What is the meaning of Psalm 17:15? As for me • David draws a line between himself and the godless whose portion is “in this life” (Psalm 17:14). • Like Joshua declaring “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15), he makes a conscious, personal commitment. • Psalm 73:28 echoes the same resolve: “But as for me, it is good to be near God.” • The phrase is a quiet confession that no matter what others chase, he stakes everything on closeness to God. I will behold Your face in righteousness • Seeing God’s face is the ultimate blessing (Revelation 22:4). Yet Exodus 33:20 warns no sinner can survive that sight. • David rests on righteousness God provides, anticipating what 2 Corinthians 5:21 later explains—God giving His own righteousness to the believer. • Jesus promised, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Purity is God-given, not self-manufactured. • 1 John 3:2 pushes the thought further: “We will see Him as He is.” David looks forward to that same unveiled vision. When I awake • “Awake” points beyond nightly sleep to resurrection morning. Job 19:25-27 speaks of seeing God in the flesh after death, and Daniel 12:2 speaks of those who sleep in the dust awakening. • David anticipates that death is not the end; it is a brief rest before a glorious dawn (Isaiah 26:19). • The New Testament confirms this hope: “The dead will be raised imperishable” (1 Corinthians 15:52). David’s confidence foreshadows that promise. I will be satisfied in Your presence • Earthly treasures never fill the heart (Ecclesiastes 5:10), but “in Your presence is fullness of joy” (Psalm 16:11). • Satisfaction here is not mere contentment; it is complete satiation, like those who “drink their fill of the abundance of Your house” (Psalm 36:8). • Revelation 7:16-17 pictures the ultimate fulfillment: no hunger, no thirst, every tear wiped away. • David’s longing pierces the temporal and settles on eternal communion where every desire is met in God Himself. summary David contrasts fleeting earthly gain with the eternal reward of knowing God. He personally commits to the Lord, trusts the righteousness God provides, anticipates bodily resurrection, and looks forward to complete satisfaction that only God’s presence can give. |
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