2 And he said, The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour, even mine;
For you are my Rock and my strong tower; go in front of me and be my guide, because of your name.
Be my strong Rock, the strong place of my salvation; for you are my Rock, and my safe place.
The Lord is my Rock, my walled town, and my saviour; my God, my Rock, in him will I put my faith; my breastplate, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will send up my cry to the Lord, who is to be praised; so will I be made safe from those who are against me. The cords of death were round me, and the seas of evil put me in fear. The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me. In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came before him, even into his ears. Then trouble and shock came on the earth; and the bases of the mountains were moved and shaking, because he was angry. There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: flames were lighted by it. The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet. And he went in flight through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind. He made the dark his secret place; his tent round him was the dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and fire. The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out: a rain of ice and fire. He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled. Then the deep beds of the waters were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of your words of wrath, O Lord, because of the breath from your mouth. He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters. He made me free from my strong hater, and from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I. They came on me in the day of my trouble; but the Lord was my support. He took me out into a wide place; he was my saviour because he had delight in me. The Lord gives me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean before him. For I have kept the ways of the Lord; I have not been turned away in sin from my God. For all his decisions were before me, and I did not put away his laws from me. And I was upright before him, and I kept myself from sin. Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes. On him who has mercy you will have mercy; to the upright you will be upright; He who is holy will see that you are holy; but to the man whose way is not straight you will be a hard judge. For you are the saviour of those who are in trouble; but eyes full of pride will be made low. You, O Lord, will be my light; by you, my God, the dark will be made bright for me. By your help I have made a way through the wall which was shutting me in; by the help of my God I have gone over a wall. As for God, his way is completely good; the word of the Lord is tested; he is a breastplate for all those who put their faith in him. For who is God but the Lord? or who is a Rock but our God? God puts a strong band about me, guiding me in a straight way. He makes my feet like roes' feet, and puts me on high places. He makes my hands expert in war, so that a bow of brass is bent by my arms. You have given me the breastplate of your salvation: your right hand has been my support, and your mercy has made me great. You have made my steps wide under me, so that my feet are kept from slipping. I go after my haters and overtake them; not turning back till they are all overcome. I will give them wounds, so that they are not able to get up: they are stretched under my feet. For I have been armed by you with strength for the fight: you have made low under me those who come out against me. By you their backs are turned in flight, so that my haters are cut off. They were crying out, but there was no one to come to their help: even to the Lord, but he gave them no answer. Then they were crushed as small as dust before the wind; they were drained out like the waste of the streets. You have made me free from the fightings of the people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants. From the time when my name comes to their ears they will be ruled by me: men of other countries will, with false hearts, put themselves under my authority. They will be wasting away, they will come out of their secret places shaking with fear. The Lord is living; praise be to my Rock, and let the God of my salvation be honoured. It is God who sends punishment on my haters, and puts peoples under my rule. He makes me free from my haters; I am lifted up over those who come up against me: you have made me free from the violent man. Because of this I will give you praise, O Lord, among the nations, and will make a song of praise to your name. Great salvation does he give to his king; he has mercy on the king of his selection, David, and on his seed for ever.
Who says of the Lord, He is my safe place and my tower of strength: he is my God, in whom is my hope.
No other is holy as the Lord, for there is no other God but you: there is no Rock like our God.
I will say to God my Rock, Why have you let me go from your memory? why do I go in sorrow because of the attacks of my haters?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 2 Samuel 22
Commentary on 2 Samuel 22 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 22
This chapter contains a song or psalm, the same with the eighteenth psalm, and which, according to Jarchi, was composed by David in his old age, and, as Kimchi says, at the end or close of his days; but Abarbinel is of opinion that it was written in his youthful time, in the midst of his troubles, and was sung by him as often as he had a deliverance from any; and which may account for the several variations in it from the eighteenth psalm, which, the same writer observes, are seventy four; and are not to be ascribed to the difference of copies, or neglect of copiers: and very probably, towards the close of his days, he revised it, and made it fit for general use, and sent it with the rest of his psalms to the chief musician; but the particular consideration of it, and of the differences in it from Psalm 18:1 are referred to the exposition of that book in its course.
And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul. See Gill on Psalm 18:1.
And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. See Gill on Psalm 18:2.
The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield,
and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour;
thou savest me from violence. See Gill on Psalm 18:2.
I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. See Gill on Psalm 18:3.
When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. See Gill on Psalm 18:4.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me. See Gill on Psalm 18:5.
In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God:
and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. See Gill on Psalm 18:6.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth. See Gill on Psalm 18:7.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. See Gill on Psalm 18:8.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. See Gill on Psalm 18:9.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. See Gill on Psalm 18:10.
And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters,
and thick clouds of the skies. See Gill on Psalm 18:11.
Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. See Gill on Psalm 18:12.
The Lord thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. See Gill on Psalm 18:13.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. See Gill on Psalm 18:14.
And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. See Gill on Psalm 18:15.
He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. See Gill on Psalm 18:16.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. See Gill on Psalm 18:17.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. See Gill on Psalm 18:18.
He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me,
because he delighted in me. See Gill on Psalm 18:19.
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. See Gill on Psalm 18:20.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. See Gill on Psalm 18:21.
For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. See Gill on Psalm 18:22.
I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. See Gill on Psalm 18:23.
Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight. See Gill on Psalm 18:24.
With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright. See Gill on Psalm 18:25.
With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavoury. See Gill on Psalm 18:26.
And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. See Gill on Psalm 18:27.
For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness. See Gill on Psalm 18:28.
For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. See Gill on Psalm 18:29.
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. See Gill on Psalm 18:30.
For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God? See Gill on Psalm 18:31.
God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. See Gill on Psalm 18:32.
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places. See Gill on Psalm 18:33.
He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. See Gill on Psalm 18:34.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. See Gill on Psalm 18:35.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip. See Gill on Psalm 18:36.
I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them. See Gill on Psalm 18:37.
And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet. See Gill on Psalm 18:38.
For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me. See Gill on Psalm 18:39.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. See Gill on Psalm 18:40.
They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. See Gill on Psalm 18:41.
Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad. See Gill on Psalm 18:42.
Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people,
thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me. See Gill on Psalm 18:43.
Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me. See Gill on Psalm 18:44.
Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places. See Gill on Psalm 18:45.
The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. See Gill on Psalm 18:46.
It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me. See Gill on Psalm 18:47.
And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. See Gill on Psalm 18:48.
Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. See Gill on Psalm 18:49.
He is the tower of salvation for his king: and showeth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore. See Gill on Psalm 18:50.