Psalms18
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1 I love thee, O Jehovah, my strength.
2 Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my rock, in whom I will take refuge; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
3 I will call upon Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from mine enemies.
4 The cords of death compassed me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.
6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.
13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18 They came upon me in the day of my calamity; But Jehovah was my stay.
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 Jehovah hath rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his ordinances were before me, And I put not away his statutes from me.
23 I was also perfect with him, And I kept myself from mine iniquity.
24 Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
25 With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful; With the perfect man thou wilt show thyself perfect;
26 With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; And with the perverse thou wilt show thyself froward.
27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people; But the haughty eyes thou wilt bring down.
28 For thou wilt light my lamp: Jehovah my God will lighten my darkness.
29 For by thee I run upon a troop; And by my God do I leap over a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect: The word of Jehovah is tried; He is a shield unto all them that take refuge in him.
31 For who is God, save Jehovah? And who is a rock, besides our God,
32 The God that girdeth me with strength, And maketh my way perfect?
33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet: And setteth me upon my high places.
34 He teacheth my hands to war; So that mine arms do bend a bow of brass.
35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation; And thy right hand hath holden me up, And thy gentleness hath made me great.
36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, And my feet have not slipped.
37 I will pursue mine enemies, and overtake them; Neither will I turn again till they are consumed.
38 I will smite them through, so that they shall not be able to rise: They shall fall under my feet.
39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.
40 Thou hast also made mine enemies turn their backs unto me, That I might cut off them that hate me.
41 They cried, but there was none to save; Even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not.
42 Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the mire of the streets.
43 Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; Thou hast made me the head of the nations: A people whom I have not known shall serve me.
44 As soon as they hear of me they shall obey me; The foreigners shall submit themselves unto me.
45 The foreigners shall fade away, And shall come trembling out of their close places.
46 Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation,
47 Even the God that executeth vengeance for me, And subdueth peoples under me.
48 He rescueth me from mine enemies; Yea, thou liftest me up above them that rise up against me; Thou deliverest me from the violent man.
49 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the nations, And will sing praises unto thy name.
50 Great deliverance giveth he to his king, And showeth lovingkindness to his anointed, To David and to his seed, for evermore.
Study
Psalms 18Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 18. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: David rejoices in the deliverances God wrought for him. (1–19). He takes the comfort of his integrity, which God had cleared up. (20–28). He gives to God the glory of all his mighty deeds. (29–50).
vv1-19
The first words, “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength,” are the scope and contents of the psalm. Those that truly love God, may triumph in him as their Rock and Refuge, and may with confidence call upon him. 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. David was a praying man, and God was found a prayer-hearing God. If we pray as he did, we shall speed as he did. God's manifestation of his presence is very fully described, verses 7–15. Little appeared of man, but much of God, in these deliverances. It is not possible to apply to the history of the son of Jesse those awful, majestic, and stupendous words which are used through this description of the Divine manifestation. Every part of so solemn a scene of terrors tells us, a greater than David is here. God will not only deliver his people out of their troubles in due time, but he will bear them up under their troubles in the mean time. Can we meditate on verse 18, without directing one thought to Gethsemane and Calvary? Can we forget that it was in the hour of Christ's deepest calamity, when Judas betrayed, when his friends forsook, when the multitude derided him, and the smiles of his Father's love were withheld, that the powers of darkness prevented him? 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, because he delighted in him and in his undertaking.
vv20-28
Those that forsake the ways of the Lord, depart from their God. But though conscious to ourselves of many a false step, let there not be a wicked departure from our God. David kept his eye upon the rule of God's commands. Constant care to keep from that sin, whatever it be, which most easily besets us, proves that we are upright before God. Those who show mercy to others, even they need mercy. Those who are faithful to God, shall find him all that to them which he has promised to be. The words of the Lord are pure words, very sure to be depended on, and very sweet to be delighted in. Those who resist God, and walk contrary to him, shall find that he will walk contrary to them, Le 26:21–24. The gracious recompence of which David spoke, may generally be expected by those who act from right motives. Hence he speaks comfort to the humble, and terror to the proud; “Thou wilt bring down high looks.” And he speaks encouragement to himself; “Thou wilt light my candle:” thou wilt revive and comfort my sorrowful spirit; thou wilt guide my way, that I may avoid the snares laid for me. Thou wilt light my candle to work by, and give me an opportunity of serving thee. Let those that walk in darkness, and labour under discouragements, take courage; God himself will be a Light to them.
vv29-50
When we praise for one mercy, we must observe the many more, with which we have been compassed all our days. Many things had contributed to David's advancement, and he owns the hand of God in them all, to teach us to do likewise. In verse 32, and the following verses, are the gifts of God to the spiritual warrior, whereby he is prepared for the contest, after the example of his victorious Leader. Learn that we must seek release being made through Christ, shall be rejected. In David the type, we behold out of trouble through Christ. The prayer put up, without reconciliation Jesus our Redeemer, conflicting with enemies, compassed with sorrows and with floods of ungodly men, enduring not only the pains of death, but the wrath of God for us; yet calling upon the Father with strong cries and tears; rescued from the grave; proceeding to reconcile, or to put under his feet all other enemies, till death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. We should love the Lord, our Strength, and our Salvation; we should call on him in every trouble, and praise him for every deliverance; we should aim to walk with him in all righteousness and true holiness, keeping from sin. If we belong to him, he conquers and reigns for us, and we shall conquer and reign through him, and partake of the mercy of our anointed King, which is promised to all his seed for evermore. Amen.
Key Words
נָצַח: properly, to glitter from afar, i.e. to be eminent (as a superintendent, especially of the Temple services and its music); to be permanent
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
עֶבֶד: a servant
דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue
דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause
זֶה: the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that
שִׁיר: a song; abstractly, singing
יוֹם: a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverb)
נָצַל: to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense
מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses
Cross References
Psalms 18An nearly identical historical copy of this entire triumphal song of David.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Explicitly cited by Paul as fulfillment of Christ praising God among the Gentiles.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
Christ's deep distress, prayers, and subsequent resurrection deliverances typified in David.
Supported by Matthew Henry
God walking contrary (froward) to those who walk contrary to Him.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Calvin highlights loving God as the sum and substance of the law.
Supported by John Calvin
Hannah's song share identical metaphors of God as Rock, Horn of salvation, and Deliverer.
Supported by JFB
The dramatic Sinai-like theophany with smoke and devouring fire.
Supported by JFB
Moses praises God using the primary title of 'the Rock' whose way is perfect.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin
Identical Hebrew terminology of the cords/sorrows of death compassing the psalmist.
Supported by JFB
Saul himself confesses David's righteousness and clean hands in sparing his life.
Supported by JFB
Echoes making feet like hinds' feet and walking on high places.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the rare phrase 'thy gentleness hath made me great'.
Supported by JFB
The loose pains/sorrows of death matching Christ's resurrection victory.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Parallels the term 'prevented me in the day of my calamity' in Saul's pursuit.
Supported by JFB
Metaphorical lighting of the candle/lamp to guide through darkness.
Supported by Matthew Henry