1 David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
2 and he said, Yahweh is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;
3 God, my rock, in him will I take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; My savior, you save me from violence.
4 I will call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from my enemies.
5 For the waves of death compassed me; The floods of ungodliness made me afraid:
6 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came on me.
7 In my distress I called on Yahweh; Yes, I called to my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, My cry [came] into his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and trembled, The foundations of heaven quaked Were shaken, because he was angry.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, Fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; Thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode on a cherub, and did fly; Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness pavilions round about him, Gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13 At the brightness before him Coals of fire were kindled.
14 Yahweh thundered from heaven, The Most High uttered his voice.
15 He sent out arrows, and scattered them; Lightning, and confused them.
16 Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare, By the rebuke of Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters;
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
19 They came on me in the day of my calamity; But Yahweh was my stay.
20 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands has he recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his ordinances were before me; As for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also perfect toward him; I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 Therefore has Yahweh recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful; With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect;
27 With the pure you will show yourself pure; With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
28 The afflicted people you will save; But your eyes are on the haughty, that you may bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, Yahweh; Yahweh will lighten my darkness.
30 For by you I run on a troop; By my God do I leap over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Yahweh is tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God, save Yahweh? Who is a rock, save our God?
33 God is my strong fortress; He guides the perfect in his way.
34 He makes his feet like hinds' [feet], Sets me on my high places.
35 He teaches my hands to war, So that my arms do bend a bow of brass.
36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You have enlarged my steps under me; My feet have not slipped.
38 I have pursued my enemies, and destroyed them; Neither did I turn again until they were consumed.
39 I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can't arise: Yes, they are fallen under my feet.
40 For you have girded me with strength to the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, That I might cut off those who hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; Even to Yahweh, but he didn't answer them.
43 Then did I beat them small as the dust of the earth, I did crush them as the mire of the streets, and did spread them abroad.
44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people; You have kept me to be the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
45 The foreigners shall submit themselves to me: As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me.
46 The foreigners shall fade away, Shall come trembling out of their close places.
47 Yahweh lives; Blessed be my rock; Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48 Even the God who executes vengeance for me, Who brings down peoples under me,
49 Who brings me forth from my enemies: Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me; You deliver me from the violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations, Will sing praises to your name.
51 Great deliverance gives he to his king, Shows loving kindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, forevermore.
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.