What does Psalms Chapter 17 say, and which statements belong to its speaker?

The Latin incipit is Diligam te, Domine. The separate heading describes David's thanksgiving for delivery from foes. The inscription presents the Lord's servant David speaking this canticle on the day the Lord delivered him from all his enemies and Saul. He professes love for the Lord his strength, firmament, refuge, deliverer, helper, protector, horn of salvation and support. Praising, he will call and shall be saved from enemies. He recalls death's sorrows, torrents of iniquity, hell's sorrows and snares of death, and crying in affliction to God, who heard from His holy temple.

The poem depicts an angry shaking earth and mountains, smoke, consuming fire and kindled coals. God bows heaven with darkness beneath His feet, rides cherubim and winds, and makes darkness and dark waters His pavilion. Brightness, clouds, hail, fire, thunder, arrows and lightning scatter and trouble them; fountains of waters and foundations of the world appear at His rebuke. These are the canticle's images, not a separately documented weather or military incident. God receives the speaker from many waters and delivers him from strongest enemies and stronger haters who prevented him in affliction. As protector He brings him into a large place and saves him because he pleased Him.

The speaker says the Lord will reward justice and repay clean hands. He kept God's ways and judgments, will be spotless before Him and keep from iniquity, while the Lord will repay justice and clean hands. He addresses God as holy with the holy, innocent with the innocent, elect with the elect and perverted with the perverse. God will save the humble and bring down proud eyes. He asks lighting of his lamp and enlightenment of darkness; delivered from temptation, he shall go over a wall. He praises God's undefiled way and fire-tried words as protection for those trusting Him, asking who is God or God besides the Lord.

God girded him with strength and made his way blameless, his feet like harts and his station high. He teaches hands to war and makes arms like a brazen bow. His right hand held the speaker, discipline corrected him to the end and shall teach him, and enlarged steps kept feet from weakening. The speaker will pursue and overtake enemies, not turn until they are consumed, and break them so they cannot stand. God girded strength, subdued rebels and gave enemies' backs; the speaker destroyed haters. They cried without a savior and to the Lord without hearing. He shall beat them like dust and destroy them like street dirt.

He says God will deliver him from contradictions of the people and make him head of the Gentiles. An unknown people served him and obeyed at hearing of the ear; strange children lied, faded and halted from their paths. He praises the living Lord and exalted God of salvation, who avenges and subdues people. God delivers from enemies and will lift him above insurgents and deliver him from the unjust. He will give glory among nations and sing to God's name, ending with salvation of His king and mercy to David His anointed and seed forever. Future pursuit, headship and deliverance are not rewritten as completed campaigns.