2 Samuel 22
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And 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:
2 And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
3 The 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.
4 I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.
5 When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;
6 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me;
7 In 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.
8 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth.
9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
11 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind.
12 And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
13 Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled.
14 The Lord thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice.
15 And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.
16 And 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.
17 He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters;
18 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me.
19 They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay.
20 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
21 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.
22 For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23 For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.
25 Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
26 With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright.
27 With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury.
28 And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down.
29 For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.
30 For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall.
31 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him.
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 For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me.
41 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.
42 They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not.
43 Then 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.
44 Thou 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.
45 Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.
46 Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places.
47 The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation.
48 It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me.
49 And 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.
50 Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name.
51 He is the tower of salvation for his king: and sheweth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
2 Samuel 22:1-51
David’s Song of Deliverance
1And David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. 2He said,
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
3my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my savior; you save me from violence.
4I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.
5“For the waves of death encompassed me,
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
6the cords of Sheol entangled me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7“In my distress I called upon the Lord;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.
8“Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the foundations of the heavens trembled
and quaked, because he was angry.
9Smoke went up from his nostrils,
and devouring fire from his mouth;
glowing coals flamed forth from him.
10He bowed the heavens and came down;
thick darkness was under his feet.
11He rode on a cherub and flew;
he was seen on the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness around him his canopy,
thick clouds, a gathering of water.
13Out of the brightness before him
coals of fire flamed forth.
14The Lord thundered from heaven,
and the Most High uttered his voice.
15And he sent out arrows and scattered them;
lightning, and routed them.
16Then the channels of the sea were seen;
the foundations of the world were laid bare,
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
17“He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
18He rescued me from my strong enemy,
from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
19They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the Lord was my support.
20He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
21“The Lord dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me.
22For I have kept the ways of the Lord
and have not wickedly departed from my God.
23For all his rules were before me,
and from his statutes I did not turn aside.
24I was blameless before him,
and I kept myself from guilt.
25And the Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness in his sight.
26“With the merciful you show yourself merciful;
with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
27with the purified you deal purely,
and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
28You save a humble people,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29For you are my lamp, O Lord,
and my God lightens my darkness.
30For by you I can run against a troop,
and by my God I can leap over a wall.
31This God—his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord proves true;
he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
32“For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
33This God is my strong refuge
and has made my way blameless.
34He made my feet like the feet of a deer
and set me secure on the heights.
35He trains my hands for war,
so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36You have given me the shield of your salvation,
and your gentleness made me great.
37You gave a wide place for my steps under me,
and my feet did not slip;
38I pursued my enemies and destroyed them,
and did not turn back until they were consumed.
39I consumed them; I thrust them through, so that they did not rise;
they fell under my feet.
40For you equipped me with strength for the battle;
you made those who rise against me sink under me.
41You made my enemies turn their backs to me,
those who hated me, and I destroyed them.
42They looked, but there was none to save;
they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
43I beat them fine as the dust of the earth;
I crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.
44“You delivered me from strife with my people;
you kept me as the head of the nations;
people whom I had not known served me.
45Foreigners came cringing to me;
as soon as they heard of me, they obeyed me.
46Foreigners lost heart
and came trembling out of their fortresses.
47“The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation,
48the God who gave me vengeance
and brought down peoples under me,
49who brought me out from my enemies;
you exalted me above those who rose against me;
you delivered me from men of violence.
50“For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing praises to your name.
51Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.”
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
2 Samuel 22:1-51
David’s Song of Praise
1David sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2He said:
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
3my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation.
He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.
4“I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5The waves of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6The cords of the grave coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7“In my distress I called to the Lord;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
8The earth trembled and quaked,
the foundations of the heavens shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire came from his mouth,
burning coals blazed out of it.
10He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds were under his feet.
11He mounted the cherubim and flew;
he soared on the wings of the wind.
12He made darkness his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky.
13Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning blazed forth.
14The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15He shot his arrows and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke of the Lord,
at the blast of breath from his nostrils.
17“He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
he drew me out of deep waters.
18He rescued me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.
20He brought me out into a spacious place;
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
21“The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me.
22For I have kept the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23All his laws are before me;
I have not turned away from his decrees.
24I have been blameless before him
and have kept myself from sin.
25The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,
according to my cleanness in his sight.
26“To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27to the pure you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.
28You save the humble,
but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them low.
29You, Lord, are my lamp;
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30With your help I can advance against a troop;
with my God I can scale a wall.
31“As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
32For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
33It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
34He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
35He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36You make your saving help my shield;
your help has made me great.
37You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
38“I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
40You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.
41You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
42They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—
to the Lord, but he did not answer.
43I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets.
44“You have delivered me from the attacks of the peoples;
you have preserved me as the head of nations.
People I did not know now serve me,
45foreigners cower before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
46They all lose heart;
they come trembling from their strongholds.
47“The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior!
48He is the God who avenges me,
who puts the nations under me,
49who sets me free from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
50Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
51“He gives his king great victories;
he shows unfailing kindness to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.”
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
David sings jubilant praises to the Lord–his Rock, his Refuge, his Rescuer–when He has delivered him from all his enemies, including even King Saul. After years of being hunted, attacked, threatened, what a relief it must be to think of God’s miraculous interventions. He acknowledges that God went much further and now has supported and solidified his rule—even bringing foreigners from afar into submission and subjection.
This all seems very appropriate. But then we come to the middle sections of the song, where David is clearly saying God has done all this because of his (David’s) righteousness, because he has kept the ways of the Lord, has not done evil, has been blameless, and has kept His laws. Excuse me. What about Bathsheba? What about the murder of her husband? What about some of his less-than-ethical exploits in war? Or his record as a father?
Perhaps the key is in v. 29: “For you are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness.” As we look at the twists and turns of David’s life, we find assurance that God is our lamp, too. He will turn our darkness into light, whatever darkness our past has held. He will accept our repentance, see us through the perfection of His Son, and rescue us.
Madeline Steele Johnston
