2 Samuel 22:1-9

David's Song of Thanksgiving

1 David spoke the words of this song to the Lord on the day the Lord rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2 He said:^[a] The Lord is my rock, my fortress,^[b] and my deliverer,

3 my God, my mountain^[c] where I seek refuge. My shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold, my refuge, and my Savior, You save me from violence.

4 I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I was saved from my enemies.

5 For the waves of death engulfed me;^[d] the torrents of destruction terrified me.

6 The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.^[e]

7 I called to the Lord in my distress; I called to my God.^[f] From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help [reached] His ears.

8 Then the earth shook and quaked; the foundations of the heavens^[g] trembled; they shook because He burned with anger.^[h]

9 Smoke rose from His nostrils, and consuming fire [came] from His mouth; coals were set ablaze by it.^[i]

Read Chapter Compare

Images for 2 Samuel 22:1-9

2 Samuel 22:1-9 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Footnotes 9

[a]. Ps 18:2-50
[b]. Ps 31:3; 71:3
[c]. LXX; MT reads God of my mountain; Ps 18:2
[d]. Jnh 2:3
[e]. Ps 116:3
[f]. Ps 120:1
[g]. Some Hb mss, Syr, Vg read mountains; Ps 18:7
[h]. Jb 26:11
[i]. Or ablaze from Him