Psalm 17:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You have tried my heart, you have visited me by night, you have tested me, and you will find nothing; I have purposed that my mouth will not transgress.

NIV: Though you probe my heart, though you examine me at night and test me, you will find that I have planned no evil; my mouth has not transgressed.

NASB: You have put my heart to the test; You have visited me by night; You have sifted me and You find nothing; My intent is that my mouth will not offend.

CSB: You have tested my heart; you have examined me at night. You have tried me and found nothing evil; I have determined that my mouth will not sin.

NLT: You have tested my thoughts and examined my heart in the night. You have scrutinized me and found nothing wrong. I am determined not to sin in what I say.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

It is natural, but not rational, to complain or blame God when trials add up. David did neither of these. He believed the trials he encountered were intended, by God, for a reason. That purpose, he felt, was to test the spiritual quality of his life. From that perspective, David confidently claims that God's testing turned up nothing amiss. David was aware of his own sin (Psalm 143:2). Still, he knew sin was not the typical pattern of his life (Deuteronomy 18:13; Proverbs 29:10). Among the commitments David had made to God, one was to guard his words. In this context, this means he would not complain nor blame the Lord for what befell him.

The Lord tests believers today, too, but how believers respond to the discipline is extremely important. Tested believers should regard the disciplining as the Father's way of correcting His children and improving their character. Hebrews 12:5–6 advises believers to "not be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." The same passage tells us why God the Father tests His children: "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11).

Psalm 17:1–5 begins David's prayer for deliverance. He asks God to intervene in a dangerous situation, pleading and making note of his own faithfulness to the Lord. David is confident that his life proves loyalty to God and obedience to His commands. This might have been written during David's time of persecution under king Saul.

Likely written when Saul was pursuing David in the wilderness, this records David's urgent plea for deliverance. He insists that he is in the right and free from deceit or evil. He proclaims God as a Savior and asks God to heed his cry and reveal His steadfast love to him. David addresses God as the Savior of those who seek refuge in Him from their enemies. Verse 8 uses two famous phrases describing God's tender care and love: "apple of the eye" and "shadow of your wings." Using a singular noun, David compares his enemy, likely Saul, to a ferocious, stealthy, bloodthirsty lion. Through these struggles, David looks forward to a blessed eternity of beholding God's face.

This is another psalm in which David appeals to God to deliver him from his enemy, likely Saul (1 Samuel 20:32–33). It shares themes and even Hebrew phrases with Psalm 16. This is one of several psalms identified as direct prayers, along with psalms 86, 90, 102, and 142.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.