2 Samuel 22:26-36

26 With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless you show yourself blameless;

27 with the pure you show yourself pure, and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.

28 You deliver a humble people, but your eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down.

29 Indeed, you are my lamp, O Lord, the Lord lightens my darkness.

30 By you I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.

31 This God—his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

32 For who is God, but the Lord? And who is a rock, except our God?

33 The God who has girded me with strength has opened wide my path.

34 He made my feet like the feet of deer, and set me secure on the heights.

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

36 You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your help has made me great.

2 Samuel 22:26-36 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]. Q Ms Gk Syr Vg Compare Ps 18.32: MT [God is my strong refuge]
• [b]. Meaning of Heb uncertain
• [c]. Another reading is [his]
• [d]. Q Ms: MT [your answering]