What does Psalm 31:17 mean?
David asks the Lord to not allow him to experience shame. This is more than emotion: it is also an expression that means being defeated and struck down. It would certainly be humiliating and disastrous if David fell victim to his enemies and forfeited his crown. Yet his trust in the Lord is clear. David bases his desire for vindication on the fact that he was calling upon the Lord. Rather than being the one to experience defeat and disgrace—"shame"—David asks that the Lord bring that fate to his enemies.He asks also that their fate be accompanied by silence. In earlier verses David noted that his enemies were whispering plots and schemes (Psalm 31:13). The Lord could silence them by consigning them to the realm of the dead. In Psalm 63:7 David testifies how the Lord has helped him, so he will sing joyfully under that protection. He also writes, "Those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth" (Psalm 63:9). Someday, the Lord will judge the wicked, consigning them forever to endless suffering in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10–15).
Verse 18
Psalm 31:14–22 comes after David expressed sorrow over persecution and abandonment. Despite hardship, David tells God he still trusts in Him. He regarded the Lord as the foundation of his confidence. David asks the Lord to be forgiving and merciful, preserving him from the enemies who have attacked him. This passage celebrates God's forgiving nature, while looking back on prior instances of rescue.
Because God has rescued him in the past, David chooses to trust the Lord even when he is in danger. Neighbors and friends may abandon him, and enemies may plot, but David is confident he will be vindicated. He also calls on others to be firm and brave as they choose to trust in God.
