2 Samuel 22:46-51

46 They all lose their courage and come trembling from their strongholds.
47 “The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!
48 He is the God who pays back those who harm me; he brings down the nations under me
49 and delivers me from my enemies. You hold me safe beyond the reach of my enemies; you save me from violent opponents.
50 For this, O LORD, I will praise you among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.
51 You give great victories to your king; you show unfailing love to your anointed, to David and all his descendants forever.”

2 Samuel 22:46-51 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 1

  • [a]. As in parallel text at Ps 18:45 ; Hebrew reads come girding themselves.
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