2 Samuel 22:4-14

4 I sing to God the Praise-Lofty, and find myself safe and saved.

5 The waves of death crashed over me, devil waters rushed over me.

6 Hell's ropes cinched me tight; death traps barred every exit.

7 A hostile world! I called to God, to my God I cried out. From his palace he heard me call; my cry brought me right into his presence - a private audience!

8 Earth wobbled and lurched; the very heavens shook like leaves, Quaked like aspen leaves because of his rage.

9 His nostrils flared, billowing smoke; his mouth spit fire. Tongues of fire darted in and out;

10 he lowered the sky. He stepped down; under his feet an abyss opened up.

11 He rode a winged creature, swift on wind-wings.

12 He wrapped himself in a trenchcoat of black rain-cloud darkness.

13 But his cloud-brightness burst through, a grand comet of fireworks.

14 Then God thundered out of heaven; the High God gave a great shout.

2 Samuel 22:4-14 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.