2 Samuel 22:8-18

8 Then the earth shook, and quaked; The foundations of the heavens trembled And shook because he was wroth.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals burned forth from it.
10 And he bowed the heavens, and came down; And darkness was under his feet.
11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; And he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 And he made darkness round about him a tent, Gatherings of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13 From the brightness before him Burned forth coals of fire.
14 Jehovah thundered from the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; Lightning, and discomfited them.
16 And the beds of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At the rebuke of Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He reached forth from above, he took me, He drew me out of great waters;
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From them that hated me; For they were mightier than I.

2 Samuel 22:8-18 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 1

  • [a]. Lit. 'and scattered them.'
The Darby Translation is in the public domain.