‘A Prayer of David.'
A further psalm from the Davidic psalms.
‘Hear, O YHWH, righteousness, attend to my cry,
Give ear to my prayer, which goes not out of deceitful lips.
Let my verdict come forth from your presence,
Let your eyes look on rightness (or ‘your eyes look on what is right').'
The psalmist is under attack by the world and cries to YHWH to vindicate him. The verb indicates that his cry is strong and piercing. ‘O YHWH, righteousness' might signify that it is God Who is his righteousness (‘YHWH of righteousness'), or that he wants YHWH to judge righteously.
The scene is the heavenly court. He declares that he is speaking honestly and has nothing to hide. There is no deceit on his lips. He asks that he might be justified in the eyes of all men as YHWH passes judgment on his life and behaviour. Let YHWH Who knows all things hear his plea, and come to the right verdict, the right judgment, and make it known to the world (compare Psalms 37:6; Isaiah 42:1-4; contrast Habakkuk 1:4). Thus will His eyes look down on what is totally right.