2 Samuel 22

The Victory Song of David

1 Then David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song, on the day Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.

2 And he said: "Yahweh [is] my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer.

3 I take refuge in God, my rock, my shield, and the {strength} of my salvation. My stronghold and my refuge, O my savior, you will save me from violence!

4 I call [upon] Yahweh who is praiseworthy, and I [am] saved from those who hate me.

5 For the breaker waves of death engulfed me; the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.

6 The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.

7 In my distress I called [upon] Yahweh, and to my God I called. He heard my voice from his temple, and my cry for help [was] to his ears.

8 The earth heaved and shook, the foundations of heaven trembled and heaved because {he was angry}.

9 Smoke went up from his nostrils and fire from his mouth. Burning coals devoured, they burned from him.

10 He bowed the heavens and came down; a very thick cloud [was] under his feet.

11 He rode upon a cherub and flew; he was seen on the wings of the wind.

12 He put darkness [as] a canopy all around him, a collection of {thick rain clouds}.

13 From the brightness before him flamed burning coals of fire.

14 Yahweh thundered from heaven, and the Most High {uttered his voice}.

15 He sent arrows and he scattered them, lightning, and he directed them.

16 Then the channels of water of the sea were exposed, the foundations of the world, at the rebuke of Yawheh, from the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17 He sent from a high position [and] took me; he drew me from mighty waters.

18 He delivered me from my strong enemies, from those who hate me, for they [were] mightier than I.

19 They approached me on the day of my disaster, but Yahweh [was] my support.

20 He brought me out to a spacious place. He delivered me because he delighted in me.

21 Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

22 For I have kept the ways of Yahweh; I have not acted wickedly against my God.

23 For all of his ordinances [were] before me, and I did not turn aside from his statutes.

24 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.

25 Yahweh has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before his eyes.

26 With the loyal, you act as loyal, and with the blameless, you show yourself blameless.

27 With the pure, you show yourself pure, but with the crooked, you appear as a fool.

28 Humble people you will deliver, but your eyes [are] on the haughty, [whom] you bring down.

29 For you, O Yahweh [are] my lamp, and Yahweh lightens my darkness.

30 For by you I can run a raid; by my God I can leap over a wall.

31 This God, his way [is] blameless; the promise of Yahweh [is] flawless. He [is] a shield to all who take refuge in him.

32 For who [is] God apart from Yahweh? And who [is] a rock apart from our God?

33 God [is] my strong refuge, he has fully opened my way.

34 He makes my feet like a doe deer, and on my high places he has set me.

35 He trains my hands for the war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36 You have given me the shield of your salvation; your willingness to help has made me great.

37 You have broadened my steps beneath me; my ankles have not wobbled.

38 I pursued those who hate me, and I destroyed them. I did not turn back until finishing them.

39 I wiped them out and I smashed them; they did not get up; they fell under my feet.

40 You have girded me with physical strength for the battle; you caused those who rose up against me to kneel under me.

41 {My enemies you cause to retreat from me}; I destroy those who hate me.

42 They looked out, but there was no deliverer, [even] to Yahweh, but he did not answer them.

43 I beat them fine, like the dust of the earth; like the mire of the streets, I crushed them, I stamped them down.

44 You delivered me from the strife of my people; you preserved me as the head of the nations. A people I had not known served me.

45 Children of a foreign land came cringing to me; {when they heard of me}, they became obedient to me.

46 Children of a foreign land lost heart and came trembling from their strongholds.

47 Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! May God, the rock of my salvation, be exalted!

48 God does vengeance for me, bringing down peoples under me.

49 He brings me out from my enemies, and from those who rose up against me you lift me up, and from men of violence you rescue me.

50 Therefore I will extol you, Yahweh, among the nations! I will sing praises to your name!

51 He makes great salvation [for] his king and shows loyal love to his anointed one, David and to his descendants forever."

2 Samuel 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

David's psalm of thanksgiving.

- This chapter is a psalm of praise; we find it afterwards nearly as ( Psalms 18 ) . They that trust God in the way of duty, shall find him a present help in their greatest dangers: David did so. Remarkable preservations should be particularly mentioned in our praises. We shall never be delivered from all enemies till we ( 2 Timothy. 4:18 ) Those who receive signal mercies from God, ought to give him the glory. In the day that God delivered David, he sang this song. While the mercy is fresh, and we are most affected with it, let the thank-offering be brought, to be kindled with the fire of that affection. All his joys and hopes close, as all our hopes should do, in the great Redeemer.

Footnotes

• [a]. This same song is recorded in Psa 18, with minor differences
• [b]. So many LXX mss, Targum, Vulgate, and Psa 18:3. MT has "the God of my rock"
• [c]. Literally "horn"
• [d]. Literally "it was hot for him"
• [e]. Literally "clouds of thick clouds"
• [f]. Literally "gave his voice"
• [g]. Thus Qere; Kethib has "his way"
• [h]. Thus Qere; Kethib has "his feet"
• [i]. Literally "Those who hate me you give to me back"
• [j]. Literally "at the hearing of an ear"

Chapter Summary

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.