Psalms18

English Standard Version

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¹To the . A Psalm of , the of the Lord, who the of to the Lord on the when the Lord him the of his , and the of . He : I you, O Lord, my .

²The Lord is my and my and my , my , my , in whom I , my , and the of my , my .

³I upon the Lord, who is worthy to be , and I am my .

⁴The of me; the of me;

⁵the of me; the of me.

⁶In my I upon the Lord; to my I cried for . his he my , and my his .

⁷Then the and ; the also of the and , he was .

⁸ from his , and his ; glowing him.

⁹He the and came ; was his .

¹⁰He a and ; he on the of the .

¹¹He his , his him, thick with .

¹² of the him and of broke his .

¹³The Lord also in the , and the his , and of .

¹⁴And he sent his and them; he and them.

¹⁵Then the of the were , and the of the were at your , O Lord, at the of the of your .

¹⁶He on , he me; he me of .

¹⁷He me my and those who me, for me.

¹⁸They me in the of my , but the Lord was my .

¹⁹He brought me into a ; he me, he in me.

²⁰The Lord with me according to my ; according to the of my he me.

²¹ I have the of the Lord, and have wickedly my .

²² all his were me, and his I did put me.

²³I was him, and I myself my .

²⁴So the Lord has me according to my , according to the of my in his .

²⁵ the you show yourself ; the you show yourself ;

²⁶ the you show yourself ; and the you make yourself seem .

²⁷ you a , but the you .

²⁸ it is you who my ; the Lord my my .

²⁹ by you I can a , and by my I can a .

³⁰This —his is ; the of the Lord ; he is a for those who in him.

³¹ is , the Lord? And is a , our ?—

³²the who me with and my .

³³He my like the feet of a and me the .

³⁴He my for , so that my can a of .

³⁵You have me the of your , and your me, and your made me .

³⁶You gave a for my me, and my did .

³⁷I my and them, and did they were .

³⁸I thrust them , so that they were to ; they my .

³⁹For you me with for the ; you made those who against me me.

⁴⁰You my their to me, and those who me I .

⁴¹They for help, but there was to ; they cried the Lord, but he did them.

⁴²I them fine as the ; I cast them like the of the .

⁴³You me with the ; you me the of the ; whom I had me.

⁴⁴As as they of me they me; to me.

⁴⁵ and of their .

⁴⁶The Lord , and be my , and be the of my —

⁴⁷the who me and me,

⁴⁸who me my ; , you me those who against me; you me the of .

⁴⁹ I will you, O Lord, , and to your .

⁵⁰ he brings to his , and to his , to and his .

Study Guide

Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 18.

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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

choirmasterH5329Hebrew

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

DavidH1732Hebrew

דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse

servantH5650Hebrew

עֶבֶד: a servant

addressedH1696Hebrew

דָבַר: perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue

wordsH1697Hebrew

דָּבָר: a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause

thisH2088Hebrew

זֶה: the masculine demonstrative pronoun, this or that

songH7892Hebrew

שִׁיר: a song; abstractly, singing

dayH3117Hebrew

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)

rescuedH5337Hebrew

נָצַל: to snatch away, whether in a good or a bad sense

fromH4480Hebrew

מִן: properly, a part of; hence (prepositionally), from or out of in many senses