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Psalms 18

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Invocation and Declaration of Trust 1–3

1
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. ​
2
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. ​
3
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

The Depth of Distress 4–6

4
The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. ​
5
The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6
In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. ​

The Lord’s Cosmic Intervention 7–19

7
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. ​
8
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9
He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. ​
10
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11
He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12
At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13
The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14
Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15
Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. ​
16
He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
18
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay.
19
He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. ​

God Vindicates the Righteous 20–30

20
The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. ​
21
For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22
For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me.
23
I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24
Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight. ​
25
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright; ​
26
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself froward.
27
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.
28
For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. ​
29
For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.
30
As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. ​

God Equips for Victory 31–45

31
For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?
32
It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.
33
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. ​
34
He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.
35
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. ​
36
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.
37
I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.
38
I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.
39
For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.
41
They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not.
42
Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.
43
Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. ​
44
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.
45
The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

Doxology and Eternal Covenant 46–50

46
The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47
It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.
48
He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.
49
Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. ​
50
Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 18

Verse 1

I will love thee, O LORD, my strength — Racham is to love tenderly, to have compassion; 'strength' is chezeq, help. The title ties the song to 'the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul', as in 2 Sam 22:1, where the same song is recorded.

Verse 2

the horn of my salvation — The verse piles up names for safety. 'Rock' is sela, a crag, and 'strength' is tsur, the boulder, the word of 'blessed be my rock' (v.46). 'Fortress' is metsudah, a stronghold; 'high tower' misgab, a height out of reach; 'horn' (qeren) is an animal's weapon. Cf. Prov 18:10.

Verse 4

The sorrows of death compassed me — 'Sorrows' is chebel, a cord or noose, the word again in v.5, 'sorrows of hell'. 'Floods' is nachal, a torrent, and 'ungodly men' is beliyyaal, worthlessness. The opening line is repeated in Ps 116:3, 'The sorrows of death compassed me'.

Verse 6

he heard my voice out of his temple — Heykal is a palace or temple, the dwelling from which the LORD hears. Two verbs of prayer: 'called' (qara) and 'cried' (shava), a cry for help. 'Distress' is tsar, literally narrow, answered by the 'large place' of v.19. Cf. Ps 120:1.

Verse 7

the earth shook and trembled — The LORD's coming in vv.7–15 is the manner of Sinai and the wilderness march: 'The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God' (Ps 68:8; cf. Judg 5:4). 'Shook' and 'were shaken' are one verb, gaash; 'wroth' is charah, to blaze up.

Verse 9

He bowed the heavens — Natah is to stretch or bend; he 'came down' (yarad), as the psalmist prays elsewhere, 'Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down' (Ps 144:5). 'Darkness' is araphel, thick gloom, like the 'darkness, clouds, and thick darkness' around the mountain at Sinai (Deut 4:11).

Verse 15

the channels of waters were seen — Aphiq is a stream bed; 'world' is tevel, the inhabited earth. The 'blast of the breath of thy nostrils' echoes the Red Sea: 'with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together' (Ex 15:8); 'He rebuked the Red sea also, and it was dried up' (Ps 106:9).

Verse 19

a large place — Merchab is open space, the opposite of the 'distress' (tsar, narrow) of v.6. The psalmist uses it again, 'the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place' (Ps 118:5). The reason given is God's pleasure: 'delighted' is chaphets, to be pleased with.

Verse 20

the cleanness of my hands — Bor is purity; hands stand for deeds, as in 'He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart' (Ps 24:4). The claim concerns David's conduct toward Saul, whom he spared (1 Sam 26:23). 'Recompensed' is shuv, to turn back or bring back, repeated in v.24.

Verse 24

in his eyesight — The verse repeats v.20 and adds ayin, 'eye': the cleanness of hands is measured by the LORD's sight. 'Recompensed' is the same verb as in v.20 (shuv). The principle is stated in Ruth 2:12, 'The LORD recompense thy work', and 2 Thess 1:6, 'a righteous thing with God to recompense'.

Verse 25

With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful — 'Merciful' is chasid, one who practises chesed (covenant kindness), and 'shew thyself merciful' is the verb of the same root. 'Upright' (tamim, whole) likewise yields 'shew thyself upright' (tamam). Cf. 'Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy' (Matt 5:7).

Verse 28

light my candle — Nir is a lamp, and 'enlighten' (nagah) is to make shine. The parallel in 2 Sam 22:29 reads 'thou art my lamp, O LORD'. The LORD himself is the light against 'darkness' (choshek); Matthew applies the image to Galilee, 'The people which sat in darkness saw great light' (Matt 4:16).

Verse 30

the word of the LORD is tried — Tsaraph is to refine metal in a furnace: 'The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth' (Ps 12:6). 'Perfect' is tamim, the word of 'upright' in vv.23, 25. 'Buckler' and 'trust' are the words of v.2; cf. Prov 30:5.

Verse 33

like hinds' feet — Ayyalah is a hind, a female deer, sure-footed on rock; Habakkuk takes up the line with 'he will make me to walk upon mine high places' (Hab 3:19). 'High places' is bamah, heights, as in Deut 32:13, 'ride on the high places of the earth'.

Verse 35

thy gentleness hath made me great — Anavah is meekness, lowliness: the greatness comes from God's condescension, not David's strength. 'Made me great' is rabah, to multiply. The 'shield' is the magen of v.2. Paul speaks of 'the meekness and gentleness of Christ' (2 Cor 10:1).

Verse 43

the head of the heathen — 'Strivings' is riv, contention, here the strife within Israel: 'long war between the house of Saul and the house of David' (2 Sam 3:1). Then 'heathen' (goy) are nations. Paul reads the Gentile reign in the root of Jesse: 'he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles' (Rom 15:12).

Verse 49

among the heathen — Paul quotes this verse in Greek: 'For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name' (Rom 15:9), as proof that Christ came 'that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy'. 'Give thanks' is yadah, from yad, hand; 'sing praises' is zamar, to sing to an instrument.

Verse 50

to David, and to his seed for evermore — 'Anointed' is mashiach, the word behind 'Messiah'; 'mercy' is chesed, covenant love; 'seed' is zera. The promise is that of 2 Sam 7:13, 'I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever', which the angel applies to Jesus: 'he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever' (Luke 1:33).