2 Samuel 22:9-19

9 A smoke went up from his nostrils, and a devouring fire out of his mouth: coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
11 And he rode upon the cherubims, and flew: and slid upon the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness a covering round about him: dropping waters out of the clouds of the heavens.
13 By the brightness before him, the coals of fire were kindled.
14 The Lord shall thunder from heaven: and the most high shall give forth his voice.
15 He shot arrows and scattered them: lightning, and consumed them.
16 And the overflowings of the sea appeared, and the foundations of the world were laid open at the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the spirit of his wrath.
17 He sent from on high, and took me, and drew me out of many waters.
18 He delivered me from my most mighty enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 He prevented me in the day of my affliction, and the Lord became my stay.

2 Samuel 22:9-19 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.

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