2 Samuel 22:5-15

5 "When the waves of death surrounded me, The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
6 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
7 In my distress I called upon the Lord, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry entered His ears.
8 "Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry.
9 Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet.
11 He rode upon a cherub, and flew; And He was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness canopies around Him, Dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
13 From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled.
14 "The Lord thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice.
15 He sent out arrows and scattered them; Lightning bolts, and He vanquished them.

2 Samuel 22:5-15 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 2

  • [a]. Following Masoretic Text, Septuagint, and Targum; Syriac and Vulgate read hills (compare Psalm 18:7).
  • [b]. Following Masoretic Text and Septuagint; many Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac, and Vulgate read He flew (compare Psalm 18:10); Targum reads He spoke with power.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.