Psalms 17:5 - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. Hold up my goings in thy paths, (that) my footsteps slip not - a beautiful supplement to Psalms 17:4, "I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer" - namely, a prayer for perseverance in the ways of God. My having done so theretofore heretofore is solely of thy grace; therefore "Hold up my goings in thy paths" still. Thus, the Hebrew infinitive is for the imperative. Hengstenberg, Cocceius, L. de Dieu, etc., take the infinitive for the preterite, 'my steps hold fast by thy paths, my feet slip not,'-a continuation of the protestation of his righteousness (Psalms 17:1-5), on which he grounds the following prayer for deliverance from enemies. He had said that he 'kept himself from the paths of the destroyer.' He next declares what paths he chose - "thy paths;" hence, his 'footsteps slipped not.' "Thy paths" are parallel to "the word of thy lips," Psalms 17:4: "my footsteps slip not" are parallel to 'I have kept me from the paths of the wanton transgressor.' Compare Job 23:11 х taamok (H8551) ... bª- never means to hold up, but to hold fast to or by (Psalms 63:8) (Hengstenberg). But Psalms 63:8 is susceptible of the English version; so Psalms 41:12 and Exodus 17:12; so that this rule is doubtful]. The English version is a natural ejaculation, following up what might otherwise seem too confident an assertion of his righteousness. So the Chaldaic, Septuagint, and Vulgate. "THY paths," and "the word of THY lips," are not the path of justification by works, but the word of faith producing works of righteousness sincere, though not yet perfect.