2 Samuel 22:7-17

7 I called on the LORD in my distress. I called to my God for help. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help reached his ears.
8 Then the earth shook and quaked. Even the foundations of the heavens trembled. They shook violently because he was angry.
9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and a raging fire came out of his mouth. Glowing coals flared up from it.
10 He spread apart the heavens and came down with a dark cloud under his feet.
11 He rode on one of the angels as he flew, and he soared on the wings of the wind.
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.

2 Samuel 22:7-17 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.

GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.