5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.
6 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.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.
14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 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.
16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.
5 The sorrows H2256 of hell H7585 compassed me about: H5437 the snares H4170 of death H4194 prevented H6923 me.
6 In my distress H6862 I called H7121 upon the LORD, H3068 and cried H7768 unto my God: H430 he heard H8085 my voice H6963 out of his temple, H1964 and my cry H7775 came H935 before H6440 him, even into his ears. H241
7 Then the earth H776 shook H1607 and trembled; H7493 the foundations H4146 also of the hills H2022 moved H7264 and were shaken, H1607 because he was wroth. H2734
8 There went up H5927 a smoke H6227 out of his nostrils, H639 and fire H784 out of his mouth H6310 devoured: H398 coals H1513 were kindled H1197 by it.
9 He bowed H5186 the heavens H8064 also, and came down: H3381 and darkness H6205 was under his feet. H7272
10 And he rode H7392 upon a cherub, H3742 and did fly: H5774 yea, he did fly H1675 upon the wings H3671 of the wind. H7307
11 He made H7896 darkness H2822 his secret place; H5643 his pavilion H5521 round about H5439 him were dark H2824 waters H4325 and thick clouds H5645 of the skies. H7834
12 At the brightness H5051 that was before him his thick clouds H5645 passed, H5674 hail H1259 stones and coals H1513 of fire. H784
13 The LORD H3068 also thundered H7481 in the heavens, H8064 and the Highest H5945 gave H5414 his voice; H6963 hail H1259 stones and coals H1513 of fire. H784
14 Yea, he sent out H7971 his arrows, H2671 and scattered H6327 them; and he shot out H7232 lightnings, H1300 and discomfited H2000 them.
15 Then the channels H650 of waters H4325 were seen, H7200 and the foundations H4146 of the world H8398 were discovered H1540 at thy rebuke, H1606 O LORD, H3068 at the blast H5397 of the breath H7307 of thy nostrils. H639
16 He sent H7971 from above, H4791 he took H3947 me, he drew H4871 me out of many H7227 waters. H4325
17 He delivered H5337 me from my strong H5794 enemy, H341 and from them which hated H8130 me: for they were too strong H553 for me.
5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came upon me.
6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, And cried unto my God: He heard my voice out of his temple, And my cry before him came into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations also of the mountains quaked And were shaken, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, And fire out of his mouth devoured: Coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down; And thick darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; Yea, he soared upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion round about him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.
13 Jehovah also thundered in the heavens, And the Most High uttered his voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yea, lightnings manifold, and discomfited them.
15 Then the channels of waters appeared, And the foundations of the world were laid bare, At thy rebuke, O Jehovah, At the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He sent from on high, he took me; He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from them that hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
5 Cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been snares of death.
6 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I cry. He heareth from His temple my voice, And My cry before Him cometh into His ears.
7 And shake and tremble doth the earth, And foundations of hills are troubled, And they shake -- because He hath wrath.
8 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils, And fire from His mouth consumeth, Coals have been kindled by it.
9 And He inclineth the heavens, and cometh down, And thick darkness `is' under His feet.
10 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And He flieth on wings of wind.
11 He maketh darkness His secret place, Round about Him His tabernacle, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on, Hail and coals of fire.
13 And thunder in the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice, Hail and coals of fire.
14 And He sendeth His arrows and scattereth them, And much lightning, and crusheth them.
15 And seen are the streams of waters, And revealed are foundations of the earth. From Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of Thine anger.
16 He sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
17 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, And from those hating me, For they have been stronger than I.
5 The bands of Sheol surrounded me, the cords of death encountered me.
6 In my distress I called upon Jehovah, and I cried out to my God; he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled and shook, because he was wroth.
8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals burned forth from it.
9 And he bowed the heavens, and came down; and darkness was under his feet.
10 And he rode upon a cherub and did fly; yea, he flew fast upon the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his secret place, his tent round about him: darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 From the brightness before him his thick clouds passed forth: hail and coals of fire.
13 And Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice: hail and coals of fire.
14 And he sent his arrows, and scattered [mine enemies]; and he shot forth lightnings, and discomfited them.
15 And the beds of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at thy rebuke, Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.
16 He reached forth from above, he took me, he drew me out of great waters:
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were mightier than I.
5 The cords of Sheol were round about me; The snares of death came on me.
6 In my distress I called on Yahweh, And cried to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple, My cry before him came into his ears.
7 Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations also of the mountains quaked and were shaken, Because he was angry.
8 Smoke went out of his nostrils. Consuming fire came out of his mouth. Coals were kindled by it.
9 He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
10 He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he soared on the wings of the wind.
11 He made darkness his hiding-place, his pavilion around him, Darkness of waters, thick clouds of the skies.
12 At the brightness before him his thick clouds passed, Hailstones and coals of fire.
13 Yahweh also thundered in the sky, The Most High uttered his voice: Hailstones and coals of fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; Yes, great lightning bolts, and routed them.
15 Then the channels of waters appeared, The foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
16 He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
5 The cords of hell were round me: the nets of death came on me.
6 In my trouble my voice went up to the Lord, and my cry to my God: my voice came to his hearing in his holy Temple, and my prayer came before him, even into his ears.
7 Then trouble and shock came on the earth; and the bases of the mountains were moved and shaking, because he was angry.
8 There went up a smoke from his nose, and a fire of destruction from his mouth: flames were lighted by it.
9 The heavens were bent, so that he might come down; and it was dark under his feet.
10 And he went in flight through the air, seated on a storm-cloud: going quickly on the wings of the wind.
11 He made the dark his secret place; his tent round him was the dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
12 Before his shining light his dark clouds went past, raining ice and fire.
13 The Lord made thunder in the heavens, and the voice of the Highest was sounding out: a rain of ice and fire.
14 He sent out his arrows, driving them in all directions; by his flames of fire they were troubled.
15 Then the deep beds of the waters were seen, and the bases of the world were uncovered, because of your words of wrath, O Lord, because of the breath from your mouth.
16 He sent from on high, he took me, pulling me out of great waters.
17 He made me free from my strong hater, and from those who were against me, because they were stronger than I.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 18
Commentary on Psalms 18 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 18
Ps 18:1-50. "The servant of the Lord," which in the Hebrew precedes "David," is a significant part of the title (and not a mere epithet of David), denoting the inspired character of the song, as the production of one entrusted with the execution of God's will. He was not favored by God because he served Him, but served Him because selected and appointed by God in His sovereign mercy. After a general expression of praise and confidence in God for the future, David gives a sublimely poetical description of God's deliverance, which he characterizes as an illustration of God's justice to the innocent and His righteous government. His own prowess and success are celebrated as the results of divine aid, and, confident of its continuance, he closes in terms of triumphant praise. 2Sa 22:1-51 is a copy of this Psalm, with a few unimportant variations recorded there as a part of the history, and repeated here as part of a collection designed for permanent use.
1. I will love thee—with most tender affection.
2, 3. The various terms used describe God as an object of the most implicit and reliable trust.
rock—literally, "a cleft rock," for concealment.
strength—a firm, immovable rock.
horn of my salvation—The horn, as the means of attack or defense of some of the strongest animals, is a frequent emblem of power or strength efficiently exercised (compare De 33:17; Lu 1:69).
tower—literally, "high place," beyond reach of danger.
3. to be praised—for past favors, and worthy of confidence.
4. sorrows—literally, "bands as of a net" (Ps 116:3).
floods—denotes "multitude."
5. death—and hell (compare Ps 16:10) are personified as man's great enemies (compare Re 20:13, 14).
prevented—encountered me, crossed my path, and endangered my safety. He does not mean he was in their power.
6. He relates his methods to procure relief when distressed, and his success.
temple—(Compare Ps 11:4).
7, 8. God's coming described in figures drawn from His appearance on Sinai (compare De 32:22).
8. smoke out … his nostrils—bitter in His wrath (compare Ps 74:1).
by it—that is, the fire (Ex 19:18).
9. darkness—or, a dense cloud (Ex 19:16; De 5:22).
10. cherub—angelic agents (compare Ge 3:24), the figures of which were placed over the ark (1Sa 4:4), representing God's dwelling; used here to enhance the majesty of the divine advent. Angels and winds may represent all rational and irrational agencies of God's providence (compare Ps 104:3, 4).
did fly—Rapidity of motion adds to the grandeur of the scene.
11. dark waters—or, clouds heavy with vapor.
12. Out of this obscurity, which impresses the beholder with awe and dread, He reveals Himself by sudden light and the means of His terrible wrath (Jos 10:11; Ps 78:47).
13. The storm breaks forth—thunder follows lightning, and hail with repeated lightning, as often seen, like balls or coals of fire, succeed (Ex 9:23).
14. The fiery brightness of lightning, in shape like burning arrows rapidly shot through the air, well represents the most terrible part of an awful storm. Before the terrors of such a scene the enemies are confounded and overthrown in dismay.
15. The tempest of the air is attended by appropriate results on earth. The language, though not expressive of any special physical changes, represents the utter subversion of the order of nature. Before such a God none can stand.
16-19. from above—As seated on a throne, directing these terrible scenes, God—
sent—His hand (Ps 144:7), reached down to His humble worshipper, and delivered him.
many waters—calamities (Job 30:14; Ps 124:4, 5).
18. prevented—(Ps 18:3).
19. a large place—denotes safety or relief, as contrasted with the straits of distress (Ps 4:1). All his deliverance is ascribed to God, and this sublime poetical representation is given to inspire the pious with confidence and the wicked with dread.
20-24. The statements of innocence, righteousness, &c., refer, doubtless, to his personal and official conduct and his purposes, during all the trials to which he was subjected in Saul's persecutions and Absalom's rebellions, as well as the various wars in which he had been engaged as the head and defender of God's Church and people.
23. upright before him—In my relation to God I have been perfect as to all parts of His law. The perfection does not relate to degree.
mine iniquity—perhaps the thought of his heart to kill Saul (1Sa 24:6). That David does not allude to all his conduct, in all relations, is evident from Ps 51:1, &c.
25-27. God renders to men according to their deeds in a penal, not vindictive, sense (Le 26:23, 24).
merciful—or, "kind" (Ps 4:3).
26. froward—contrary to.
27. the afflicted people—that is, the humbly pious.
high looks—pride (Ps 101:5; 131:1).
28. To give one light is to make prosperous (Job 18:5, 6; 21:17).
thou—is emphatic, as if to say, I can fully confide in Thee for help.
29. And this on past experience in his military life, set forth by these figures.
30-32. God's perfection is the source of his own, which has resulted from his trust on the one hand, and God's promised help on the other.
tried—"as metals are tried by fire and proved genuine" (Ps 12:6). Shield (Ps 3:3). Girding was essential to free motion on account of the looseness of Oriental dresses; hence it is an expressive figure for describing the gift of strength.
33-36. God's help farther described. He gives swiftness to pursue or elude his enemies (Hab 3:19), strength, protection, and a firm footing.
35. thy gentleness—as applied to God—condescension—or that which He gives, in the sense of humility (compare Pr 22:4).
36. enlarged my steps—made ample room (compare Pr 4:12).
37-41. In actual conflict, with God's aid, the defeat of his enemies is certain. A present and continued success is expressed.
39. that rose up against me—literally, "insurgents" (Ps 3:1; 44:5).
40. given me the necks—literally, "backs of the necks"; made them retreat (Ex 23:27; Jos 7:8).
42. This conquest was complete.
43-45. Not only does He conquer civil foes, but foreigners, who are driven from their places of refuge.
44. submit, &c.—(compare Margin)—that is, show a forced subjection.
46. The Lord liveth—contrasts Him with idols (1Co 8:4).
47, 48. avengeth me—His cause is espoused by God as His own.
48. liftest me up—to safety and honors.
49, 50. Paul (Ro 15:9) quotes from this doxology to show that under the Old Testament economy, others than the Jews were regarded as subjects of that spiritual government of which David was head, and in which character his deliverances and victories were typical of the more illustrious triumphs of David's greater Son. The language of Ps 18:50 justifies this view in its distinct allusion to the great promise (compare 2Sa 7:12). In all David's successes he saw the pledges of a fulfilment of that promise, and he mourned in all his adversities, not only in view of his personal suffering, but because he saw in them evidences of danger to the great interests which were committed to his keeping. It is in these aspects of his character that we are led properly to appreciate the importance attached to his sorrows and sufferings, his joys and successes.