A common misinterpretation of this verse treats "inclosed in their own fat" literally as a reference to physical obesity or gluttony, leading some to misuse it for body-shaming or anti-wealth rhetoric, but it is a vivid Hebrew idiom for spiritual callousness and self-indulgence, where prosperity hardens the heart like layers of fat, rendering enemies insensitive to God and others, much like similar imagery in Psalm 73:7 or Isaiah 6:10; paired with their proud speech, it depicts arrogant oppressors in David's prayer for justice, not a dietary prescription or literal anatomy.
Psalms 17:10
King James Version (1769)
10 They are inclosed in their own fat: with their mouth they speak proudly.
In Psalm 17, David describes his enemies as spiritually hardened and self-satisfied, their hearts "enclosed in their own fat" symbolizing callous indifference to God and others due to prosperity or pride, while their boastful speech reveals arrogant opposition to the righteous. The core truth highlights how wickedness insulates people from divine truth and justice, making them impervious to pleas for mercy and bold in their defiance, contrasting with David's plea for God's vindication based on integrity.