Psalms 18:47

47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me;

Psalms 18:47 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 18:47

[It is] God that avengeth me
Or "gives vengeance unto me", or "for me" F20: vengeance only belongs to God, and he repays it for and in behalf of his people. Private revenge is not to be exercised by any; public vengeance on delinquents may be exercised by the civil magistrate, to whom God gives power and authority to exercise it, ( Romans 13:4 ) ; as he did to David, as king of Israel; though the phrase rather seems to design the victories which he obtained over his enemies, which were punishments to them, vengeances inflicted on them; and owing to God; so the acceptable year of the Messiah's coming, and the time of his people redeemed by him, is called the day of vengeance of our God, both on his and their enemies, ( Isaiah 61:2 ) ( 63:4 ) ;

and subdueth the people under me;
the Edomites, Moabites, and others, as in ( 2 Samuel 8:1 2 Samuel 8:2 2 Samuel 8:5 2 Samuel 8:14 ) , or the Gentiles under Christ; (See Gill on Psalms 18:39);


FOOTNOTES:

F20 (yl twmqn Ntwnh) "qui dat ultiones mihi", Pagninus, Gejerus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Musculus, Cocceius, Michaelis.

Psalms 18:47 In-Context

45 Foreigners lost heart, and came trembling out of their fastnesses.
46 The LORD lives; and blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me;
48 who delivered me from my enemies; yea, thou didst exalt me above my adversaries; thou didst deliver me from men of violence.
49 For this I will extol thee, O LORD, among the nations, and sing praises to thy name.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.