Psalm 17:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.

NIV: I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.

NASB: I have called upon You, for You will answer me, God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech.

CSB: I call on you, God, because you will answer me; listen closely to me; hear what I say.

NLT: I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.

KJV: I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God: incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.

NKJV: I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech.

This verse starts with a simple point: David prays to God because he expects the Lord to answer. He prays in faith (James 1:5–6), trusting and expecting God to do what is right (Psalm 17:1). His prayers are not mere gestures, or hollow traditions. David sincerely, truly believes the Lord is listening—that God will symbolically "give ear" to him.

David addresses the Lord as 'ēl, which is a word literally meaning "power," but which is also used in reference to God. In this context, there is an expectation that God will hear David's prayer, and that He can respond. David's enemies were powerful, but God is all powerful (Genesis 14:18; 17:1). No foe can stand against Him. This psalm might have been written when David was pursued by Saul (1 Samuel 20:32–33), but those enemies were facing a losing battle—they were opposed to God.

Believers today may be confident that they are more than conquerors through Jesus (Romans 8:37). Nothing can separate believers from "the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). The apostle John was keenly aware of the Lord's invincible power. He writes in 1 John 4:4: "Little children, you are from God and have overcome [false prophets], for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." Like David, every believer can confidently call upon the Lord for His grace and strength in the heat of spiritual battle (Jeremiah 33:3; 1 Peter 5:6–11).

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.

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.