2 Samuel 22:20-30

20 He helped me out of danger; he saved me because he was pleased with me.

21 The Lord rewards me because I do what is right; he blesses me because I am innocent.

22 I have obeyed the law of the Lord; I have not turned away from my God.

23 I have observed all his laws; I have not disobeyed his commands.

24 He knows that I am faultless, that I have kept myself from doing wrong.

25 And so he rewards me because I do what is right, because he knows that I am innocent.

26 O Lord, you are faithful to those who are faithful to you, and completely good to those who are perfect.

27 You are pure to those who are pure, but hostile to those who are wicked.

28 You save those who are humble, but you humble those who are proud.

29 You, Lord, are my light; you dispel my darkness.

30 You give me strength to attack my enemies and power to overcome their defenses.

2 Samuel 22:20-30 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

• [a]. [Probable text (see Ps 18.25)] those; [Hebrew] the strong.