy of men's hearts is discovered, and especially is manifest to thy al...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE BELIEVER TAKES HIS REFUGE IN GOD. Every true believer is a poor sinner in the sight of God, knowing that his natural sinfulness will not permit justifying himself before the tribunal of divine jus...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Thou hast proved mine heart testing it for its sincerity; THOU HAST VISITED ME IN THE NIGHT, an investigation at that time being especially searching since the soul is then undisturbed by the happenin...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 This psalm is a prayer. Feigned prayers are fruitless; but if our hearts lead our prayers, God will meet them with his favour. The psalmist had been used to pray, so that it was not his distress...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    PROVED, or _searched_, or _tried it_, by many and sore temptations and afflictions, whereby the sincerity or hypocrisy of men's hearts are easily and commonly discovered, and especially by thy all-see...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Psalms 17:3 tested H974 (H8804) heart H3820 visited H6485 (H8804) night H3915 tried H6884 (H8804) found...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘You have proved my heart, you have visited me in the night, You have tried me, and find nothing, I am determined that my mouth shall not transgress.' ‘You have proved my heart.' That is, have trie...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Psalms 17:3 The religious aspects of night are many. I. Viewed in its relations to the life of man, it strikes us, first of all and pre-eminently, as an interruption. It breaks in upon and suspends h...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Psalms 17:1. _Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips._ Good men are often slandered and misunderstood; and, at such times, the first v...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: David prays for relief from the pressure of enemies. CHARACTERS: God, David. CONCLUSION: If we are abused and misrepresented, we have a righteous God to go to whose judgment is according t...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Psalms 17:3. _Thou hast tried me._ Vulgate, _Igne me examinâsti,_ Thou hast proved or tested me with fire, referring to the test of metals. Psalms 17:14. _Men which have their portion in this life,_ a...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _Thou hast visited me in the night._ GOD’S VISITATIONS IN THE NIGHT God has two daily messengers of His love for men, bringing to them His gifts of love--Day and Night. Let us think of His visitatio...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    INTRODUCTION “David pours forth to God in this psalm an earnest prayer for deliverance from his inveterate enemies, who were bent on taking away his life. We find in it his opinion of the character of...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION THIS psalm is termed "a prayer"—"a Prayer of David." It consists, no doubt, mainly of a series of petitions (Psalms 17:1, Psalms 17:2, Psalms 17:6,...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    The seventeenth psalm is another prayer of David. And it is, again, one of those prayers where David is sort of pleading his own cause, his own righteousness before the Lord. Hear the right, O LORD,...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:7; 1 Samuel 24:10; 1 Samuel 24:12;...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Proved — Or, searched or tried it, by many temptations and afflictions. Night — When mens minds being freed from the distraction of business, and from the society of men, they act more vigorously and...

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