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Commentary on Psalms 18 verses 1–19
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.
When the Son of God journeyed on the earth in the time of his incarnation, whoever worshiped the natural elements of this earth were shaken and trembled, and everywhere his reputation became familiar to the ears of Greeks and barbarians; and truly those things he called the foundations of the mountains have trembled and quaked.… The mountains were all the lofty thoughts that were directed against the knowledge of God, namely, certain adversarial powers that through the long span of the ages had led all who dwelled on the earth into error and the worship of multiple gods. “The foundations of the mountains,” that is, loftier plans and thoughts, when they had realized the strength of the Lord, “were disturbed and shaken because he is angry with them.”
The effect of God’s hearkening and being moved to wrath was that everything together was reduced to alarm and confusion, their common master being enraged.
"And the earth was moved and trembled" [Psalm 18:7]. When the Son of Man was thus glorified, sinners were moved and trembled. "And the foundations of the mountains were troubled." And the hopes of the proud, which were in this life, were troubled. "And were moved, for God was angry with them." That is, that the hope of temporal goods might have now no more establishment in the hearts of men.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 18:7 offers a profoundly dramatic and vivid portrayal of God's majestic power and righteous indignation. As an integral part of David's expansive psalm of thanksgiving for divine deliverance, this verse depicts the very earth and the seemingly unshakeable foundations of the mountains convulsing and trembling in direct response to God's presence and holy wrath. It powerfully underscores the Lord's absolute sovereignty over all creation and His active, cataclysmic intervention on behalf of His anointed, demonstrating with cosmic force that nothing in the natural world can stand unmoved or unimpacted before His overwhelming might and perfect justice.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 18:7 is rich in Theophany, depicting a dramatic, awe-inspiring manifestation of God's presence, often accompanied by cataclysmic natural phenomena like earthquakes and storms. The verse employs powerful Hyperbole, using exaggerated language to convey the immense scale of God's power; the earth and mountains literally shaking is a poetic exaggeration designed to illustrate the overwhelming, irresistible force of divine intervention. Anthropomorphism is present in the attribution of "wrath" to God, describing a divine emotion in human terms to make it comprehensible, though God's wrath is holy and just, utterly distinct from sinful human anger. The use of Parallelism in "shook and trembled" and "moved and were shaken" enhances the poetic rhythm and emphasizes the intensity and totality of the cosmic reaction. Furthermore, the verse utilizes vivid Imagery that appeals to the senses, allowing the reader to visualize the violent shaking and feel the tremor, creating a visceral experience of God's terrifying majesty and sovereign control over creation.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 18:7 powerfully articulates the biblical truth that God is not a passive observer but an active, sovereign ruler over all creation, whose presence and righteous indignation can cause the very cosmos to respond. This verse connects to the broader theological theme of divine judgment and the cosmic response to God's holiness. When God acts, especially in judgment or deliverance, the natural world often bears witness to His power, serving as a tangible sign of His intervention. This demonstrates that God's justice is not merely a legal concept but a dynamic, active force that impacts the physical realm, assuring His people that He will indeed shake the foundations of the world to defend the righteous and confront evil, thereby upholding His moral order and demonstrating His absolute authority.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 18:7 offers both profound comfort and a sobering warning, inviting deep reflection on the nature of God. For those who trust in God, it is a powerful reassurance that the Lord is an active, omnipotent defender who will intervene on their behalf, even when circumstances seem overwhelming and enemies insurmountable. His power is beyond human comprehension, capable of shaking the very foundations of the world to deliver His people. This should inspire unwavering faith and courage, knowing that our God is not distant but intimately involved in the affairs of His children, ready to move heaven and earth for their rescue. For those who oppose God or His purposes, the verse serves as a potent reminder of His righteous wrath and the certainty of His judgment. It encourages believers to place their complete trust in God's sovereign power and to live righteously, knowing that He is a God of both immense love and formidable justice, and that His ultimate victory and the establishment of His kingdom are assured.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is God's wrath in Psalms 18:7 a sinful human anger?
Answer: No, God's wrath, as depicted in Psalms 18:7 and throughout Scripture, is fundamentally different from sinful human anger. The Hebrew word chârâh (H2734), translated as "wroth," signifies an intense, burning indignation. However, when applied to God, it is always understood as a holy, righteous, and just attribute of His character. It is not an uncontrolled outburst of emotion or a reaction to personal affront, but a perfect and appropriate response to sin, injustice, and rebellion against His holy nature and perfect will. God's wrath is a manifestation of His unwavering commitment to justice and His opposition to all that is evil, serving to uphold His moral order and ultimately to bring about His redemptive purposes. It is an expression of His profound holiness, which cannot tolerate sin, as seen in Romans 1:18.
Does this verse describe a literal earthquake, or is it poetic language?
Answer: While God certainly has the power to cause literal earthquakes, as demonstrated in various biblical accounts (e.g., Acts 16:26), the language in Psalms 18:7 is primarily poetic and hyperbolic. It uses vivid, exaggerated imagery to convey the overwhelming power and majesty of God's intervention. The shaking of the earth and the moving of the foundations of the hills serve as powerful metaphors for the cosmic disturbance and awe-inspiring force that accompany God's appearance and action. This dramatic imagery is common in biblical theophanies, designed to impress upon the reader the unfathomable might of the Creator and His ability to utterly dismantle any opposition to His will, as also seen in Isaiah 64:1-2. It emphasizes that God's power is so immense that even the most stable elements of creation are affected by His presence.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 18:7, with its depiction of God's earth-shaking power and righteous wrath, finds its ultimate fulfillment and most profound expression in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament theophanies often revealed God's power through natural phenomena, the New Testament reveals the incarnate God, Jesus, as the one through whom all things were created and by whom they are sustained (Colossians 1:16-17). The very power that caused the earth to shake in Psalms 18 is the same power that Jesus demonstrated when He calmed the raging storm with a word (Mark 4:39), walked on water (Matthew 14:25), and ultimately, conquered death itself in His resurrection (Romans 1:4). Furthermore, the "wrath" of God mentioned in Psalms 18:7, which is directed against injustice and opposition, was fully poured out on Jesus Christ at the cross. He, the sinless Lamb of God, bore the full weight of divine wrath against humanity's sin, becoming the propitiation for our transgressions (Romans 3:25). This means that for those who are in Christ, God's righteous wrath has been satisfied, replaced by His boundless grace and mercy. Ultimately, the imagery of the shaking earth also foreshadows Christ's glorious return, when He will come in power and glory, and the very heavens and earth will be shaken, not just metaphorically, but literally, as He establishes His eternal kingdom (Hebrews 12:26-27). Thus, Psalms 18:7 powerfully points to the cosmic authority and redemptive work of our Lord Jesus, who is both the supreme manifestation of God's power and the perfect bearer of His righteous wrath for our salvation.