Psalm 18

¹He said:[#tn A number of translations (e.g., NASB, NIV, NRSV) assign the words “he said” to the superscription, in which case the entire psalm is in first person. Other translations (e.g., NAB) include the introductory “he said” at the beginning of v. 1.]

“I love you, Lord , my source of strength!

²The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer.[#sn My high ridge. This metaphor pictures God as a rocky, relatively inaccessible summit, where one would be able to find protection from enemies. See 1 Sam 23:25, 28.; #sn My stronghold. David often found safety in such strongholds. See 1 Sam 22:4-5; 24:22; 2 Sam 5:9, 17; 23:14.]

My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter,

my shield, the horn that saves me, and my refuge.

³I called to the Lord , who is worthy of praise,[#tn In this song of thanksgiving, where the psalmist recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not an imperfect.; #tn Heb “worthy of praise, I cried out [to] the Lord.” Some take מְהֻלָּל (mÿhullal, “worthy of praise”) with what precedes and translate, “the praiseworthy one,” or “praiseworthy.” However, the various epithets in vv. 1-2 have the first person pronominal suffix, unlike מְהֻלָּל. If one follows the traditional verse division and takes מְהֻלָּל with what follows, it is best understood as substantival and as appositional to יְהוָה (yÿhvah): “[to the] praiseworthy one I cried out, [to the] Lord.”]

and I was delivered from my enemies.

⁴The waves of death engulfed me,[#tc Ps 18:4 reads “ropes,” while 2 Sam 22:5 reads “waves.” The reading of the psalm has been influenced by the next verse (note “ropes of Sheol”) and perhaps also by Ps 116:3 (where “ropes of death” appears, as here, with the verb אָפַף, ’afaf). However, the parallelism of v. 4 (note “currents” in the next line) favors the reading “waves.” While the verb אָפַף is used with “ropes” as subject in Ps 116:3, it can also be used with engulfing “waters” as subject (see Jonah 2:5). Death is compared to surging waters in v. 4 and to a hunter in v. 5.]

the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.

⁵The ropes of Sheol tightened around me,[#tn Heb “surrounded me.”]

the snares of death trapped me.

⁶In my distress I called to the Lord ;

I cried out to my God.

From his heavenly temple he heard my voice;

he listened to my cry for help.

⁷The earth heaved and shook;[#sn The earth heaved and shook. The imagery pictures an earthquake in which the earth’s surface rises and falls. The earthquake motif is common in OT theophanies of God as warrior and in ancient Near Eastern literary descriptions of warring gods and kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 160-62.]

the roots of the mountains trembled;

they heaved because he was angry.

⁸Smoke ascended from his nose;[#tn Heb “within”; or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition -בְּ (bÿ) here, see R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 163-64.; #tn Or “in his anger.” The noun אַף (’af) can carry the abstract meaning “anger,” but the parallelism (note “from his mouth”) suggests the more concrete meaning “nose” here. See also v. 15, “the powerful breath of your nose.”]

fire devoured as it came from his mouth;

he hurled down fiery coals.

⁹He made the sky sink as he descended;[#tn The Hebrew verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[cause to] bend, bow down.” For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden. Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to sink down as he descends in the storm.]

a thick cloud was under his feet.

¹⁰He mounted a winged angel and flew;[#tn Or “rode upon.”; #tn Heb “a cherub.” Because of the typical associations of the word “cherub” in English with chubby winged babies, the term has been rendered “winged angel” in the translation.sn Winged angel (Heb “cherub”). Cherubs, as depicted in the OT, possess both human and animal (lion, ox, and eagle) characteristics (see Ezek 1:10; 10:14, 21; 41:18). They are pictured as winged creatures (Exod 25:20; 37:9; 1 Kgs 6:24-27; Ezek 10:8, 19) and serve as the very throne of God when the ark of the covenant is in view (Pss 80:1; 99:1; see Num 7:89; 1 Sam 4:4; 2 Sam 6:2; 2 Kgs 19:15). The picture of the Lord seated on the cherubs suggests they might be used by him as a vehicle, a function they carry out in Ezek 1:22-28 (the “living creatures” mentioned here are identified as cherubs in Ezek 10:20). In Ps 18:10 the image of a cherub serves to personify the wind (see the next line of the psalm).]

he glided on the wings of the wind.

¹¹He shrouded himself in darkness,[#tc Heb “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 reads, “he made darkness around him coverings,” omitting “his hiding place” and pluralizing “covering.” Ps 18:11 may include a conflation of synonyms (“his hiding place” and “his covering”) or 2 Sam 22:12 may be the result of haplography/homoioarcton. Note that three successive words in Ps 18:11 begin with the Hebrew letter samek: סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvivotayv sukkato).]

in thick rain clouds.

¹²From the brightness in front of him came

hail and fiery coals.

¹³The Lord thundered in the sky;[#sn Thunder is a common motif in OT theophanies and in ancient Near Eastern portrayals of the storm god and warring kings. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 179-83.; #tn 2 Sam 22:14 has “from.”]

the sovereign One shouted.

¹⁴He shot his arrows and scattered them,[#tn 2 Sam 22:15 omits the pronominal suffix (“his”).; #tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to the psalmist’s enemies. Some argue that the suffixes refer to the arrows, in which case one might translate “shot them far and wide” and “made them move noisily,” respectively. They argue that the enemies have not been mentioned since v. 4 and are not again mentioned until v. 17. However, usage of the verbs פוּץ (puts, “scatter”) and הָמַם (hamam, “rout”) elsewhere in Holy War accounts suggests the suffixes refer to enemies. Enemies are frequently pictured in such texts as scattered and/or routed (see Exod 14:24; 23:27; Num 10:35; Josh 10:10; Judg 4:15; 1 Sam 7:10; 11:11; Ps 68:1).]

many lightning bolts and routed them.

¹⁵The depths of the sea were exposed;[#tn Or “channels.”; #tc Ps 18:15 reads “water” (cf. Ps 42:1); “sea” is the reading of 2 Sam 22:16.]

the inner regions of the world were uncovered

by your battle cry, Lord ,

by the powerful breath from your nose.

¹⁶He reached down from above and took hold of me;[#tn Heb “stretched.” Perhaps “his hand” should be supplied by ellipsis (see Ps 144:7). In this poetic narrative context the three prefixed verbal forms in this verse are best understood as preterites indicating past tense, not imperfects.]

he pulled me from the surging water.

¹⁷He rescued me from my strong enemy,[#tn The singular refers either to personified death or collectively to the psalmist’s enemies. The following line, which refers to “those [plural] who hate me,” favors the latter.]

from those who hate me,

for they were too strong for me.

¹⁸They confronted me in my day of calamity,[#tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 5. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.]

but the Lord helped me.

¹⁹He brought me out into a wide open place;

he delivered me because he was pleased with me.

²⁰The Lord repaid me for my godly deeds;[#tn In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect.; #tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” As vv. 22-24 make clear, the psalmist refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. In these verses the psalmist explains that the Lord was pleased with him and willing to deliver him because he had been loyal to God and obedient to his commandments. Ancient Near Eastern literature contains numerous parallels. A superior (a god or king) would typically reward a subject (a king or the servant of a king, respectively) for loyalty and obedience. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 211-13.]

he rewarded my blameless behavior.

²¹For I have obeyed the Lord ’s commands;[#tn Heb “for I have kept the ways of the Lord.” The phrase “ways of the Lord” refers here to the “conduct required” by the Lord. In Ps 25 the Lord’s “ways” are associated with his covenantal demands (see vv. 4, 9-10). See also Ps 119:3 (cf. vv. 1, 4), as well as Deut 8:6; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16.]

I have not rebelled against my God.

²²For I am aware of all his regulations,[#tn Heb “for all his regulations [are] before me.” The Hebrew term מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim, “regulations”) refers to God’s covenantal requirements, especially those which the king is responsible to follow (cf. Deut 17:18-20). See also Pss 19:9 (cf. vv. 7-8); 89:30; 147:20 (cf. v. 19), as well as the numerous uses of the term in Ps 119.]

and I do not reject his rules.

²³I was innocent before him,

and kept myself from sinning.

²⁴The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;[#tn Heb “according to my righteousness.”]

he took notice of my blameless behavior.

²⁵You prove to be loyal to one who is faithful;[#tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 25-29 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 25-27) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 28-29). The Hitpael stem is used in vv. 26-27 in a reflexive resultative (or causative) sense. God makes himself loyal, etc. in the sense that he conducts or reveals himself as such. On this use of the Hitpael stem, see GKC 149-50 §54.e.; #tn Or “to a faithful follower.” A “faithful follower” (חָסִיד, khasid) is one who does what is right in God’s eyes and remains faithful to God (see Pss 4:3; 12:1; 16:10; 31:23; 37:28; 86:2; 97:10).]

you prove to be trustworthy to one who is innocent.

²⁶You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless,[#tn Or “blameless.”]

but you prove to be deceptive to one who is perverse.

²⁷For you deliver oppressed people,[#tn Or perhaps, “humble” (note the contrast with those who are proud).]

but you bring down those who have a proud look.

²⁸Indeed, you are my lamp, Lord .[#tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki)is asseverative here.; #tn Ps 18:28 reads literally, “you light my lamp, Lord.” 2 Sam 22:29 has, “you are my lamp, Lord.” The Ps 18 reading may preserve two variants, נֵרִי (neriy, “my lamp”) and אוֹרִי (’oriy, “my light”), cf. Ps 27:1. The verb תָּאִיר (ta’ir, “you light”) in Ps 18:28 would, in this case, be a corruption of the latter. See F. M. Cross and D. N. Freedman, Studies in Ancient Yahwistic Poetry (SBLDS), 150, n. 64. The metaphor, which likens the Lord to a lamp or light, pictures him as the psalmist’s source of life. For other examples of “lamp” used in this way, see Job 18:6; 21:17; Prov 13:9; 20:20; 24:20. For other examples of “light” as a symbol for life, see Job 3:20; 33:30; Ps 56:13.]

My God illuminates the darkness around me.

²⁹Indeed, with your help I can charge against an army;[#tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.; #tn Heb “by you.”; #tn Heb “I will run.” The imperfect verbal forms in v. 29 indicate the subject’s potential or capacity to perform an action. Though one might expect a preposition to follow the verb here, this need not be the case with the verb רוּץ (ruts; see 1 Sam 17:22). Some emend the Qal to a Hiphil form of the verb and translate, “I put to flight [Heb “cause to run”] an army.”; #tn More specifically, the noun גְּדוּד (gÿdud) refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops.sn I can charge against an army. The picture of a divinely empowered warrior charging against an army in almost superhuman fashion appears elsewhere in ancient Near Eastern literature. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 228.]

by my God’s power I can jump over a wall.

³⁰The one true God acts in a faithful manner;[#tn Heb “[As for] the God, his way is blameless.” The term הָאֵל (ha’el, “the God”) stands as a nominative (or genitive) absolute in apposition to the resumptive pronominal suffix on “way.” The prefixed article emphasizes his distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). God’s “way” in this context refers to his protective and salvific acts in fulfillment of his promise (see also Deut 32:4; Pss 67:2; 77:13 [note vv. 11-12, 14]; 103:7; 138:5; 145:17).]

the Lord ’s promise is reliable;

he is a shield to all who take shelter in him.

³¹Indeed, who is God besides the Lord ?[#tn Or “for.”]

Who is a protector besides our God?

³²The one true God gives me strength;[#tn Heb “the God.” The prefixed article emphasizes the Lord’s distinctiveness as the one true God (cf. Deut 33:26). See v. 30.; #tn Heb “is the one who clothes.” For similar language see 1 Sam 2:4; Pss 65:6; 93:1. The psalmist employs a generalizing hymnic style in vv. 32-34; he uses participles in vv. 32a, 33a, and 34a to describe what God characteristically does on his behalf.; #tn 2 Sam 22:33 reads, “the God is my strong refuge.”sn Gives me strength. As the following context makes clear, this refers to physical and emotional strength for battle (see especially v. 39).]

he removes the obstacles in my way.

³³He gives me the agility of a deer;[#tn Heb “[the one who] makes my feet like [those of ] a deer.”]

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.

³⁴He trains my hands for battle;[#sn He trains my hands. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.]

my arms can bend even the strongest bow.

³⁵You give me your protective shield;[#tn Heb “and you give to me the shield of your deliverance.”sn You give me your protective shield. Ancient Near Eastern literature often refers to a god giving a king special weapons. See R. B. Chisholm, “An Exegetical and Theological Study of Psalm 18/2 Samuel 22” (Th.D. diss., Dallas Theological Seminary, 1983), 260-61.]

your right hand supports me;

your willingness to help enables me to prevail.

³⁶You widen my path;[#tn Heb “you make wide my step under me.” “Step” probably refers metonymically to the path upon which the psalmist walks. Another option is to translate, “you widen my stride.” This would suggest that God gives the psalmist the capacity to run quickly.]

my feet do not slip.

³⁷I chase my enemies and catch them;[#tn 2 Sam 22:38 reads “destroy.”]

I do not turn back until I wipe them out.

³⁸I beat them to death;[#tn Or “smash them.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “and I wiped them out and smashed them.”; #tn Heb “until they are unable to rise.” 2 Sam 22:39 reads, “until they do not rise.”]

they fall at my feet.

³⁹You give me strength for battle;[#tn Heb “clothed me.” See v. 32.]

you make my foes kneel before me.

⁴⁰You make my enemies retreat;[#tn Heb “and [as for] my enemies, you give to me [the] back [or “neck”].” The idiom “give [the] back” means “to cause [one] to turn the back and run away.” Cf. Exod 23:27.]

I destroy those who hate me.

⁴¹They cry out, but there is no one to help them;[#tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”]

they cry out to the Lord , but he does not answer them.

⁴²I grind them as fine windblown dust;[#tn Heb “I pulverize them like dust upon the face of the wind.” The phrase “upon the face of” here means “before.” 2 Sam 22:43 reads, “like dust of the earth.”]

I beat them underfoot like clay in the streets.

⁴³You rescue me from a hostile army;[#tn Heb “from the strivings of a people.” In this context the Hebrew term רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עָם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. I עַם, עָם 2.d). Some understand the phrase as referring to attacks by the psalmist’s own countrymen, the “nation” being Israel. However, foreign enemies appear to be in view; note the reference to “nations” in the following line.]

you make me a leader of nations;

people over whom I had no authority are now my subjects.

⁴⁴When they hear of my exploits, they submit to me.[#tn Heb “at a report of an ear they submit to me.” The report of the psalmist’s exploits is so impressive that those who hear it submit to his rulership without putting up a fight.]

Foreigners are powerless before me;

⁴⁵foreigners lose their courage;[#tn Heb “wither, wear out.”]

they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.

⁴⁶The Lord is alive![#tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) is used exclusively as an oath formula, “as surely as the Lord lives,” but this is not the case here, for no oath follows. Here the statement is an affirmation of the Lord’s active presence and intervention. In contrast to pagan deities, he demonstrates he is the living God by rescuing and empowering the psalmist.]

My protector is praiseworthy!

The God who delivers me is exalted as king!

⁴⁷The one true God completely vindicates me;[#tn Heb “the God.” See v. 32.; #tn Heb “is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication.sn Completely vindicates me. In the ancient Near East military victory was sometimes viewed as a sign that one’s God had judged in favor of the victor, avenging and/or vindicating him. See, for example, Judg 11:27, 32-33, 36.]

he makes nations submit to me.

⁴⁸He delivers me from my enemies;[#tn Heb “[the one who] delivers me.” 2 Sam 22:49 reads “and [the one who] brings me out.”]

you snatch me away from those who attack me;

you rescue me from violent men.

⁴⁹So I will give you thanks before the nations, O Lord ![#sn I will give you thanks before the nations. This probably alludes to the fact that the psalmist will praise the Lord in the presence of the defeated nations when they, as his subjects, bring their tribute payments. Ideally the Davidic king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness. See J. H. Eaton, Kingship and the Psalms (SBT), 182-85.]

I will sing praises to you!

⁵⁰He gives his chosen king magnificent victories;[#tn Or “the one who.”; #tn Heb “magnifies the victories of his king.” “His king” refers to the psalmist, the Davidic king whom God has chosen to rule Israel.]

he is faithful to his chosen ruler,

to David and his descendants forever.”