Psalm 17 is a particularly confident psalm, showing the feelings of someone who knows the Lord, who knows the ways of the Lord and who also knows the ups and downs of their own relationship with the Lord. In this psalm a lot is claimed, a lot is recognised, and a lot is scorned.

It is also unusually well written, having phrases which catch the essence of spiritual realities, phrases like ‘Keep me as the apple of your eye’, ‘They (the wicked) have closed up their fat hearts’ and ‘I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness.’ It is important for us, reading very assured statements on the part of the speaker, not to see these as arrogance or egotism, but rather as conviction and affirmation of someone who will follow the Lord.

The psalm begins, like many do, with a cry -- an appeal to the Lord. ‘Hear a just cause, O Lord, attend to my cry’. It continues, ‘Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips.’ The rest of the psalm is this prayer, and its sincerity is always apparent.

The spiritual meaning of this – as with all prayer to the Lord – is far more to become aware of states and needs in ourselves, rather than to ask for things or even advise the Lord what he should be doing. This psalm is a perfect model of that understanding and outcome of prayer. (See Apocalypse Explained 695.5)

Verse 2 has the expression, ‘Let your eyes look on the things that are upright.’ This speaks to the idea that in us, there will always be a mix of what is self-seeking and what is true to the Lord. This is fact, even when our commitment to the Lord and the Word has been our constant practice for many years. Even the angels continue to go through changes in their states. (Divine Providence 223.2)

This continues on into the next verse, where the speaker several times declares that the Lord will find no evil in his heart, even, note, ‘in the night’ -- which is during temptation. The Lord sees everything as it really is; he sees our faults and self-deception, but he knows the true state of our heart and its deepest desire beyond all the changing states. (New Jerusalem 57)

This section ends with a statement ‘I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.’ Spiritually, this reminds us that our commitment to the Lord is not only to be felt and thought; it must be continually lived out in our words and actions. (Arcana Caelestia 6987)

From verse 4 to verse 12, the focus is on the works of men, as verse 4 says. It seems to be a matter of two things; first, to be kept firmly purposeful in following the Lord, and secondly, to be kept safe from the destructive attacks of the wicked. Spiritually, this is not so much to do with other people as with our own lower nature and self-interest, with which evil spirits will have a field day given the least opportunity.

Verse 5 beautifully says, ‘Uphold my steps in your paths’, and verse 8 says, ‘Keep me as the apple of your eye’ which wonderfully carry the truth that each person is looked on by the Lord as if they were the only person there is. But even our sincere wish to follow the Lord is of infinite joy to the Lord. (Arcana Caelestia 33)

The psalm ends with the momentous words, “As for me, I will see your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in your likeness.”

1160. And thou shalt find them no more, signifies that they are destroyed forever. This is evident from the signification of "not finding them" (that is, things fat and splendid, which signify things good and thus satisfying and things true and thus grand), as being that they have been destroyed forever, for things found no more are destroyed forever.

(Continuation)

[2] One kind of profanation described above is meant by these words in Matthew:

When the unclean spirit goeth out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest and finding it not. Then he saith, I will return to the house whence I went forth. When he cometh he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then he goeth away, and taketh to himself seven other spirits worse than himself, and entering in they dwell there; and the latter things of that man become worse than the first (Matthew 12:43-45).

This describes the conversion of a man by the departure of the unclean spirit from him; and his return to evils and the consequent profanation is described by the unclean spirit returning with seven spirits worse than himself.

[3] Likewise by these words in John:

Jesus said to him who was healed at the pool of Bethesda, Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee (John 5:14).

Also by these words in the same:

He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and should convert themselves and I should heal them (John 12:40).

"Lest they should convert themselves and be healed" signifies lest they should become profane. Thus would it have been with the Jews (Matthew 12:45); and this is why they were forbidden to eat fat and blood (Leviticus 3:17; 7:23, 25), for this signified their profanation of what is holy in consequence of their being such. Moreover, the Lord by His Divine providence guards with the greatest care against this kind of profanation; and lest this exist, He separates the holy things with man from those that are not holy, and stores up the holy things in the interiors of his mind, and raises them up to Himself; while the things not holy He stores up in the exteriors, and turns them to the world. Thus holy things can be separated from the unholy, and thus man can be saved. But this cannot be done when goods and evils are mixed together. That those who continue in faith and love even unto death will have the crown of life, the Lord teaches in Revelation (Revelation 2:10, 26).