2 Samuel 22:42

_THEY LOOKED, BUT THERE WAS NONE TO SAVE; EVEN UNTO THE LORD, BUT HE ANSWERED THEM NOT._ They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. David is here speaking of the enemies of Israel, into whose land he carried his victorious arms, and who, in the extremity of their distress, besides invoking the aid of their idols, did, it appears, sometimes pray to Yahweh (see the notes at Jonah 1:14): but He did not hear favourably. The reason why He did not listen to their importunate cries was, that they were without the pale of the covenant and its promises-that, being pagans, they were enemies to God, and could not address Him in the exercise of that faith which alone can render prayer acceptable....

EXPOSITION DAVID'S PSALM OF THANKSGIVING. This song, which is identical with Psalms 18:1; though with many verbal differences, is so universally acknowledged as a genuine composition of King David, that the objections taken by one or two critics serve only to give us greater security by reminding us that the other side has been carefully argued. The differences between its form here and in the Book of Psalms suggest many important considerations with regard to textual criticism. From the absence of manuscripts, we have very scanty means of judging of the correctness of the ordinary Hebrew text. We have, indeed, abundant proof that the Jews took extreme care of their sacred text in the early centuries of our era; but we nevertheless find, most frequently in names, mistakes which have arisen from the care

THEY LOOKED, BUT [THERE WAS] NONE TO SAVE; [EVEN] UNTO THE LORD, BUT HE ANSWERED THEM NOT. Psalms 18:41....

2. DAVID'S SONG OF DELIVERANCE CHAPTER 22 _ 1. The praise of Jehovah (2 Samuel 22:1)_ 2. The sorrows of the past (2 Samuel 22:5) 3. God's presence and intervention (2 Samuel 22:8) 4. Reward and approval (2 Samuel 22:21) 5. The judgment of the enemies (2 Samuel 22:29) 6. The exaltation above the adversaries (2 Samuel 22:44) 7. The praise of Jehovah ...

1 SAMUEL 22. PSALMS 18. This poem is dealt with in the commentary on the Psalms (Psalms book comments, and Psalms 18 chapter comments.)....

LOOKED. looked about. But Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate read "cried out". Compare Psalms 18:41....

David's destruction of his enemies 38. _destroyed them_ In Psalms 18:37, "overtaken them," an echo of Exodus 15:9....

AND DAVID SPAKE UNTO THE LORD—THIS SONG— As this fine poem of David's occurs in the book of Psalms, we shall not make any remark upon it till we come to its proper place. See Psalms 18....

_The Lord's Victory._ 2 Samuel 22:32-51 32 For who _is_ God, save the Lord? and who _is_ a rock, save our God? 33 God _is_ my strength _and_ power; and he maketh my way perfect. 34 He maketh my feet like hinds-' _feet:_ and setteth me upon my high places. 35 He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. 36 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. 37 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip. 38 I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them. 39 And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet. 40...

DAVID'S THANKSGIVING PSALM This beautiful poem has also been preserved as the Eighteenth Psalm. It probably belongs to the earlier portion of David's reign, when his conquests and God's promise (2 Samuel 7) were still fresh in his mind. See on Psalms 18....