2 Samuel 22:10-20

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.
15 God shot his arrows - pandemonium! He hurled his lightnings - a rout!
16 The secret sources of ocean were exposed, the hidden depths of earth lay uncovered The moment God roared in protest, let loose his hurricane anger.
17 But me he caught - reached all the way from sky to sea; he pulled me out
18 Of that ocean of hate, that enemy chaos, the void in which I was drowning.
19 They hit me when I was down, but God stuck by me.
20 He stood me up on a wide-open field; I stood there saved - surprised to be loved!

2 Samuel 22:10-20 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.

Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.