2 Samuel 22KJV
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2 Samuel22

King James Version · Public Domain

1And David spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:

2And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

3The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.

4I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

5When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;

6The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;

7In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears.

8Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.

9There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

10He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.

11And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.

12And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

13Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.

14The Lord thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.

15And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.

16And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.

17He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;

18He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.

19They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.

20He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.

21The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.

22For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

23For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.

24I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.

25Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.

26With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.

27With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.

28And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.

29For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.

30For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.

31As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.

32For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God?

33God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect.

34He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places.

35He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

36Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great.

37Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.

38I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them.

39And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet.

40For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.

41Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

42They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.

43Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad.

44Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me.

45Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.

46Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.

47The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.

48It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,

49And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies: thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

50Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.

51He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 2 Samuel 22.

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Chapter Summary

In this chapter: David's psalm of thanksgiving. (1-51).

vv1-51

This chapter is a psalm of praise; we find it afterwards nearly as Ps 18. They that trust God in the way of duty, shall find him a present help in their greatest dangers: David did so. Remarkable preservations should be particularly mentioned in our praises. We shall never be delivered from all enemies till we get to heaven. God will preserve all his people, 2Ti 4:18. Those who receive signal mercies from God, ought to give him the glory. In the day that God delivered David, he sang this song. While the mercy is fresh, and we are most affected with it, let the thank-offering be brought, to be kindled with the fire of that affection. All his joys and hopes close, as all our hopes should do, in the great Redeemer.

Cross References

2 Samuel 22
v2Psalms 18:2-50thematic

This song is nearly identical to Psalm 18; David revised and set it to tabernacle music.

Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB

v50Romans 15:9fulfillment

Paul quotes verse 50 verbatim to prove the gospel's extension to the Gentiles.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v512 Samuel 7:12thematic

Connects David's thanksgiving for his 'seed for evermore' to the covenant promise in 2 Samuel 7.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v12 Timothy 4:18thematic

Paul echoes David's confidence in absolute deliverance from every evil work and enemy.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Echoes the Song of Moses, where God is first celebrated with the title 'the Rock'.

Supported by JFB

v34Habakkuk 3:19allusion

Habakkuk directly quotes David's poetic phrase about having feet like hinds' feet on high places.

Supported by JFB

v21 Samuel 2:2thematic

Echoes Hannah's song, which similarly celebrates the Lord as the unique, incomparable 'Rock'.

Supported by JFB

v3Hebrews 2:13fulfillment

The author of Hebrews quotes 'I will trust in him' as the words of Messiah.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v202 Samuel 15:26thematic

Connects David's statement 'he delighted in me' to his trials during Absalom's conspiracy.

Supported by Matthew Henry

v16Exodus 15:8allusion

Refers to the parting of the sea by the blast of God's nostrils.

Supported by JFB

Parallel affirmation of monotheism and God's exclusive claim to be the Rock.

Supported by JFB

v33Exodus 15:2allusion

Echoes the triumph imagery of the Song of Moses at the Red Sea.

Supported by JFB

v3Luke 1:69fulfillment

Zacharias uses David's term 'horn of salvation' to announce the coming Messiah.

Supported by Matthew Henry

Illustrates how God acts 'unsavoury' or 'contrary' to those who walk contrary to Him.

Supported by Matthew Henry