Psa 17:9 | NETfull | STEP | Protect me from the wicked men who attack me, my enemies who crowd around me for the kill.

Psalms 17:9

9 Protect me from ^{▼▼ Heb “from before”; or “because.” In the Hebrew text v. 9 is subordinated to v. 8. The words “protect me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.} the wicked men who attack ^{▼▼ Heb “destroy.” The psalmist uses the perfect verbal form to emphasize the degree of danger. He describes the wicked as being already in the process of destroying him.} me,
my enemies who crowd around me for the kill. ^{▼▼ Heb “my enemies, at the risk of life they surround me.” The Hebrew phrase בְּנֶפֶשׁ (b^enefesh) sometimes has the nuance “at the risk of [one’s] life” (see 1 Kgs 2:23; Prov 7:23; Lam 5:9).}