Psalms 17:10

“They are enclosed in their own fat, etc.] Or “their fat has enclosed them”; either their eyes, that they can hardly see out of them, or their hearts, so that they are stupid and senseless, and devoid of the fear of God; the phrase is expressive of the multitude of their wealth and increase of power, by which they were swelled with pride and vanity, and neither feared God nor regarded man; so the Targum paraphrases it, “their riches are multiplied, their fat covers them;” (see <053215>Deuteronomy 32:15 <197308>Psalm 73:8,9); some read it, “their fat shuts their mouths”, so Aben Ezra and Kimchi; or “with their fat they shut them” f255; but the accent “athnach” will not admit of this reading;…”

“enclosed . . . fat--are become proud in prosperity, and insolent to God (Deu 32:15; Psa 73:7).”

“They are enclosed in their own fat - The meaning here is, that they were prosperous, and that they were consequently self-confident and proud, and were regardless of others. The phrase occurs several times as descriptive of the wicked in a state of prosperity, and as, therefore, insensible to the rights, the wants, and the sufferings of others. Compare Deuteronomy 32:15, “But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked: thou art waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him,” etc. Job 15:27, “because he covereth his face with his fatness, and maketh collops of fat on his flanks.” Psalms 73:7, “their eyes stand out with fatness.” Psalms 119:70, “their…”

“They - They live in splendor and prosperity. Psalms 17:11”

“They are: Psa 73:7-9, Psa 119:70; Deu 32:15; Job 15:27; Isa 6:10; Mat 13:15; Act 28:27 with: Psa 12:3, Psa 12:4, Psa 31:18, Psa 123:4; Exo 5:2, Exo 15:9; Sa1 2:3; Pe2 2:18; Rev 13:5, Rev 13:6 Psalms 17:11”

“Psa 17:10 tell what sort of people these persecutors are. Their heart is called fat, adeps, not as though חלב could in itself be equivalent to לב, more especially as both words are radically distinct (חלב from the root לב, λιπ; לב from the root לב, לף to envelope: that which is enveloped, the kernel, the inside), but (without any need for von Ortenberg's conjecture חלב לבּמו סגרוּ "they close their heart with fat") because it is, as it were, entirely fat ( Psa 119:70, cf. Psa 73:7), and because it is inaccessible to any feeling of compassion, and in general incapable of the nobler emotions. To shut up the fat = the heart (cf. κλείειν τὰ σπλάγχνα Jo1 3:17), is equivalent to: to fortify…”