2 Samuel 22:12-22

12 He surrounded himself with darkness. He made the dark rain clouds his covering.

13 Out of the brightness in front of him, he made lightning.

14 The LORD thundered from heaven. The Most High made his voice heard.

15 He shot arrows and scattered them. He flashed streaks of lightning and threw them into confusion.

16 Then the ocean floor could be seen. The foundations of the earth were laid bare at the LORD's stern warning, at the blast of the breath from his nostrils.

17 He reached down from high above and took hold of me. He pulled me out of the raging water.

18 He rescued me from my strong enemy and from those who hated me, because they were too strong for me.

19 On the day when I faced disaster, they confronted me, but the LORD became my defense.

20 He brought me out to a wide-open place. He rescued me because he was pleased with me.

21 The LORD rewarded me because of my righteousness, because my hands are clean. He paid me back

22 because I have kept the ways of the LORD and I have not wickedly turned away from my God,

2 Samuel 22:12-22 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.