From the wicked who afflict me, from the enemies of my soul who have surrounded me.
David clearly identifies the danger for which he asks God for protection. His enemies are not merely people who disagree with him, but people who cause him suffering and, by surrounding him, create a real threat. For that reason his prayer is specific, not general; he openly brings his pain and danger before God. This verse is also the natural continuation of the previous verse. David had asked that the Lord keep him like the pupil of His eye and cover him under the shadow of His wings (Psalm 17:8), and now he clarifies from whose attacks he is asking for that protection. Yet the focus of his attention is not ultimately the enemies, but God and His keeping. He does not minimize the danger, but he also does not allow it to become the center of all his thinking. The believer likewise can name his hardship before God by its own name, without hiding it or exaggerating it. The enemy or the pressure may come very near, but they cannot remove God’s presence and His keeping. When outward danger increases, it is all the more important to keep one’s gaze not only on the danger, but even more on the Lord, who remains the refuge of the one who trusts in Him.