18 They prevented H6923 me in the day H3117 of my calamity: H343 but the LORD H3068 was my stay. H4937
To me belongeth vengeance, H5359 and recompence; H8005 their foot H7272 shall slide H4131 in due time: H6256 for the day H3117 of their calamity H343 is at hand, H7138 and the things that shall come H6264 upon them make haste. H2363
And David H1732 was greatly H3966 distressed; H3334 for the people H5971 spake H559 of stoning H5619 him, because the soul H5315 of all the people H5971 was grieved, H4843 every man H376 for his sons H1121 and for his daughters: H1323 but David H1732 encouraged H2388 himself in the LORD H3068 his God. H430
[[To the chief Musician H5329 for the sons H1121 of Korah, H7141 A Song H7892 upon Alamoth.]] H5961 God H430 is our refuge H4268 and strength, H5797 a very H3966 present H4672 help H5833 in trouble. H6869 Therefore will not we fear, H3372 though the earth H776 be removed, H4171 and though the mountains H2022 be carried H4131 into the midst H3820 of the sea; H3220
I will scatter H6327 them as with an east H6921 wind H7307 before H6440 the enemy; H341 I will shew H7200 them the back, H6203 and not the face, H6440 in the day H3117 of their calamity. H343
For thy violence H2555 against thy brother H251 Jacob H3290 shame H955 shall cover H3680 thee, and thou shalt be cut off H3772 for ever. H5769 In the day H3117 that thou stoodest H5975 on the other side, in the day H3117 that the strangers H2114 carried away captive H7617 his forces, H2428 and foreigners H5237 entered H935 into his gates, H8179 and cast H3032 lots H1486 upon Jerusalem, H3389 even thou wast as one H259 of them. But thou shouldest not have looked H7200 on the day H3117 of thy brother H251 in the day H3117 that he became a stranger; H5235 neither shouldest thou have rejoiced H8055 over the children H1121 of Judah H3063 in the day H3117 of their destruction; H6 neither shouldest thou have spoken H6310 proudly H1431 in the day H3117 of distress. H6869 Thou shouldest not have entered H935 into the gate H8179 of my people H5971 in the day H3117 of their calamity; H343 yea, thou shouldest not have looked H7200 on their affliction H7451 in the day H3117 of their calamity, H343 nor have laid H7971 hands on their substance H2428 in the day H3117 of their calamity; H343 Neither shouldest thou have stood H5975 in the crossway, H6563 to cut off H3772 those of his that did escape; H6412 neither shouldest thou have delivered up H5462 those of his that did remain H8300 in the day H3117 of distress. H6869
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 18
Commentary on Psalms 18 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 18
This psalm we met with before, in the history of David's life, 2 Sa. 22. That was the first edition of it; here we have it revived, altered a little, and fitted for the service of the church. It is David's thanksgiving for the many deliverances God had wrought for him; these he desired always to preserve fresh in his own memory and to diffuse and entail the knowledge of them. It is an admirable composition. The poetry is very fine, the images are bold, the expressions lofty, and every word is proper and significant; but the piety far exceeds the poetry. Holy faith, and love, and joy, and praise, and hope, are here lively, active, and upon the wing.
To the chief musician, A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies.
Psa 18:1-19
The title gives us the occasion of penning this psalm; we had it before (2 Sa. 22:1), only here we are told that the psalm was delivered to the chief musician, or precentor, in the temple-songs. Note, The private compositions of good men, designed by them for their own use, may be serviceable to the public, that others may not only borrow light from their candle, but heat from their fire. Examples sometimes teach better than rules. And David is here called the servant of the Lord, as Moses was, not only as every good man is God's servant, but because, with his sceptre, with his sword, and with his pen, he greatly promoted the interests of God's kingdom in Israel. It was more his honour that he was a servant of the Lord than that he was king of a great kingdom; and so he himself accounted it (Ps. 116:16): O Lord! truly I am thy servant. In these verses,
In singing this we must triumph in God, and trust in him: and we may apply it to Christ the Son of David. The sorrows of death surrounded him; in his distress he prayed (Heb. 5:7); God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave, and brought him out, in his resurrection, into a large place, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.
Psa 18:20-28
Here,
Let those that walk in darkness, and labour under many discouragements in singing these verses, encourage themselves that God himself will be a light to them.
Psa 18:29-50
In these verses,
In singing these verses we must give God the glory of the victories of Christ and his church hitherto and of all the deliverances and advancements of the gospel kingdom, and encourage ourselves and one another with an assurance that the church militant will be shortly triumphant, will be eternally so.