2 Samuel 22:31-51

31 As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
32 "For who is God, except the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?
33 God is my strength and power, And He makes my way perfect.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer, And sets me on my high places.
35 He teaches my hands to make war, So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 "You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You enlarged my path under me; So my feet did not slip.
38 "I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
39 And I have destroyed them and wounded them, So that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet.
40 For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me.
41 You have also given me the necks of my enemies, So that I destroyed those who hated me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
43 Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I trod them like dirt in the streets, And I spread them out.
44 "You have also delivered me from the strivings of my people; You have kept me as the head of the nations. A people I have not known shall serve me.
45 The foreigners submit to me; As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 The foreigners fade away, And come frightened from their hideouts.
47 "The Lord lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let God be exalted, The Rock of my salvation!
48 It is God who avenges me, And subdues the peoples under me;
49 He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name.
51 "He is the tower of salvation to His king, And shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore."

2 Samuel 22:31-51 Meaning and Commentary

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 Ps 18:1-50 are referred to the exposition of that book in its course.

Footnotes 4

  • [a]. Dead Sea Scrolls, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read It is God who arms me with strength (compare Psalm 18:32); Targum reads It is God who sustains me with strength.
  • [b]. Following Qere, Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate (compare Psalm 18:32); Kethib reads His.
  • [c]. Following Qere, Septuagint, Syriac, Targum, and Vulgate (compare Psalm 18:33); Kethib reads His.
  • [d]. Following Septuagint, Targum, and Vulgate (compare Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text reads gird themselves.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.