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Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 18:1–19. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
The title gives us the occasion of penning this psalm; we had it before (Sa2 22:1), only here we are told that the psalm was delivered to the chief musician, or precentor, in the temple-songs. Note, The private compositions of good men, designed by them for their own use, may be serviceable to the public, that others may not only borrow light from their candle, but heat from their fire. Examples sometimes teach better than rules. And David is here called the servant of the Lord, as Moses was, not only as every good man is God's servant, but because, with his sceptre, with his sword, and with his pen, he greatly promoted the interests of God's kingdom in Israel. It was more his honour that he was a servant of the Lord than that he was king of a great kingdom; and so he himself accounted it (Psa 116:16): O Lord! truly I am thy servant. In these verses,
I.He triumphs in God and his relation to him.
The first words of the psalm, I will love thee, O Lord! my strength, are here prefixed as the scope and contents of the whole. Love to God is the first and great commandment of the law, because it is the principle of all our acceptable praise and obedience; and this use we should make of all the mercies God bestows upon us, our hearts should thereby be enlarged in love to him. This he requires and will accept; and we are very ungrateful if we grudge him so poor a return. An interest in the person loved is the lover's delight; this string therefore he touches, and on this he harps with much pleasure (Psa 18:2): "The Lord Jehovah is my God; and then he is my rock, my fortress, all that I need and can desire in my present distress." For there is that in God which is suited to all the exigencies and occasions of his people that trust in him. "He is my rock, and strength, and fortress;" that is, 1. "I have found him so in the greatest dangers and difficulties." 2. "I have chosen him to be so, disclaiming all others, and depending upon him alone to protect me." Those that truly love God may thus triumph in him as theirs, and may with confidence call upon him, Psa 18:3. This further use we should make of our deliverances, we must not only love God the better, but love prayer the better - call upon him as long as we live, especially in time of trouble, with an assurance that so we shall be saved; for thus it is written, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved, Act 2:21.
II.He sets himself to magnify the deliverances God had wrought for him, that he might be the more affected in his returns of praise.
It is good for us to observe all the circumstances of a mercy, which magnify the power of God and his goodness to us in it.
1.The more imminent and threatening the danger was out of which we were delivered the greater is the mercy of the deliverance. David now remembered how the forces of his enemies poured in upon him, which he calls the floods of Belial, shoals of the children of Belial, likely to overpower him with numbers. They surrounded him, compassed him about; they surprised him, and by that means were very near seizing him; their snares prevented him, and, when without were fightings, within were fears and sorrows, Psa 18:4, Psa 18:5. His spirit was overwhelmed, and he looked upon himself as a lost man; see Psa 116:3.
2.The more earnest we have been with God for deliverance, and the more direct answer it is to our prayers, the more we are obliged to be thankful. David's deliverances were so, Psa 18:6. David was found a praying man, and God was found a prayer-hearing God. If we pray as he did, we shall speed as he did. Though distress drive us to prayer, God will not therefore be deaf to us; nay, being a God of pity, he will be the more ready to succour us.
3.The more wonderful God's appearances are in any deliverance the greater it is: such were the deliverances wrought for David, in which God's manifestation of his presence and glorious attributes is most magnificently described, Psa 18:7, etc. Little appeared of man, but much of God, in these deliverances.
(1.)He appeared a God of almighty power; for he made the earth shake and tremble, and moved even the foundations of the hills (Psa 18:7), as of old at Mount Sinai. When the men of the earth were struck with fear, then the earth might be said to tremble; when the great men of the earth were put into confusion, then the hills moved.
(2.)He showed his anger and displeasure against the enemies and persecutors of his people: He was wroth, Psa 18:7. His wrath smoked, it burned, it was fire, it was devouring fire (Psa 18:8), and coals were kindled by it. Those that by their own sins make themselves as coals (that is, fuel) to this fire will be consumed by it. He that ordains his arrows against the persecutors sends them forth when he pleases, and they are sure to hit the mark and do execution; for those arrows are lightnings, Psa 18:14.
(3.)He showed his readiness to plead his people's cause and work deliverance for them; for he rode upon a cherub and did fly, for the maintaining of right and the relieving of his distressed servants, Psa 18:10. No opposition, no obstruction, can be given to him who rides upon the wings of the wind, who rides on the heavens, for the help of his people, and, in his excellency, on the skies.
(4.)He showed his condescension, in taking cognizance of David's case: He bowed the heavens and came down (Psa 18:9), did not send an angel, but came himself, as one afflicted in the afflictions of his people.
(5.)He wrapped himself in darkness, and yet commanded light to shine out of darkness for his people, Isa 45:15. He is a God that hideth himself; for he made darkness his pavilion, Psa 18:11. his glory is invisible, his counsels are unsearchable, and his proceedings unaccountable, and so, as to us, clouds and darkness are round about him; we know not the way that he takes, even when he is coming towards us in ways of mercy; but, when his designs are secret, they are kind; for, though he hide himself, he is the God of Israel, the Saviour. And, at his brightness, the thick clouds pass (Psa 18:12), comfort returns, the face of affairs is changed, and that which was gloomy and threatening becomes serene and pleasant.
4.The greater the difficulties are that lie in the way of deliverance the more glorious the deliverance is. For the rescuing of David, the waters were to be divided till the very channels were seen; the earth was to be cloven till the very foundations of it were discovered, Psa 18:15. There were waters deep and many, waters out of which he was to be drawn (Psa 18:16), as Moses, who had his name from being drawn out of the water literally, as David was figuratively. His enemies were strong, and they hated him; had he been left to himself, they would have been too strong for him, Psa 18:17. And they were too quick for him; for they prevented him in the day of his calamity, Psa 18:18. But, in the midst of his troubles, the Lord was his stay, so that he did not sink. Note, God will not only deliver his people out of their troubles in due time, but he will sustain them and bear them up under their troubles in the mean time.
5.That which especially magnified the deliverance was that his comfort was the fruit of it and God's favour was the root and fountain of it. (1.) It was an introduction to his preferment, Psa 18:19. "He brought me forth also out of my straits into a large place, where I had room, not only to turn, but to thrive in." (2.) It was a token of God's favour to him, and that made it doubly sweet: "He delivered me because he delighted in me, not for my merit, but for his own grace and good-will." Compare this with Sa2 15:26, If he thus say, I have no delight in thee, here I am. We owe our salvation, that great deliverance, to the delight God had in the Son of David, in whom he has declared himself to be well pleased.
In singing this we must triumph in God, and trust in him: and we may apply it to Christ the Son of David. The sorrows of death surrounded him; in his distress he prayed (Heb 5:7); God made the earth to shake and tremble, and the rocks to cleave, and brought him out, in his resurrection, into a large place, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.
Historical interpretation
Two Centuries of Reception
7 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
The reasons of the divine dispensation and providence are most obscure. For “God made darkness his hiding place.” Those desiring audaciously and rashly to examine this darkness and appropriating for themselves one thing from another have fallen headlong into the dense “darkness” of errors.
It is said of God in the eighteenth psalm that “God made darkness his hiding place.” This is a Hebrew way of showing that the ideas of God that people understand in accordance with their merits are obscure and unknowable, since God hides himself as if in darkness from those who cannot bear the radiance of the knowledge of him and who cannot see him, partly because of the defilement of the mind that is bound to a human “body of humiliation,” partly because of its restricted capacity to comprehend God.… Moreover, our Savior and Lord, the Logos of God, shows the depth of the knowledge of the Father, and that, although a derived knowledge is possessed by those whose minds are illuminated by the divine Logos himself, absolute understanding and knowledge of the Father is possessed by himself alone in accordance with his merits, when he says, “No one has known the Son save the Father, and no one has known the Father save the Son, and him to whom the Son will reveal him.” Neither can anyone worthily know the uncreated and firstborn of all created nature in the way that the Father who begat him knows him; nor can anyone know the Father in the same way as the living Logos who is God’s wisdom and truth. By participation in him who took away from the Father what is called darkness, which he made “his hiding place,” and what is called his covering, “the great deep,” thus revealing the Father, anyone whatever who has the capacity to know him may do so.
[Daniel 2:22] "It is He who reveals deep and hidden things, and He knows what is placed in the darkness, and with Him is the light." A man to whom God makes profound revelations and who can say, "O the depth of the riches of the knowledge and wisdom of God!" (Romans 11:33), he it is who by the indwelling Spirit probes even into the deep things of God, and digs the deepest of wells in the depths of his soul. He is a man who has stirred up the whole earth, which is wont to conceal the deep waters, and he observes the command of God, saying: "Drink water from thy vessels and from the spring of thy wells" (Proverbs 5:15). As for the words which follow, "He knows what is placed in the darkness, and with Him is the light," the darkness signifies ignorance, and the light signifies knowledge and learning. Therefore as wrong cannot hide God away, so right encompasses and surrounds Him. Or else we should interpret the words to mean all the dark mysteries and deep things (concerning God), according to what we read in Proverbs: "He understands also the parable and the dark saying." (Proverbs 1:6, LXX) This in turn is equivalent to what we read in the Psalms: "Dark waters in the clouds of the sky" (Psalm 18:11). For one who ascends to the heights and forsakes the things of earth, and like the birds themselves seeks after the most rarified atmosphere and everything ethereal, he becomes like a cloud to which the truth of God penetrates and which habitually showers rain upon the saints. Replete with a plenitude of knowledge, he contains in his breast many dark waters enveloped with deep darkness, a darkness which only Moses can penetrate and speak with God face to face (Exodus 33:11), of Whom the Scripture says: "He hath made darkness His hiding-place" (Psalm 18:11).
This verse suggests the ineffable dispensation of God and our inability to comprehend his wisdom. As with these eyes of ours we cannot look into an unfathomable depth, neither are we able to contemplate the majesty or the wisdom of God.
There is no doubt but that the clouds and darkness round about him were the body that the Lord Savior deigned to assume.… He appeared just as he willed to appear and not in accordance with his divine nature. “He made darkness the cloak about him.” If God is light, how is light able to dwell in darkness? In that passage, darkness represents our imperfect knowledge and our infirmity, for we cannot gaze on his majesty. If human eyes cannot, in fact, look on the rays of the sun of this world, a creature, our fellow slave, how much more are there shades and darkness round about the Sun of Justice that he may not be observed or looked on by us?
When God wished to appear visibly to people and desired also to teach them in person what he had first laid down in the law, he tempered the force, the power of the divine, by taking on the human and “made the darkness his cover round about him,” when he concealed himself in the tent of the flesh.
"And has made darkness His hiding place" [Psalm 18:11]. And has settled the obscurity of the Sacraments, and the hidden hope in the heart of believers, where He may lie hidden, and not abandon them. In this darkness too, wherein "we yet walk by faith, and not by sight," [2 Corinthians 5:7] as long as "we hope for what we see not, and with patience wait for it." [Romans 8:25] "Round about Him is His tabernacle." Yet they that believe Him turn to Him and encircle Him; for that He is in the midst of them, since He is equally the friend of all, in whom as in a tabernacle He at this time dwells. "Dark water in clouds of air." Nor let any one on this account, if he understand the Scripture, imagine that he is already in that light, which will be when we shall have come out of faith into sight: for in the prophets and in all the preachers of the word of God there is obscure teaching.
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Summary
Psalms 18:11 presents an awe-inspiring depiction of God's majestic and mysterious presence, portraying Him as dwelling amidst profound obscurity, where "darkness," "dark waters," and "thick clouds" form His secret abode and royal pavilion. This imagery is integral to a grand poetic theophany, illustrating the Lord's transcendent power and unapproachable glory as He dramatically intervenes to deliver King David from his formidable enemies. The verse powerfully emphasizes divine sovereignty over creation and the veiled nature of God's operations, even as He moves with decisive action on behalf of His people.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 18 is a monumental psalm of thanksgiving and deliverance, attributed to King David following his rescue from all his enemies, particularly King Saul. Its profound significance is underscored by its parallel appearance in 2 Samuel 22. Verses 7-15 describe a powerful, cosmic theophany, where God descends in a storm to deliver David. This section is characterized by vivid, almost apocalyptic imagery, depicting the earth shaking, mountains trembling, and the heavens unleashing fire and hail. Psalms 18:11 specifically paints a picture of God's majestic, yet veiled, approach, emphasizing His transcendence and absolute control over the elements of creation, thereby setting the stage for His dramatic and overwhelming intervention.
Historical & Cultural Context
In the ancient Near East, the manifestation of deities was often associated with natural phenomena, particularly storms, mountains, and clouds, which symbolized immense power and mystery. For Israel, God's appearances were frequently accompanied by such imagery, most notably at Mount Sinai, where God descended in a thick cloud, smoke, and fire (Exodus 19:9, Exodus 20:21). This imagery evokes a sense of both divine presence and unapproachable holiness. David, as king, would have understood the significance of a divine warrior intervening on his behalf, a common motif in ancient kingship, but here uniquely attributed to Yahweh, who commands all cosmic forces and uses them as His very dwelling.
Key Themes
Psalms 18:11 contributes significantly to several major themes within the psalm and broader biblical theology. Firstly, it highlights Divine Majesty and Transcendence, emphasizing that God's presence and ways are often beyond full human comprehension, dwelling in an unapproachable, awe-inspiring glory distinct from His creation. Secondly, it speaks to God's Hidden Presence: while God is actively involved in the world, His "secret place" suggests that His operations and presence are not always overtly visible or immediately understood. This hiddenness adds to His mystery and sovereignty, reminding us that His workings are often veiled, much like when Solomon dedicated the temple and God dwelt in thick darkness. Thirdly, the verse underscores Sovereignty Over Creation, depicting God as having absolute command over natural elements. The "dark waters and thick clouds" are not chaotic forces but are part of His divine "pavilion," demonstrating His immense power and control over the cosmos, a theme echoed when the voice of the Lord is over the waters. Finally, this imagery is part of a broader Theophany and Revelation, where God reveals Himself not just as a deliverer, but as a mighty, cosmic King whose power is manifested through awe-inspiring natural phenomena.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This word (H2822) refers to obscurity, gloom, or deep shadow. In the context of divine manifestation, it does not connote evil but rather the impenetrable mystery and unapproachable majesty of God. It signifies a realm beyond human perception, where God's glory is so intense that it must be veiled, emphasizing His transcendence and the limits of human understanding.
The term (H5643) denotes a cover, a hiding place, or a place of concealment. It reinforces the idea of God's hiddenness and inaccessibility to direct human scrutiny. This suggests that God's operations and presence are often veiled, not for evasion, but because His nature and actions transcend human comprehension and direct observation, providing both protection and a sense of awe.
This word (H5521) typically refers to a hut, tent, or temporary dwelling. Here, it is used metaphorically to describe God's majestic, mobile dwelling or canopy. It implies a divine abode that is both grand and dynamic, suggesting God's sovereign presence as He moves to act on behalf of His people, using the very elements of the storm as His royal and formidable dwelling.
Verse Breakdown
"He made darkness his secret place"
This clause powerfully establishes God's profound transcendence and mystery. Rather than being confined to a physical dwelling, God's "secret place" is the very darkness and obscurity that surrounds His presence. This implies that His ways are often hidden from human understanding, and His glory is so immense that it is veiled in impenetrable mystery, emphasizing His otherness and supreme authority. It is a deliberate act of divine self-concealment, not out of absence, but out of overwhelming glory.
"his pavilion round about him [were] dark waters"
The imagery shifts to a "pavilion" or majestic canopy, which is composed of "dark waters." This refers to the deep, churning storm clouds heavy with rain. The "dark waters" evoke a sense of immense power and potential chaos, yet they are depicted not as a threat to God, but as elements under His complete control, forming His very dwelling place. This highlights God's dominion over the most formidable and potentially destructive aspects of creation, transforming them into His royal entourage.
"[and] thick clouds of the skies"
This phrase further elaborates on the nature of God's "pavilion." The "thick clouds" (H5645, H7834) refer to dense, heavy storm clouds that fill the heavens. These clouds are not merely a backdrop but are integral to His majestic presence, serving as a protective and awe-inspiring shroud. They symbolize both the concealment of God's full glory and the means by which He manifests His power, bringing forth rain, thunder, and lightning as expressions of His divine will and instruments of His judgment and deliverance.
Literary Devices
Psalms 18:11 is rich in Imagery, painting a vivid and evocative picture of God's cosmic presence through natural elements like darkness, water, and clouds. The verse employs profound Metaphor and Symbolism, where "darkness," "secret place," "pavilion," "dark waters," and "thick clouds" are not merely literal descriptions but serve as powerful symbols of God's unapproachable majesty, His hidden wisdom, and His absolute sovereignty over creation. The concept of God making darkness His "secret place" is a form of Anthropomorphism, attributing to God the human action of creating or choosing a dwelling, though in a divine, transcendent sense. The entire passage, particularly in the broader context of the theophany (verses 7-15), uses Hyperbole to dramatically emphasize the overwhelming power and grandeur of God's intervention, depicting a cosmic storm of unparalleled intensity to underscore the magnitude of His deliverance.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 18:11 profoundly articulates the biblical truth of God's transcendence and His sovereign control over all creation. It reveals a God whose presence is both intimately involved in the affairs of humanity (as seen in His deliverance of David) and yet utterly beyond full human comprehension. The "darkness" and "thick clouds" are not indicative of absence or indifference, but of a glory so immense that it must be veiled, underscoring His holiness and the infinite gap between Creator and created. This imagery also speaks to the mystery of God's ways; even when His actions seem obscure or His presence hidden, He remains actively at work, orchestrating events from His cosmic "pavilion." This challenges human presumption, fostering humility and awe before an all-powerful, all-wise God whose thoughts and paths are higher than our own, reminding us that His hiddenness is part of His divine majesty.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 18:11 offers profound comfort and challenge for the believer today. In a world that often demands clarity and immediate understanding, this verse reminds us that God's operations are frequently shrouded in mystery. We may not always discern His hand or comprehend His purposes, especially when facing personal "storms" of uncertainty, suffering, or confusion. Yet, the imagery of God making "darkness his secret place" assures us that even within the impenetrable clouds of our circumstances, He is present, sovereign, and actively at work. The very elements that seem chaotic or threatening are under His command, forming His majestic "pavilion." This calls us to cultivate a posture of humble trust and profound reverence, acknowledging that God's power is limitless and His wisdom unfathomable. It encourages us to rest in His control, knowing that His hiddenness is not a sign of absence, but often a testament to His transcendent glory and perfect, though unseen, plan, inviting us to deeper faith in the face of the unknown.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does the "darkness" in this verse imply that God is evil or hidden from us in a negative way?
No, the "darkness" in Psalms 18:11 does not imply God is evil. Instead, it signifies His unapproachable glory, majesty, and transcendence. In biblical imagery, thick clouds and darkness often accompany divine manifestations (theophanies) to convey God's immense power and the fact that His full glory is too overwhelming for human eyes to behold directly. It speaks to His mystery and sovereignty, not His malevolence. It's a "secret place" because His ways and nature are beyond full human comprehension, not because He is trying to evade us. This is similar to how God appeared in a thick cloud at Mount Sinai or how Solomon spoke of God dwelling in thick darkness when the temple was dedicated.
How does God's hiddenness in this verse relate to His self-revelation in Scripture?
God's hiddenness, as depicted in Psalms 18:11, is not a contradiction to His self-revelation but rather a complementary aspect of His nature. While God is transcendent and dwells in unapproachable light (as 1 Timothy 6:16 describes), He also graciously chooses to reveal Himself. The "darkness" and "clouds" are part of His mode of revelation, demonstrating His power and majesty while simultaneously veiling His full glory to protect humanity. This verse highlights that even in His revelation, there remains an element of divine mystery. God reveals what we need to know for salvation and relationship, but He retains His infinite, unsearchable depths, as Romans 11:33 proclaims. He is both revealed and hidden, allowing for both intimacy and awe.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 18:11, with its depiction of God's veiled majesty and sovereign power amidst cosmic elements, finds its ultimate fulfillment and clearest expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament reveals God's glory often shrouded in clouds and darkness, Jesus is the very radiance of God's glory and the exact imprint of His nature, the image of the invisible God. In Christ, the mysterious, hidden God of Psalms 18:11 becomes visible and approachable. The divine power over "dark waters and thick clouds" is demonstrated by Jesus Himself, who calmed the storm with a word, revealing His absolute sovereignty over creation. Furthermore, the concept of God's "pavilion" finds resonance in Christ's incarnation, where God "tabernacled" among us (John 1:14), making His dwelling accessible to humanity. Even in the New Testament, divine glory is sometimes accompanied by clouds, as seen at the Transfiguration where a bright cloud overshadowed Jesus, and it will be in the clouds that Christ returns in power and great glory (Matthew 24:30). Thus, Jesus is both the ultimate revelation of the God who dwells in mystery and the embodiment of His sovereign power, bringing the "secret place" of God's presence into human experience and offering deliverance not just from enemies, but from sin and death.