2 Samuel 22:7-47

7 "In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I called. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry came to his ears.

8 "Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations of the heavens trembled and quaked, because he was angry.

9 Smoke went up from his nostrils, and devouring fire from his mouth; glowing coals flamed forth from him.

10 He bowed the heavens, and came down; thick darkness was under his feet.

11 He rode on a cherub, and flew; he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

12 He made darkness around him his canopy, thick clouds, a gathering of water.

13 Out of the brightness before him coals of fire flamed forth.

14 The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice.

15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and routed them.

16 Then the channels of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were laid bare, at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17 "He reached from on high, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.

19 They came upon me in the day of my calamity; but the LORD was my stay.

20 He brought me forth into a broad place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

21 "The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.

22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23 For all his ordinances were before me, and from his statutes I did not turn aside.

24 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt.

25 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in his sight.

26 "With the loyal thou dost show thyself loyal; with the blameless man thou dost show thyself blameless;

27 with the pure thou dost show thyself pure, and with the crooked thou dost show thyself perverse.

28 Thou dost deliver a humble people, but thy eyes are upon the haughty to bring them down.

29 Yea, thou art my lamp, O LORD, and my God lightens my darkness.

30 Yea, by thee 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 those who take refuge in him.

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

33 This God is my strong refuge, and has made my way safe.

34 He made my feet like hinds' feet, 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 Thou hast given me the shield of thy salvation, and thy help made me great.

37 Thou didst give a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip;

38 I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and did not turn back until they were consumed.

39 I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise; they fell under my feet.

40 For thou didst gird me with strength for the battle; thou didst make my assailants sink under me.

41 Thou didst make my enemies turn their backs to me, those who hated me, and I destroyed them.

42 They looked, but there was none to save; they cried to the LORD, but he did not answer them.

43 I beat them fine as the dust of the earth, I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.

44 "Thou didst deliver me from strife with the peoples; thou didst keep me as the head of the nations; people whom I had not known served me.

45 Foreigners came cringing to me; as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.

46 Foreigners lost heart, and came trembling out of their fastnesses.

47 "The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,

2 Samuel 22:7-47 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.