In this psalm, David’s like super passionate, begging God to save him. He’s all about showing how innocent and devoted he is. David’s totally confident that God will listen and answer his prayers, asking for protection, like how you’d protect the eyeball’s pupil or a mama bird would shield her chicks (Psalm 17:1–8).

He paints a picture of his enemies like these big, bad predators, all arrogant and heartless. And David’s not just asking for help for himself; he’s probably thinking about his friends too. He knows that sticking with God is the best thing ever, unlike those who ignore God and only care about this temporary world (Psalm 17:9–15).