Psalms 17:1

Hear the right - Margin, as in Hebrew, “justice.” The prayer is, that God would regard that which was “right” in the case, or that he would vindicate the psalmist from that which was wrong. It is the expression of his confident assurance even in the presence of God that his cause was right, and that he was asking only that which it would be consistent for a “just” God to do. We can offer an acceptable prayer only when we are sure that it would be right for God to answer it, or that it would be consistent with perfect and eternal justice to grant our requests. It is to be observed here, however, that the ground of the petition of the psalmist is not that “he” was righteous, that is, he did not base his petition on the ground of his own merits, but that his “cause” was righteous; that he was unjustly oppressed and persecuted by his enemies. We cannot ask God to interpose in our behalf because we have a claim to his favor on the ground of our own merit; we may ask him to interpose because wrong is done, and his glory will be promoted in securing that which is just and right.

Attend unto my cry - The word used here - רנה rinnâh - means either a shout of joy, Psalms 30:5; Psalms 42:4; Psalms 47:1; or a mournful cry, outcry, wailing, Psalms 61:1; et soepe. It is expressive, in either case, of deep feeling which vents itself in an audible manner. Here it denotes the earnest “utterance” of prayer.

Give ear unto my prayer - See the notes at Psalms 5:1.

That goeth not out of feigned lips - Margin, as in Hebrew, “without lips of deceit.” That is, that is sincere, or that proceeds from the heart. The utterance of the lips does not misrepresent the feelings of the heart. True prayer is that in which the lips “do” represent the real feelings of the soul. In hypocritical prayer the one is no proper representation of the other. It is evident that the prayer here was not mere mental prayer, or a mere desire of the heart. It was uttered prayer, or oral prayer; and, though private, it was in the form of uttered words. The feeling was so great that it was expressed in an audible cry to God. Deep emotion usually finds vent in such audible and fervent expressions. Compare the Saviour’s earnest prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, Luke 22:41 ff.