2 Samuel 22

1 David spoke to the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Sha'ul:
2 and he said, The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;
3 God, my rock, in him will I take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge; My savior, you save me from violence.
4 I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from my enemies.
5 For the waves of death compassed me; The floods of ungodliness made me afraid:
6 The cords of She'ol were round about me; The snares of death came on me.
7 In my distress I called on the LORD; Yes, I called to my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, My cry [came] into his ears.
8 Then the eretz shook and trembled, The foundations of heaven quaked Were shaken, because he was angry.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, Fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; Thick darkness was under his feet.
11 He rode on a Keruv, and did fly; Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12 He made darkness pavilions round about him, Gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
13 At the brightness before him Coals of fire were kindled.
14 The LORD thundered from heaven, The Elyon uttered his voice.
15 He sent out arrows, and scattered them; Lightning, and confused them.
16 Then the channels of the sea appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare, By the rebuke of the LORD, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17 He sent 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 on me in the day of my calamity; But the LORD was my stay.
20 He brought me forth also into a large 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 has 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; As for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also perfect toward him; I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 Therefore has the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
26 With the merciful you will show yourself merciful; With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect;
27 With the pure you will show yourself pure; With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
28 The afflicted people you will save; But your eyes are on the haughty, that you may bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, LORD; The LORD will lighten my darkness.
30 For by you I run on a troop; By my God do I leap over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of the LORD is tried; He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God, save the LORD? Who is a rock, save our God?
33 God is my strong fortress; He guides the perfect in his way.
34 He makes his feet like hinds' [feet], Sets me on my high places.
35 He teaches my hands to war, So that my arms do bend a bow of brass.
36 You have also given me the shield of your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You have enlarged my steps under me; My feet have not slipped.
38 I have pursued my enemies, and destroyed them; Neither did I turn again until they were consumed.
39 I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can't arise: Yes, they are fallen under my feet.
40 For you have girded me with strength to the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41 You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, That I might cut off those who hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; Even to the LORD, but he didn't answer them.
43 Then did I beat them small as the dust of the eretz, I did crush them as the mire of the streets, and did spread them abroad.
44 You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people; You have kept me to be the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
45 The foreigners shall submit themselves to me: As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me.
46 The foreigners shall fade away, Shall come trembling out of their close places.
47 The LORD lives; Blessed be my rock; Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48 Even the God who executes vengeance for me, Who brings down peoples under me,
49 Who brings me forth from my enemies: Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me; You deliver me from the violent man.
50 Therefore I will give thanks to you, LORD, among the nations, Will sing praises to your name.
51 Great deliverance gives he to his king, Shows lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, forevermore.

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2 Samuel 22 Commentary

Chapter 22

David's psalm of thanksgiving.

- This chapter is a psalm of praise; we find it afterwards nearly as ( Psalms 18 ) . They that trust God in the way of duty, shall find him a present help in their greatest dangers: David did so. Remarkable preservations should be particularly mentioned in our praises. We shall never be delivered from all enemies till we ( 2 Timothy. 4:18 ) Those who receive signal mercies from God, ought to give him the glory. In the day that God delivered David, he sang this song. While the mercy is fresh, and we are most affected with it, let the thank-offering be brought, to be kindled with the fire of that affection. All his joys and hopes close, as all our hopes should do, in the great Redeemer.

Chapter Summary

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.

2 Samuel 22 Commentaries

The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.