David Sings to the Lord

¹David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord rescued him from the power of all his enemies, including Saul.[#sn In this long song of thanks, David affirms that God is his faithful protector. He recalls in highly poetic fashion how God intervened in awesome power and delivered him from death. His experience demonstrates that God vindicates those who are blameless and remain loyal to him. True to his promises, God gives the king victory on the battlefield and enables him to subdue nations. A parallel version of the song appears in Ps 18.; #tn Heb “spoke.”; #tn Heb “in the day,” or “at the time.”; #tn Heb “hand.”; #tn Heb “and from the hand of Saul.”]

²He said:

“The Lord is my high ridge, my stronghold, my deliverer.

³My God is my rocky summit where I take shelter,[#tc The translation (along with many English versions, e.g., NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT) follows the LXX in reading אֱלֹהִי (’elohi, “my God”) rather than MT’s אֱלֹהֵי (’elohe, “the God of”). See Ps 18:2.; #tn Or “in whom.”]

my shield, the horn that saves me, my stronghold,

my refuge, my savior. You save me from violence!

⁴I called to the Lord , who is worthy of praise,[#tn In this song of thanksgiving, where David recalls how the Lord delivered him, the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense (cf. CEV “I prayed”), not an imperfect (as in many English versions).; #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, “Yahweh”), resulting in “[to the] praiseworthy one I cried out, [to the] Lord.”]

and I was delivered from my enemies.

⁵The waves of death engulfed me;

the currents of chaos overwhelmed me.

⁶The ropes of Sheol tightened around me;[#tn “Sheol,” personified here as David’s enemy, is the underworld, place of the dead in primitive Hebrew cosmology.; #tn Heb “surrounded me.”]

the snares of death trapped me.

⁷In my distress I called to the Lord ;

I called to my God.

From his heavenly temple he heard my voice;

he listened to my cry for help.

⁸The earth heaved and shook;[#tn 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 Old Testament 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 foundations of the sky trembled.

They heaved because he was angry.

⁹Smoke ascended from his nose;[#tn Heb “within” or “[from] within.” For a discussion of the use of the preposition בְּ (bet) 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 (most English versions, “nostrils”). See also v. 16, “the powerful breath of your nose.”]

fire devoured as it came from his mouth;

he hurled down fiery coals.

¹⁰He made the sky sink as he descended;[#tn The verb נָטָה (natah) can carry the sense “[to cause to] bend; [to cause to] bow down” (see HALOT 693 s.v. נָטָה). For example, Gen 49:15 pictures Issachar as a donkey that “bends” its shoulder or back under a burden (cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “He bowed the heavens”; NAB “He inclined the heavens”). Here the Lord causes the sky, pictured as a dome or vault, to bend or sink down as he descends in the storm.]

a thick cloud was under his feet.

¹¹He mounted a winged angel and flew;[#tn Or “rode upon.”; #tn Heb “a cherub” (so KJV, NAB, NRSV); NIV “the cherubim” (plural); TEV “his winged creature”; CEV “flying creatures.”sn A winged angel. Cherubs, as depicted in the Old Testament, 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).]

he glided on the wings of the wind.

¹²He shrouded himself in darkness,[#tc Heb “he made darkness around him coverings.” The parallel text in Ps 18:11 reads “he made darkness his hiding place around him, his covering.” 2 Sam 22:12 omits “his hiding place” and pluralizes “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 letter ס (samek): סִתְרוֹ סְבִיבוֹתָיו סֻכָּתוֹ (sitro sÿvyvotav sukkato).]

in thick rain clouds.

¹³From the brightness in front of him

came coals of fire.

¹⁴The Lord thundered from the sky;[#tn The shortened theme vowel indicates that the prefixed verbal form is a preterite.]

the sovereign One shouted loudly.

¹⁵He shot arrows and scattered them,[#tn Heb “sent.”; #tn The pronominal suffixes on the verbs “scattered” and “routed” (see the next line) refer to David’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).]

lightning and routed them.

¹⁶The depths of the sea were exposed;[#tn Or “channels.”]

the inner regions of the world were uncovered

by the Lord ’s battle cry,

by the powerful breath from his nose.

¹⁷He reached down from above and grabbed 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.

¹⁸He 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.

¹⁹They confronted me in my day of calamity,[#tn The same verb is translated “trapped” in v. 6. In this poetic narrative context the prefixed verbal form is best understood as a preterite indicating past tense, not imperfect. Cf. NAB, NCV, TEV, NLT “attacked.”]

but the Lord helped me.

²⁰He brought me out into a wide open place;

he delivered me because he was pleased with me.

²¹The 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. 22-25 make clear, David refers here to his unwavering obedience to God’s commands. He 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.

²²For 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 (see HALOT 232 s.v. דֶרֶךְ). 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.

²³For I am aware of all his regulations,[#tn Heb “for all his regulations are before me.” The term מִשְׁפָּטָו (mishpatav, “his 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.

²⁴I was blameless before him;

I kept myself from sinning.

²⁵The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds;[#tn Heb “according to my righteousness.” See v. 21.]

he took notice of my blameless behavior.

²⁶You prove to be loyal to one who is faithful;[#tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 26-30 draw attention to God’s characteristic actions. Based on his experience, the psalmist generalizes about God’s just dealings with people (vv. 26-28) and about the way in which God typically empowers him on the battlefield (vv. 29-30). 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 חָסִיד (khasid, “faithful follower”) 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.

²⁷You prove to be reliable to one who is blameless,[#tn Or “blameless.”]

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

²⁸You deliver oppressed people,[#tn Or perhaps “humble” (so NIV, NRSV, NLT; note the contrast with those who are proud).]

but you watch the proud and bring them down.

²⁹Indeed, you are my lamp, Lord .[#tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.; #tc Many medieval Hebrew mss, some LXX mss, and the Syriac Peshitta support reading תָּאִיר (ta’ir, “you cause to shine”) before the words “my lamp.” See Ps 18:28. 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.]

The Lord illumines the darkness around me.

³⁰Indeed,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. 30 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 [literally, “cause to run”] an army.”; #tn More specifically, the noun refers to a raiding party or to a contingent of troops (see HALOT 177 s.v. II גְדוּד). 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.

³¹The 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 (see BDB 42 s.v. II אֵל 6; 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.

³²Indeed, who is God besides the Lord ?[#tn Or “for.” The translation assumes that כִּי (ki) is asseverative here.]

Who is a protector besides our God?

³³The one true God is my mighty refuge;[#tn Heb “the God.” See the note at v. 31.; #tc 4QSama has מְאַזְּרֵנִי (mÿ’azzÿreni, “the one girding me with strength”) rather than the MT מָעוּזִּי (ma’uzzi, “my refuge”). See as well Ps 18:32.]

he removes the obstacles in my way.

³⁴He gives me the agility of a deer;[#tc Heb “[the one who] makes his feet like [those of] a deer.” The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading רַגְלַי (raglai, “my feet”) rather than the MT רַגְלָיו (raglav, “his feet”). See as well Ps 18:33.]

he enables me to negotiate the rugged terrain.

³⁵He trains my hands for battle;[#tn Heb “teaches.”; #tn The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enabling. Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.]

my arms can bend even the strongest bow.

³⁶You give me your protective shield;[#tn Another option is to translate the prefixed verb with vav consecutive with a past tense, “you gave me.” Several prefixed verbal forms with vav consecutive also appear in vv. 38-44. The present translation understands this section as a description of what generally happened when the author charged into battle, but another option is to understand the section as narrative and translate accordingly.; #tc Ps 18:35 contains an additional line following this one, which reads “your right hand supports me.” It may be omitted here due to homoioarcton. See the note at Ps 18:35.tn Heb “and you give me the shield of your deliverance”; KJV, ASV “the shield of thy (your NRSV, NLT) salvation”; NIV “your shield of victory.” 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 willingness to help enables me to prevail.

³⁷You widen my path;[#tn Heb “step.” “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 him the capacity to run quickly.]

my feet do not slip.

³⁸I chase my enemies and destroy them;

I do not turn back until I wipe them out.

³⁹I wipe them out and beat them to death;

they cannot get up;

they fall at my feet.

⁴⁰You give me strength for battle;[#tn Heb “you clothed me with strength for battle.”]

you make my foes kneel before me.

⁴¹You 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.” See Exod 23:27 and HALOT 888 s.v. II ערף.]

I destroy those who hate me.

⁴²They cry out, but there is no one to help them;[#tc The translation follows one medieval Hebrew ms and the ancient versions in reading the Piel יְשַׁוְּעוּ (yÿshavvÿ’u, “they cry for help”) rather than the Qal of the MT יִשְׁעוּ (yish’u, “they look about for help”). See Ps 18:41 as well.; #tn Heb “but there is no deliverer.”]

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

⁴³I grind them as fine as the dust of the ground;

I crush them and stomp on them like clay in the streets.

⁴⁴You rescue me from a hostile army;[#tn Heb “from the strivings of my people.” In this context רִיב (riv, “striving”) probably has a militaristic sense (as in Judg 12:2; Isa 41:11), and עַם (’am, “people”) probably refers more specifically to an army (for other examples, see the verses listed in BDB 766 s.v. עַם 2.d). The suffix “my” suggests David is referring to attacks by his own countrymen, the “people” being Israel. However, the parallel text in Ps 18:43 omits the suffix.]

you preserve me as a leader of nations;

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

⁴⁵Foreigners are powerless before me;[#tn For the meaning “to be weak; to be powerless” for the verb כָּחַשׁ (kakhash), see Ps 109:24. Verse 46, which also mentions foreigners, favors this interpretation. Another option is to translate “cower in fear” (see Deut 33:29; Pss 66:3; 81:15).]

when they hear of my exploits, they submit to me.

⁴⁶Foreigners lose their courage;[#tn Heb “wither, wear out.”]

they shake with fear as they leave their strongholds.

⁴⁷The Lord is alive![#tn Elsewhere the construction חַי־יְהוָה (khay-yÿhvah) as used exclusively as an oath formula, 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 that he is the living God by rescuing and empowering the psalmist.]

My protector is praiseworthy!

The God who delivers me is exalted as king!

⁴⁸The one true God completely vindicates me;[#tn Heb “The God is the one who grants vengeance to me.” The plural form of the noun “vengeance” indicates degree here, suggesting complete vengeance or vindication. 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.

⁴⁹He delivers me from my enemies;[#tn Heb “and [the one who] brings me out from my enemies.”]

you snatch me away from those who attack me;

you rescue me from violent men.

⁵⁰So I will give you thanks, O Lord , before the nations![#sn This probably alludes to the fact that David will praise the Lord in the presence of the defeated nations when they, as his subjects, bring their tribute payments. Ideally God’s chosen king was to testify to the nations of God’s greatness. See J. Eaton, Kingship and the Psalms (SBT), 182-85.]

I will sing praises to you.

⁵¹He gives his chosen king magnificent victories;[#tc The translation follows the Kethib and the ancient versions in reading מַגְדִּיל (magdil, “he magnifies”) rather than the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss of the MT which read מִגְדּוֹל (migdol, “tower”). See Ps 18:50.]

he is faithful to his chosen ruler,

to David and to his descendants forever!”