_I WILL LOVE THEE, O LORD, MY STRENGTH._ The time was the close of David's life. (2 Samuel 22:1; 2 Samuel 23:1.) The varied form in 2 Samuel 22:1, which omits the words "to the chief Musician," was subsequent to the form here, which was for liturgical use in the sanctuary. The psalm is 'a great Hal... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE LORD IS MY ROCK, AND MY FORTRESS, AND MY DELIVERER; MY GOD, MY STRENGTH, IN WHOM I WILL TRUST; MY BUCKLER, AND THE HORN OF MY SALVATION, AND MY HIGH TOWER._ My God, my strength - Hebrew, 'my strong rock' х_ TSUWRIY_ (H6697)], expressing immovable firmness: implying the immutable faithfulness o... [ Continue Reading ]
_I WILL CALL UPON THE LORD, WHO IS WORTHY TO BE PRAISED: SO SHALL I BE SAVED FROM MINE ENEMIES._ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, х_ MªHULAAL_ (H1984)] - literally, 'the praised Lord.'... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE SORROWS OF DEATH COMPASSED ME, AND THE FLOODS OF UNGODLY MEN MADE ME AFRAID._ The sorrows ... the sorrows - rather, 'the cords ... the cords,' as the parallel word, "the snares" (Psalms 18:5), requires. OF DEATH PREVENTED - surprised or overtook me. Death or hell (Hades) is pictured as a hun... [ Continue Reading ]
_IN MY DISTRESS I CALLED UPON THE LORD, AND CRIED UNTO MY GOD: HE HEARD MY VOICE OUT OF HIS TEMPLE, AND MY CRY CAME BEFORE HIM, EVEN INTO HIS EARS._ In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God - "I cried" implies a sense of more imminent danger, than "I called." "My God." implies n... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN THE EARTH SHOOK AND TREMBLED; THE FOUNDATIONS ALSO OF THE HILLS MOVED AND WERE SHAKEN, BECAUSE HE WAS WROTH._ Then the earth shook and trembled ... because he was wroth - with my persecutors.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THERE WENT UP A SMOKE OUT OF HIS NOSTRILS, AND FIRE OUT OF HIS MOUTH DEVOURED: COALS WERE KINDLED BY IT._ There went up a smoke out of his nostrils - an expansion of Psalms 18:7, "He was wroth." The imagery is from Deuteronomy 32:22; Deuteronomy 29:20. The nostrils are in Hebrew conception the sea... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE BOWED THE HEAVENS ALSO, AND CAME DOWN: AND DARKNESS WAS UNDER HIS FEET._ He bowed the heavens also, and came down. The wrath of which the kindling in heaven has been described is now seen descending upon the earth as a storm upon the wicked enemies of David. He bowed the heavens also and came d... [ Continue Reading ]
_AND HE RODE UPON A CHERUB, AND DID FLY: YEA, HE DID FLY UPON THE WINGS OF THE WIND._ He rode upon a cherub - see note, Ezekiel 1:6. The cherubim are "the chariot" of God (1 Chronicles 28:18); they probably represent the ruling powers which are the administrators of His government and providence, b... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE MADE DARKNESS HIS SECRET PLACE; HIS PAVILION ROUND ABOUT HIM WERE DARK WATERS AND THICK CLOUDS OF THE SKIES._ He made darkness his secret place. This verse expands (Psalms 18:9) "darkness was under His feet." HIS PAVILLION ROUND ABOUT HIM WERE DARK WATERS AND THICK CLOUDS. From these dark wat... [ Continue Reading ]
_AT THE BRIGHTNESS THAT WAS BEFORE HIM HIS THICK CLOUDS PASSED, HAIL STONES AND COALS OF FIRE._ At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed - i:e., these were dissipated on every side to make way for His lightnings. HAIL STONES AND COALS OF FIRE. The Lord uses the same weapons a... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE LORD ALSO THUNDERED IN THE HEAVENS, AND THE HIGHEST GAVE HIS VOICE; HAIL STONES AND COALS OF FIRE._ The Lord also thundered ... and the Highest gave his voice - drawn from Exodus 9:23; Hebrew, 'the Lord gave voices and hail, and the fire ran upon the earth.'... [ Continue Reading ]
_YEA, HE SENT OUT HIS ARROWS, AND SCATTERED THEM; AND HE SHOT OUT LIGHTNINGS, AND DISCOMFITED THEM._ And he shot out lightnings - rather, 'and much х_ RAAB_ (H7227)] lightnings.' [Not from _ RAABAB_ (H7232), to shoot arrows, Genesis 49:23]. AND DISCOMFITED THEM. Compare Exodus 14:24; Exodus 23:27... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEN THE CHANNELS OF WATERS WERE SEEN, AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE WORLD WERE DISCOVERED AT THY REBUKE, O_ _ LORD, AT THE BLAST OF THE BREATH OF THY NOSTRILS._ In the previous verses the enemy's overthrow was described; in this and the following verses is described the Psalmist's deliverance. THE... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE SENT FROM ABOVE, HE TOOK ME, HE DREW ME OUT OF MANY WATERS._ He drew me out of many waters - like a second Moses, whose name (meaning drawn out) is from the Hebrew; used here for "He drew me" х_ YAMªSHEENIY_ (H4871), a word which occurs nowhere else] (Exodus 2:10). Moses was a type of Israel an... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE DELIVERED ME FROM MY STRONG ENEMY, AND FROM THEM WHICH HATED ME: FOR THEY WERE TOO STRONG FOR ME._ He delivered me ... for they were too strong for me. The power of the enemy overmatching believers is what necessitates the Lord to put forth His omnipotence in our behalf.... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEY PREVENTED ME IN THE DAY OF MY CALAMITY: BUT THE LORD WAS MY STAY._ They prevented me - i:e., surprised me. IN THE DAY OF MY CALAMITY. Saul, with 3,000 men, encamped at the mouth of the very cave in the sides of which David and his handful of men remained (1 Samuel 24:3): it was then that Da... [ Continue Reading ]
_HE BROUGHT ME FORTH ALSO INTO A LARGE PLACE; HE DELIVERED ME, BECAUSE HE DELIGHTED IN ME._ He delivered me, because he delighted in me - on the ground of the righteousness in me, which forms the subject of the next part (Psalms 18:20). The section Psalms 18:20 expands the last words of Psalms 18:... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE LORD REWARDED ME ACCORDING TO MY RIGHTEOUSNESS; ACCORDING TO THE CLEANNESS OF MY HANDS HATH HE RECOMPENSED ME._ The Lord rewarded me according to my righteouness. It was from no arbitrary favouritism, but on the eternal law of His government, that God vindicated me. Compare Deuteronomy 28:1. T... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR I HAVE KEPT THE WAYS OF THE LORD, AND HAVE NOT WICKEDLY DEPARTED FROM MY GOD._ For I ... have not wickedly departed from my God - literally, 'I was not evil from my God.' All wickedness is vile ingratitude in departing from our Greatest Benefactor. David, though he had in particular cases, thr... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR ALL HIS JUDGMENTS WERE BEFORE ME, AND I DID NOT PUT AWAY HIS STATUTES FROM ME._ For all his judgments were before me. So long as one keeps these before his eyes, he is safe from utter apostasy (Psalms 119:176).... [ Continue Reading ]
_I WAS ALSO UPRIGHT BEFORE HIM, AND I KEPT MYSELF FROM MINE INIQUITY._ I was also upright before him - literally, with Him (Genesis 17:1; Deuteronomy 18:13). See God's own testimony to David (1 Kings 14:8) "My servant David kept my commandments, and followed me with all his heart, to do that only w... [ Continue Reading ]
_THEREFORE HATH THE LORD RECOMPENSED ME ACCORDING TO MY RIGHTEOUSNESS, ACCORDING TO THE CLEANNESS OF MY HANDS IN HIS EYESIGHT._ Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness - reverting to the same principle of God's dealings as was set forth in Psalms 18:20: this principle h... [ Continue Reading ]
_WITH THE MERCIFUL THOU WILT SHEW THYSELF MERCIFUL; WITH AN UPRIGHT MAN THOU WILT SHEW THYSELF UPRIGHT;_ With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful. David brings forward his case, not for self-glorification, but for the edification of the Church, to illustrate the universal principle of God'... [ Continue Reading ]
_WITH THE PURE THOU WILT SHEW THYSELF PURE; AND WITH THE FROWARD THOU WILT SHEW THYSELF FROWARD._ And with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward - not that God is really so; but to the froward God seems so. Compare the words of the unprofitable servant, "Lord, I knew thee, that thou art an har... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR THOU WILT SAVE THE AFFLICTED PEOPLE; BUT WILT BRING DOWN HIGH LOOKS._ For thou wilt save the afflicted people - those whom he had before called 'merciful (benignant), upright, and pure,' he now calls "the afflicted people," for the ordinary characteristic of the godly in this life is to be aff... [ Continue Reading ]
_FOR THOU WILT LIGHT MY CANDLE: THE LORD MY GOD WILL ENLIGHTEN MY DARKNESS._ Here follows the fourth section of the psalm. The aid which God had given the Psalmist against foreign enemies, after he had been established on the throne, and which God would hereafter also give. That the view of God's gr... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE LORD LIVETH; AND BLESSED BE MY ROCK; AND LET THE GOD OF MY SALVATION BE EXALTED._ Closing recapitulation of the whole subject.- Verse 46. THE LORD LIVETH; AND BLESSED BE MY ROCK; AND LET THE GOD OF MY SALVATION BE EXALTED. The threefold blessing answers to that in Numbers 6:24: an intimation... [ Continue Reading ]