44 You have made me free from the fightings of my people; you have made me the head of the nations: a people of whom I had no knowledge will be my servants.
And it came about after this that David made an attack on the Philistines and overcame them; and David took the authority of the mother-town from the hands of the Philistines. And he overcame the Moabites, and he had them measured with a line when they were stretched out on the earth; marking out two lines for death and one full line for life. So the Moabites became servants to David and gave him offerings. And David overcame Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when he went to make his power seen by the River. And David took from him one thousand, seven hundred horsemen and twenty thousand footmen: and David had the leg-muscles of the horses cut, only keeping enough of them for a hundred war-carriages. And when the Aramaeans of Damascus came to the help of Hadadezer, king of Zobah, David put to the sword twenty-two thousand of the Aramaeans. And David put armed forces in Aram of Damascus: and the Aramaeans became servants to David and gave him offerings. And the Lord made David overcome wherever he went. And David took their gold body-covers from the servants of Hadadezer and took them to Jerusalem. And from Tebah and Berothai, towns of Hadadezer, King David took a great store of brass. And when Tou, king of Hamath, had news that David had overcome all the army of Hadadezer, He sent his son Hadoram to David, with words of peace and blessing, because he had overcome Hadadezer in the fight, for Hadadezer had wars with Tou; and Hadoram took with him vessels of silver and gold and brass: These King David made holy to the Lord, together with the silver and gold which he had taken from the nations he had overcome-- The nations of Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon and the Philistines and the Amalekites and the goods he had taken from Hadadezer, the son of Rehob, king of Zobah. And David got great honour for himself, when he came back, by the destruction of Edom in the valley of Salt, to the number of eighteen thousand men. And he put armed forces in Edom; all through Edom he had armed forces stationed, and all the Edomites became servants to David. And the Lord made David overcome wherever he went.
The God of our fathers gave Jesus back to life, whom you had put to death, hanging him on a tree. Him God has put on high at his right hand, as a Ruler and a Saviour, to give to Israel a change of heart and forgiveness of sins.
Who has said, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David your servant, Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish? The kings of the earth were lifted up, the rulers came together, against the Lord, and against his Christ: For, truly, in this town, against your holy servant, Jesus, who was marked out by you as Christ, Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, came together, To do that which had been fixed before by your hand and your purpose.
Let his kingdom be from sea to sea, from the River to the ends of the earth. Let those who are against him go down before him; and let his haters be low in the dust.
Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I put out my shoe; over Philistia will a glad cry be sounded. Who will take me into the strong town? who will be my guide into Edom?
Why are the nations so violently moved, and why are the thoughts of the people so foolish? The kings of the earth have taken their place, and the rulers are fixed in their purpose, against the Lord, and against the king of his selection, saying, Let their chains be broken, and their cords taken from off us. Then he whose seat is in the heavens will be laughing: the Lord will make sport of them. Then will his angry words come to their ears, and by his wrath they will be troubled: But I have put my king on my holy hill of Zion.
Now by chance there was present a good-for-nothing person named Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite: and he, sounding the horn, said, We have no part in David, or any interest in the son of Jesse: let every man go to his tent, O Israel. So all the men of Israel, turning away from David, went after Sheba, the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah were true to their king, going with him from Jordan as far as Jerusalem.
So the people went out into the field against Israel, and the fight took place in the woods of Ephraim. And the people of Israel were overcome there by the servants of David, and there was a great destruction that day, and twenty thousand men were put to the sword. And the fighting went on over all the face of the country: and the woods were responsible for more deaths than the sword.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 2 Samuel 22
Commentary on 2 Samuel 22 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 22
This chapter contains a song or psalm, the same with the eighteenth psalm, and which, according to Jarchi, was composed by David in his old age, and, as Kimchi says, at the end or close of his days; but Abarbinel is of opinion that it was written in his youthful time, in the midst of his troubles, and was sung by him as often as he had a deliverance from any; and which may account for the several variations in it from the eighteenth psalm, which, the same writer observes, are seventy four; and are not to be ascribed to the difference of copies, or neglect of copiers: and very probably, towards the close of his days, he revised it, and made it fit for general use, and sent it with the rest of his psalms to the chief musician; but the particular consideration of it, and of the differences in it from Psalm 18:1 are referred to the exposition of that book in its course.
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. See Gill on Psalm 18:1.
And he said, The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer. See Gill on Psalm 18:2.
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. See Gill on Psalm 18:2.
I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. See Gill on Psalm 18:3.
When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. See Gill on Psalm 18:4.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me. See Gill on Psalm 18:5.
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. See Gill on Psalm 18:6.
Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth. See Gill on Psalm 18:7.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. See Gill on Psalm 18:8.
He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under his feet. See Gill on Psalm 18:9.
And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. See Gill on Psalm 18:10.
And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters,
and thick clouds of the skies. See Gill on Psalm 18:11.
Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. See Gill on Psalm 18:12.
The Lord thundered from heaven, and the most High uttered his voice. See Gill on Psalm 18:13.
And he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. See Gill on Psalm 18:14.
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. See Gill on Psalm 18:15.
He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters. See Gill on Psalm 18:16.
He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. See Gill on Psalm 18:17.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the Lord was my stay. See Gill on Psalm 18:18.
He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me,
because he delighted in me. See Gill on Psalm 18:19.
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. See Gill on Psalm 18:20.
For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. See Gill on Psalm 18:21.
For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. See Gill on Psalm 18:22.
I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. See Gill on Psalm 18:23.
Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight. See Gill on Psalm 18:24.
With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt show thyself upright. See Gill on Psalm 18:25.
With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt show thyself unsavoury. See Gill on Psalm 18:26.
And the afflicted people thou wilt save: but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. See Gill on Psalm 18:27.
For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness. See Gill on Psalm 18:28.
For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. See Gill on Psalm 18:29.
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. See Gill on Psalm 18:30.
For who is God, save the Lord? and who is a rock, save our God? See Gill on Psalm 18:31.
God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect. See Gill on Psalm 18:32.
He maketh my feet like hinds' feet: and setteth me upon my high places. See Gill on Psalm 18:33.
He teacheth my hands to war; so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. See Gill on Psalm 18:34.
Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. See Gill on Psalm 18:35.
Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip. See Gill on Psalm 18:36.
I have pursued mine enemies, and destroyed them; and turned not again until I had consumed them. See Gill on Psalm 18:37.
And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet. See Gill on Psalm 18:38.
For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me. See Gill on Psalm 18:39.
Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. See Gill on Psalm 18:40.
They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the Lord, but he answered them not. See Gill on Psalm 18:41.
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. See Gill on Psalm 18:42.
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. See Gill on Psalm 18:43.
Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me. See Gill on Psalm 18:44.
Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places. See Gill on Psalm 18:45.
The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation. See Gill on Psalm 18:46.
It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me. See Gill on Psalm 18:47.
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. See Gill on Psalm 18:48.
Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. See Gill on Psalm 18:49.
He is the tower of salvation for his king: and showeth mercy to his anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore. See Gill on Psalm 18:50.