2 Samuel 22:8-18

8 Then the earth trembled and shook; the foundations of the sky rocked and quivered because God was angry!
9 Smoke poured out of his nostrils, a consuming flame and burning coals from his mouth.
10 He tore the sky open and came down, with a dark cloud under his feet.
11 He flew swiftly on his winged creature; he traveled on the wings of the wind.
12 He covered himself with darkness; thick clouds, full of water, surrounded him;
13 burning coals flamed up from the lightning before him.
14 Then the Lord thundered from the sky, and the voice of Almighty God was heard.
15 He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; with flashes of lightning he sent them running.
16 The floor of the ocean was laid bare, and the foundations of the earth were uncovered when the Lord rebuked his enemies and roared at them in anger.
17 The Lord reached down from above and took hold of me; he pulled me out of the deep waters.
18 He rescued me from my powerful enemies and from all those who hate me - they were too strong for me.

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 2

  • [a]. winged creature: [See Word List.]
  • [b]. [Some ancient translations (and see Ps 18.11)] full of; [Hebrew unclear.]
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.