Psalms 17:4

Concerning the works of men,.... Of wicked men, as to what respects and concerns them, or in the midst of them; in the midst of a wicked generation of men, and their filthy conversation; who appear

Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.

Concerning the works of men: concerning my care and caution about my words, I have now spoken, , now I may say the like concerning my works. As for the works which men generally practise. Or, because of (as the prefix lamed is oft used, as 22:10 23:9) the works of men. So the sense may be this, Observing and considering the quality of the works of the men of this age, with whom I converse, or of all mankind, some few excepted; considering, I say, how wicked, and unreasonable, and pernicious they are, not only to others, but also to themselves; I was resolved to take more care in the ordering of my own actions. By the word of thy lips, i.e. by the help of thy blessed word, and the excellent rules, promises, and threatenings thereof, which by deep and frequent meditation I have hid and fixed in mine heart, as the best antidote against sin and temptation, ,11. I have kept; so the same verb is used with the like supplement , which also is in a manner included in the verb. Or, I have observed, to wit, so as to avoid them. The paths, or ways, i.e. the customs and practices, or the imitation of them; as may be gathered from the next verse, where he prays to be kept in God’ s paths, which are opposed to these paths. Of the destroyer; or, of the violent man; such as Saul and his courtiers and soldiers have showed themselves toward me. Although their rage and violence against me might have tempted me to have repaid them in their own coin, yet I forbore it, and spared both others and Saul himself, when his life was at my mercy, 1 Samuel 24$ 26$; and this I did in obedience to thy word, which required me to honour and preserve the Lord’ s anointed.

Psalms 17:4 Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept [me from] the paths of the destroyer.Ver. 4. Concerning the works of men] sc. Which ought to be done by them according to thy law. Or, which they are wont to do, whether right or wrong, I have not now to say, but this I can safely say by thy mercy, that By the word of thy lips] Which I have taken for the rule and rudder of my life, I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer] Effractoris, of the breach maker; such as is the bridge maker of Rome, at this day. David meaneth that he had shunned the society of graceless persons, Psalms 26:4 Proverbs 24:21 Jeremiah 15:17; and taken heed to his ways, that he offended not with his tongue, while the wicked was present, Psalms 39:1-2, lest the wicked should rejoice at his misdemeanors, Psalms 38:17.

(4) Concerning the works of men—i.e., as regards the actions of men, or in ordinary human actions; for the expression comp. Job 31:33; and Hosea 6:7, where the margin has Adam.By the word of thy lips.—Some take this clause closely with the foregoing, and render, “against the word,” &c; but the Authorised Version is better. The Divine standard for action, not the human or worldly, influences the writer. I have kept me.—Literally, I for my part have observed ways of violence. But usage (Proverbs 2:20) almost compels us to understand by this, “I have kept ways of violence,” which is impossible here. Hence we have either to give the verb the unusual sense “guard against,” or suppose an error in the text.

Verse 4. The paths of the destroyer.] Some render, hard or difficult paths, the sense of which is given above. But the passage is exceedingly obscure. My old Psalter translates and paraphrases as follows: - Trans. That my mouthe speke noght the werkes of men, for the wordes of thi lippes I haf keped hard wayse. Par. That es, that nothing passe of my mouthe bot at falles to the louyng of the; noght til werkes of men, that dos o gaynes thy wil; als to say, I spak noght bot gude; and for the wordes of thi lippes, that es, to ful fil the wordes that thi prophetes saide; I kepe hard waies of verteus and of tribulacioun, the qwilk men thynk hard; and for thi thai leve the hard way til heven, and takes the soft way til hel; but it es ful hard at the end.

4. As for the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have shunned the paths of the violent. In regard to his behaviour as a man among men, he has obeyed the Divine precepts, and marked and shunned the ways of violent men, avoiding their example and society. God’s commandments have been his preservation, supplying the rule and the strength for his conduct. ‘The paths of the violent’ are the opposite of the ‘path of life,’ Psalms 16:11. (Proverbs 1:19; Proverbs 2:11-19, &c.). Robbery with violence is mentioned as the commonest form of wrong doing to neighbours (Jeremiah 7:11; Ezekiel 18:10). For illustration of the verse from David’s life see 1 Samuel 25:32 ff; 1 Samuel 24:10 ff.; cp. Psalms 7:3 ff. The P.B.V., Because of men’s works, that are done against the words of thy lips, is untenable.

Concerning the works of men - In respect to the works or doings of men. The reference is here probably to the ordinary or common doings of mankind, or to what generally characterizes the conduct of men.

4. There is an historic background to the allusions of this verse.