Psaume 18

1 Au chef des chantres. Du serviteur de l'Eternel, de David, qui adressa à l'Eternel les paroles de ce cantique, lorsque l'Eternel l'eut délivré de la main de tous ses ennemis et de la main de Saül. Il dit: Je t'aime, ô Eternel, ma force!

2 Eternel, mon rocher, ma forteresse, mon libérateur! Mon Dieu, mon rocher, où je trouve un abri! Mon bouclier, la force qui me sauve, ma haute retraite!

3 Je m'écrie: Loué soit l'Eternel! Et je suis délivré de mes ennemis.

4 Les liens de la mort m'avaient environné, Et les torrents de la destruction m'avaient épouvanté;

5 Les liens du sépulcre m'avaient entouré, Les filets de la mort m'avaient surpris.

6 Dans ma détresse, j'ai invoqué l'Eternel, J'ai crié à mon Dieu; De son palais, il a entendu ma voix, Et mon cri est parvenu devant lui à ses oreilles.

7 La terre fut ébranlée et trembla, Les fondements des montagnes frémirent, Et ils furent ébranlés, parce qu'il était irrité.

8 Il s'élevait de la fumée dans ses narines, Et un feu dévorant sortait de sa bouche: Il en jaillissait des charbons embrasés.

9 Il abaissa les cieux, et il descendit: Il y avait une épaisse nuée sous ses pieds.

10 Il était monté sur un chérubin, et il volait, Il planait sur les ailes du vent.

11 Il faisait des ténèbres sa retraite, sa tente autour de lui, Il était enveloppé des eaux obscures et de sombres nuages.

12 De la splendeur qui le précédait s'échappaient les nuées, Lançant de la grêle et des charbons de feu.

13 L'Eternel tonna dans les cieux, Le Très-Haut fit retentir sa voix, Avec la grêle et les charbons de feu.

14 Il lança ses flèches et dispersa mes ennemis, Il multiplia les coups de la foudre et les mit en déroute.

15 Le lit des eaux apparut, Les fondements du monde furent découverts, Par ta menace, ô Eternel! Par le bruit du souffle de tes narines.

16 Il étendit sa main d'en haut, il me saisit, Il me retira des grandes eaux;

17 Il me délivra de mon adversaire puissant, De mes ennemis qui étaient plus forts que moi.

18 Ils m'avaient surpris au jour de ma détresse; Mais l'Eternel fut mon appui.

19 Il m'a mis au large, Il m'a sauvé, parce qu'il m'aime.

20 L'Eternel m'a traité selon ma droiture, Il m'a rendu selon la pureté de mes mains;

21 Car j'ai observé les voies de l'Eternel, Et je n'ai point été coupable envers mon Dieu.

22 Toutes ses ordonnances ont été devant moi, Et je ne me suis point écarté de ses lois.

23 J'ai été sans reproche envers lui, Et je me suis tenu en garde contre mon iniquité.

24 Aussi l'Eternel m'a rendu selon ma droiture, Selon la pureté de mes mains devant ses yeux.

25 Avec celui qui est bon tu te montres bon, Avec l'homme droit tu agis selon la droiture,

26 Avec celui qui est pur tu te montres pur, Et avec le pervers tu agis selon sa perversité.

27 Tu sauves le peuple qui s'humilie, Et tu abaisses les regards hautains.

28 Oui, tu fais briller ma lumière; L'Eternel, mon Dieu, éclaire mes ténèbres.

29 Avec toi je me précipite sur une troupe en armes, Avec mon Dieu je franchis une muraille.

30 Les voies de Dieu sont parfaites, La parole de l'Eternel est éprouvée; Il est un bouclier pour tous ceux qui se confient en lui.

31 Car qui est Dieu, si ce n'est l'Eternel; Et qui est un rocher, si ce n'est notre Dieu?

32 C'est Dieu qui me ceint de force, Et qui me conduit dans la voie droite.

33 Il rend mes pieds semblables à ceux des biches, Et il me place sur mes lieux élevés.

34 Il exerce mes mains au combat, Et mes bras tendent l'arc d'airain.

35 Tu me donnes le bouclier de ton salut, Ta droite me soutient, Et je deviens grand par ta bonté.

36 Tu élargis le chemin sous mes pas, Et mes pieds ne chancellent point.

37 Je poursuis mes ennemis, je les atteins, Et je ne reviens pas avant de les avoir anéantis.

38 Je les brise, et ils ne peuvent se relever; Ils tombent sous mes pieds.

39 Tu me ceins de force pour le combat, Tu fais plier sous moi mes adversaires.

40 Tu fais tourner le dos à mes ennemis devant moi, Et j'extermine ceux qui me haïssent.

41 Ils crient, et personne pour les sauver! Ils crient à l'Eternel, et il ne leur répond pas!

42 Je les broie comme la poussière qu'emporte le vent, Je les foule comme la boue des rues.

43 Tu me délivres des dissensions du peuple; Tu me mets à la tête des nations; Un peuple que je ne connaissais pas m'est asservi.

44 Ils m'obéissent au premier ordre, Les fils de l'étranger me flattent;

45 Les fils de l'étranger sont en défaillance, Ils tremblent hors de leurs forteresses.

46 Vive l'Eternel, et béni soit mon rocher! Que le Dieu de mon salut soit exalté,

47 Le Dieu qui est mon vengeur, Qui m'assujettit les peuples,

48 Qui me délivre de mes ennemis! Tu m'élèves au-dessus de mes adversaires, Tu me sauves de l'homme violent.

49 C'est pourquoi je te louerai parmi les nations, ô Eternel! Et je chanterai à la gloire de ton nom.

50 Il accorde de grandes délivrances à son roi, Et il fait miséricorde à son oint, A David, et à sa postérité, pour toujours.

Psaume 18 Commentary

Chapter 18

David rejoices in the deliverances God wrought for him. (1-19) He takes the comfort of his integrity, which God had cleared up. (20-28) He gives to God the glory of all his mighty deeds. (29-50)

Verses 1-19 The first words, "I will love thee, O Lord, my strength," are the scope and contents of the psalm. Those that truly love God, may triumph in him as their Rock and Refuge, and may with confidence call upon him. It is good for us to observe all the circumstances of a mercy which magnify the power of God and his goodness to us in it. David was a praying man, and God was found a prayer-hearing God. If we pray as he did, we shall speed as he did. God's manifestation of his presence is very fully described, ver. ( 7-15 ) . Little appeared of man, but much of God, in these deliverances. It is not possible to apply to the history of the son of Jesse those awful, majestic, and stupendous words which are used through this description of the Divine manifestation. Every part of so solemn a scene of terrors tells us, a greater than David is here. God will not only deliver his people out of their troubles in due time, but he will bear them up under their troubles in the mean time. Can we meditate on ver. 18, without directing one thought to Gethsemane and Calvary? Can we forget that it was in the hour of Christ's deepest calamity, when Judas betrayed, when his friends forsook, when the multitude derided him, and the smiles of his Father's love were withheld, that the powers of darkness prevented him? The sorrows of death surrounded him, in his distress he prayed, ( Hebrews 5:7 ) . God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave, and brought him out, in his resurrection, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.

Verses 20-28 Those that forsake the ways of the Lord, depart from their God. But though conscious to ourselves of many a false step, let there not be a wicked departure from our God. David kept his eye upon the rule of God's commands. Constant care to keep from that sin, whatever it be, which most easily besets us, proves that we are upright before God. Those who show mercy to others, even they need mercy. Those who are faithful to God, shall find him all that to them which he has promised to be. The words of the Lord are pure words, very sure to be depended on, and very sweet to be delighted in. Those who resist God, and walk contrary to him, shall find that he will walk contrary to them, ( Leviticus 26:21-24 ) . The gracious recompence of which David spoke, may generally be expected by those who act from right motives. Hence he speaks comfort to the humble, and terror to the proud; "Thou wilt bring down high looks." And he speaks encouragement to himself; "Thou wilt light my candle:" thou wilt revive and comfort my sorrowful spirit; thou wilt guide my way, that I may avoid the snares laid for me. Thou wilt light my candle to work by, and give me an opportunity of serving thee. Let those that walk in darkness, and labour under discouragements, take courage; God himself will be a Light to them.

Verses 29-50 When we praise for one mercy, we must observe the many more, with which we have been compassed all our days. Many things had contributed to David's advancement, and he owns the hand of God in them all, to teach us to do likewise. In verse Verse 32 , and the following verses, are the gifts of God to the spiritual warrior, whereby he is prepared for the contest, after the example of his victorious Leader. Learn that we must seek release being made through Christ, shall be rejected. In David the type, we behold out of trouble through Christ. The prayer put up, without reconciliation Jesus our Redeemer, conflicting with enemies, compassed with sorrows and with floods of ungodly men, enduring not only the pains of death, but the wrath of God for us; yet calling upon the Father with strong cries and tears; rescued from the grave; proceeding to reconcile, or to put under his feet all other enemies, till death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. We should love the Lord, our Strength, and our Salvation; we should call on him in every trouble, and praise him for every deliverance; we should aim to walk with him in all righteousness and true holiness, keeping from sin. If we belong to him, he conquers and reigns for us, and we shall conquer and reign through him, and partake of the mercy of our anointed King, which is promised to all his seed for evermore. Amen.

Chapter Summary

To the chief Musician, [a Psalm] of David. This is the same with that in 2 Samuel 22:1, with some variations, omissions, and alterations:

the servant of the Lord; not only by creation, nor merely by regeneration, but by office, as king of Israel, being put into it by the Lord, and acting in it in submission and obedience to him; just as the apostles under the New Testament, on account of their office, so style themselves in their epistles:

who spake unto the Lord the words of this song; that is, who delivered and sung this song in so many express words, in public, before all the congregation of Israel, to the honour and glory of God:

in the day [that] the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, Not that this psalm was composed and sung the selfsame day that David was delivered from Saul, and set upon the throne; for it seems to have been written in his old age, at the close of his days; for immediately after it, in the second book of Samuel, it follows, "now these be the last words of David," 2 Samuel 23:1: but the sense is, that whereas David had many enemies, and particularly Saul, who was his greatest enemy, the Lord delivered him from them all, and especially from him, from him first, and then from all the rest; which when he reflected upon in his last days, he sat down and wrote this psalm, and then sung it in public, having delivered it into the hands of the chief musician for that purpose. There are two passages cited out of it in the New Testament, and applied to Christ; Psalm 18:2, in Hebrews 2:13, and Psalm 18:49 in Romans 15:9; and there are many things in it that very well agree with him; he is eminently the "servant" of the Lord as Mediator; he was encompassed with the snares and sorrows of death and hell, and with the floods of ungodly men, when in the garden and on the cross God was his helper and deliverer, as man; and he was victorious over all enemies, sin, Satan, the world, death and hell; as the subject of this psalm is all along represented: and to Christ it does most properly belong to be the head of the Heathen, whose voluntary subjects the Gentiles are said to be, Psalm 18:43; and which is expressed in much the same language as the like things are in Isaiah 55:4; which is a clear and undoubted prophecy of the Messiah; to which may be added, that the Lord's Anointed, the King Messiah, and who is also called David, is expressly mentioned in Psalm 18:50; and which is applied to the Messiah by the Jews {q} as Psalm 18:32 is paraphrased of him by the Targum on it;

and he said; the following words:

{q} Echa Rabbati, fol. 50. 2. & Midrash Tillim in Tzeror Hammor, fol. 47. 3.