1 And David speaketh to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,
2 and he saith: `Jehovah `is' my rock, And my bulwark, and a deliverer to me,
3 My God `is' my rock -- I take refuge in Him; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge! My Saviour, from violence Thou savest me!
4 The Praised One, I call Jehovah: And from mine enemies I am saved.
5 When the breakers of death compassed me, The streams of the worthless terrify me,
6 The cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been the snares of death.
7 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I call, And He heareth from His temple my voice, And my cry `is' in His ears,
8 And shake and tremble doth the earth, Foundations of the heavens are troubled, And are shaken, for He hath wrath!
9 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils. And fire from His mouth devoureth, Brands have been kindled by it.
10 And He inclineth heaven, and cometh down, And thick darkness `is' under His feet.
11 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And is seen on the wings of the wind.
12 And He setteth darkness Round about Him -- tabernacles, Darkness of waters -- thick clouds of the skies.
13 From the brightness before Him Were brands of fire kindled!
14 Thunder from the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice.
15 And He sendeth forth arrows, And scattereth them; Lightning, and troubleth them;
16 And seen are the streams of the sea, Revealed are foundations of the world, By the rebuke of Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of His anger.
17 He sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
18 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, From those hating me, For they were stronger than I.
19 They are before me in a day of my calamity, And Jehovah is my support,
20 And He bringeth me out to a large place, He draweth me out for He delighted in me.
21 Jehovah recompenseth me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.
22 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.
23 For all His judgments `are' before me, As to His statutes, I turn not from them.
24 And I am perfect before Him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
25 And Jehovah returneth to me, According to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes.
26 With the kind Thou shewest Thyself kind, With the perfect man Thou shewest Thyself perfect,
27 With the pure Thou shewest Thyself pure, And with the perverse Thou shewest Thyself a wrestler.
28 And the poor people Thou dost save, And Thine eyes on the high causest to fall.
29 For Thou `art' my lamp, O Jehovah, And Jehovah doth lighten my darkness.
30 For by Thee I run -- a troop, By my God I leap a wall.
31 God! Perfect `is' His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield He `is' to all those trusting in Him.
32 For who is God save Jehovah? And who a Rock save our God?
33 God -- my bulwark, `my' strength, And He maketh perfect my way;
34 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand,
35 Teaching my hands for battle, And brought down was a bow of brass by mine arms,
36 And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.
37 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
38 I pursue mine enemies and destroy them, And I turn not till they are consumed.
39 And I consume them, and smite them, And they rise not, and fall under my feet.
40 And Thou girdest me `with' strength for battle, Thou causest my withstanders to bow under me.
41 And mine enemies -- Thou givest to me the neck, Those hating me -- and I cut them off.
42 They look, and there is no saviour; Unto Jehovah, and He hath not answered them.
43 And I beat them as dust of the earth, As mire of the streets I beat them small -- I spread them out!
44 And -- Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of my people, Thou placest me for a head of nations; A people I have not known do serve me.
45 Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me, At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me.
46 Sons of a stranger fade away, And gird themselves by their close places.
47 Jehovah liveth, and blessed `is' my Rock, And exalted is my God -- The Rock of my salvation.
48 God -- who is giving vengeance to me, And bringing down peoples under me,
49 And bringing me forth from mine enemies, Yea, above my withstanders Thou raisest me up. From a man of violence Thou deliverest me.
50 Therefore I confess Thee, O Jehovah, among nations. And to Thy name I sing praise.
51 Magnifying the salvations of His king, And doing loving-kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed -- unto the age!'
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.