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Psalm Eighteen
New King James Version (NKJV)
YLT
1To the Overseer. -- By a servant of Jehovah
by David
who hath spoken
to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the
hand of all his enemies
and from the hand of Saul
and he saith: --
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 18
To the chief Musician
cf15I a Psalm of David. This
is the same with that in 2 Samuel 22:1
with some variations
omissions
and alterations:
the servant of the Lord; not only by creation
nor merely by regeneration
but by office
as king of Israel
being put into it
by the Lord
and acting in it in submission and obedience to him; just as the
apostles under the New Testament
on account of their office
so style
themselves in their epistles:
who spake unto the Lord the words of this song; that is
who
delivered and sung this song in so many express words
in public
before all
the congregation of Israel
to the honour and glory of God:
in the day [that] the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his
enemies
and from the hand of Saul
Not that this psalm was
composed and sung the selfsame day that David was delivered from Saul
and set
upon the throne; for it seems to have been written in his old age
at the close
of his days; for immediately after it
in the second book of Samuel
it
follows
"now these be the last words of David"
2 Samuel 23:1
but the sense is
that
whereas David had many enemies
and particularly Saul
who was his greatest
enemy
the Lord delivered him from them all
and especially from him
from him
first
and then from all the rest; which when he reflected upon in his last
days
he sat down and wrote this psalm
and then sung it in public
having
delivered it into the hands of the chief musician for that purpose. There are
two passages cited out of it in the New Testament
and applied to Christ; Psalm 18:2
in Hebrews 2:13
and Psalm 18:49 in Romans 15:9; and there are many things in
it that very well agree with him; he is eminently the "servant" of
the Lord as Mediator; he was encompassed with the snares and sorrows of death
and hell
and with the floods of ungodly men
when in the garden and on the
cross God was his helper and deliverer
as man; and he was victorious over all
enemies
sin
Satan
the world
death and hell; as the subject of this psalm is
all along represented: and to Christ it does most properly belong to be the
head of the Heathen
whose voluntary subjects the Gentiles are said to be
Psalm 18:43; and which is expressed in much
the same language as the like things are in Isaiah 55:4; which is a clear and undoubted
prophecy of the Messiah; to which may be added
that the Lord's Anointed
the
King Messiah
and who is also called David
is expressly mentioned in Psalm 18:50; and which is applied to the
Messiah by the JewsF17Echa Rabbati
fol. 50. 2. & Midrash Tillim
in Tzeror Hammor
fol. 47. 3. as Psalm 18:32 is paraphrased of him by the
Targum on it;
and he said; the following words:
Psalm 18:1 I
will love You
O Lord
my strength.
YLT
1I love Thee
O Jehovah
my
strength.
I will love thee
O Lord
my strength. These words
are not in twenty second chapter of Second Samuel: the psalm there begins with Psalm 18:2. The psalmist here expresses his
love to the Lord
and his continuance in it; that Jehovah the Father was
is
and ever will be the object of Christ's love
is certain; and which has
appeared by his readiness in the council and covenant of grace to do his will;
by his coming down from heaven to earth for that purpose; by his delight in it
it being his meat and drink to do it; and by his sufferings and death
which
were in compliance with
and obedience to it
John 14:31; and as in David
so in all
regenerate ones
there is love to God; Jehovah is loved by them in all his
persons; Jehovah the Father is loved
and to be loved
for the perfections of
his nature
because of the works of his hands
of creation and providence; and
particularly because of his works of special grace and goodness
and especially
because of his love wherewith he has loved his people
1 John 4:19. Jehovah the Son is loved
and
to be loved
above all creatures and things whatever
sincerely and heartily
fervently and constantly; because of the loveliness of his person
the love of
his heart
and his works of grace and redemption; all of him is lovely; and he
is to be loved
and is loved
in his person
offices
relations
people
word
and ordinances: Jehovah the Spirit is loved
and to be loved
because of his person
and perfections
and operations of grace; as a sanctifier
comforter
the
spirit of adoption
the earnest and pledge of eternal glory. The word here used
signifies the most intimate
tender
and affectionate love; it often designs
mercy and bowels of mercy; so Aben Ezra interprets it of seeking mercy of God:
the reasons are as follow in this verse and Psalm 18:2
because "the Lord is my
strength"; so he was to Christ as man
who as such was the man of his
right hand
the Son of Man
whom he made strong for himself
to do his work
and for his glory
Psalm 80:17; he promised to strengthen him
and he did
Psalm 89:21; and so he is the strength of
all his saints
even Jehovah
Father
Son
and Spirit; he is the strength of
their hearts both in life and at death; he is the strength of their graces
who
strengthens that which he has wrought for them
and in them; he strengthens
them to do their duty
to bear the cross
and every affliction
and against
every enemy of their souls; and this renders him very lovely and amiable to
them.
Psalm 18:2 2 The Lord is my rock and
my fortress and my deliverer; My God
my strength
in whom I will trust; My
shield and the horn of my salvation
my stronghold.
YLT
2Jehovah [is] my rock
and
my bulwark
And my deliverer
My God [is] my rock
I trust in Him: My shield
and a horn of my salvation
My high tower.
The Lord is my rock
.... To whom the saints
have recourse for shelter and safety
for supply
support
and divine
refreshment; and in whom they are secure
and on whom they build their hopes of
eternal life and happiness
and so are safe from all enemies
and from all
danger. Christ is called a Rock on all these accounts
Psalm 61:2;
and my fortress; or garrison; so the saints are kept in and
by the power of God as in a garrison
1 Peter 1:5;
and my deliverer: out of all afflictions
and from all
temptations
and out of the hands of all enemies; from a body of sin and death
at last
and from wrath to come;
my God; the strong and mighty One
who is able to save
and who is the
covenant God and Father of his people;
my strength
in whom I will trust; as Christ did
and to
whom these words are applied in Hebrews 2:13; and as his people are enabled
to do even under very distressing and discouraging circumstances
Job 13:15;
my buckler; or shield; who protects and defends them from their enemies
and
preserves them from the fiery darts of Satan;
and the horn of my salvation; who pushes
scatters
and destroys their enemies
and saves them; a metaphor taken from horned
beasts; so Christ
the mighty and able Saviour
is called
Luke 1:69;
and my high tower; such is the
name of the Lord
whither the righteous run and are safe
Proverbs 18:10; and where they are above
and out of the reach of every enemy; see Isaiah 33:16; in 2 Samuel 22:3
it is added
"and my
refuge
my Saviour
thou savest me from violence". These various epithets
show the fulness of safety in Jehovah
the various ways he has to deliver his
people from their enemies
and secure them from danger; and the psalmist
beholding and claiming his interest in him under all these characters
rendered
him exceeding lovely and delightful to him; and each of them contain a reason
why he loved him
and why
in the strength of grace
he determined to love him.
God may be regarded in all these characters by Christ as man.
Psalm 18:3 3 I will call upon the Lord
who is
worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.
YLT
3The `Praised One' I call
Jehovah
And from my enemies I am saved.
I will call upon the Lord
.... In prayer
for fresh
mercies
and further appearances of himself
and discoveries of his grace and
favour;
who is worthy to be praised; for the
perfections of his nature
the works of his hands
his providential goodness
and more especially for his covenant grace and blessings in Christ. The Targum
is
"in
praise
or with an hymn
I pray before the Lord;'
agreeably
to the rule the apostle gives
Philemon 4:6; and this prayer was a prayer
of faith
as follows;
so shall I be saved from mine enemies: which was
founded upon past experience of God's goodness to him in distress
when he
called upon him
as the next words show.
Psalm 18:4 4 The pangs of death
surrounded me
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
YLT
4Compassed me have cords of
death
And streams of the worthless make me afraid.
The sorrows of death compassed me
.... These words and the
following
in this verse and Psalm 18:5
as they respect David
show the
snares that were laid for his life
the danger of death he was in
and the
anxiety of mind he was possessed of on account of it; and as they refer to
Christ
include all the sorrows of his life to the time of his death
who was a
man of sorrows and acquainted with grief personally
and bore and carried the
sorrows and griefs of all his people; and may chiefly intend his sorrows in the
garden
arising from a view of the sins of his people
which he was about to
bear upon the cross; and from an apprehension of the wrath of God
and curse of
the law
which he was going to sustain for them
when his soul was περιλυπος
encompassed about
with sorrow
even unto death
Matthew 26:38; when his sorrow was so
great
and lay so heavy upon him
that it almost pressed him down to death
he
could scarce live under it; and may also take in the very pains and agonies of
death; he dying the death of the cross
which was a very painful and
excruciating one; see Psalm 22:14; The Hebrew word for
"sorrows" signifies the pains and birth throes of a woman in travail;
and is here fitly used of the sufferings and death of Christ; through which he
brought forth much fruit
or many sons to glory. The Targum is
"distress
has encompassed me
as a woman that sits upon the stool
and has no strength to
bring forth
and is in danger of dying.'
In 2 Samuel 22:5
it is "the waves"
or "breakers of death compassed me"; and the word there used is
rendered in Hosea 13:13; "the breaking forth of
children"; moreover the same word signifies "cords"F18חבלי מות "funes
mortis"
Musculus
Montanus
Vatablus
Gejerus
Michaelis; so Ainsworth
Hammond.
as well as pains and sorrows; and the allusion may be to malefactors
being bound with cords when led to execution
and put to death; and may here
signify the power of death
under which the Messiah was held for a while
but
was loosed from it at his resurrection; to which sense of the word
and to the
words here
the Apostle Peter manifestly refers
Acts 2:24;
and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; meaning
either the multitude of them
as Herod
Pontius Pilate
the Roman soldiers
and
people of the Jews
who all gathered together against him; so the Targum renders
it
"a company of wicked men"; or the variety of sufferings he
endured by them; as spitting upon
buffering
scourging
&c. The word
rendered "ungodly men is Belial"; and signifies vain
worthless
and unprofitable men; men of no figure or account; or lawless ones
such as have cast off the yoke of the law
are not subject to it; persons very
wicked and profligate. The word in the New Testament seems to be used for
Satan
2 Corinthians 6:15; where it is so rendered
in the Syriac version
and he may be designed here; and by the floods of Belial
may be meant
not so much the temptations of Satan in the wilderness
as his
violent and impetuous attacks upon Christ in the garden
when being in an agony
or conflict with him
his sweat was
as it were
great drops of blood
Luke 22:44. The Septuagint render the word
"the torrents of iniquity troubled me"; which was true of Christ
when all the sins of his people came flowing in upon him
like mighty torrents
from all quarters; when God laid on him the iniquity of them all
and he was
made sin for them; and in a view of all this "he began to be sore
amazed"
Mark 14:33; compare with this Psalm 69:1. Arama interprets Belial of the
evil imagination in David
who had a war in himself.
Psalm 18:5 5 The sorrows of Sheol
surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.
YLT
5Cords of Sheol have
surrounded me
Before me have been snares of death.
The sorrows of hell compassed me about
.... Or
"the cords of the grave"F19חבלי שאול "funes sepulchri"
Musculus
Gejerus.
under the power of which he was detained for awhile; the allusion may be to the
manner of burying among the Jews
who wound up their dead bodies in linen
clothes; so that they were as persons bound hand and foot; and thus were they
laid in the grave; see John 11:44; and so was Christ
till he was
raised from the dead
when he showed himself to have the keys of hell and
death
and to be no more under their power
or be held by them;
the snares of death prevented me; or "met" or
"got before me"F20קדמוני
"praeoccupaverunt me"
V. L. "anteverterunt me"
Vatablus;
"occurrerunt"
Cocceius. the sense is
he was taken in them: this
phrase designs the insidious ways and methods which the enemies of Christ took
to ensnare him
and take away his life
and in which they succeeded; see Matthew 26:4.
Psalm 18:6 6 In my distress I called
upon the Lord
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple
And my cry came before Him
even to His ears.
YLT
6In 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.
In my distress I called upon the Lord
.... The great
Jehovah
the everlasting I AM
who is the most High in all the earth
and who
is able to save
Hebrews 5:7;
and cried unto my God; as Jesus did
Matthew 27:46; so the members of Christ
when in distress
as they often are
through sin and Satan
through the hidings
of God's face
a variety of afflictions
and the persecutions of men
betake
themselves to the Lord
and call upon their God: a time of distress is a time
for prayer; and sometimes the end God has in suffering them to be in distress
is to bring them to the throne of his grace; and a great privilege it is they
have that they have such a throne to come to for grace and mercy to help them
in time of need
and such a God to sympathize with them
and help them; and
their encouragement to call upon him
and cry unto him
is
that he is Jehovah
omniscient
omnipotent
and omnipresent; who knows their wants
is able to help
them
and is a God at hand to do it;
He heard my voice out of his temple; that is
out of heaven
his dwelling place; for the temple at Jerusalem was not built in David's time;
and it may be observed
that the prayer of the psalmist
or whom he represents
was a vocal one
and not merely mental; and hearing it intends a gracious
regard unto it
an acceptance of it
and an agreeable answer: for it follows
and my cry came before him
even into his ears; God did not cover
himself with a cloud
that his prayer could not pass through; but it was
admitted and received; it came up before him with acceptance; it reached his
ears
and even entered into them
and was delightful music to them: see John 11:41.
Psalm 18:7 7 Then the earth shook and
trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken
Because He
was angry.
YLT
7And shake and tremble doth
the earth
And foundations of hills are troubled
And they shake -- because He
hath wrath.
Then the earth shook and trembled
.... As it did quickly
after Christ called upon the Lord
and cried to his God upon the cross
Matthew 27:50; and so some time after
when
his people were praying together
the place where they were assembled was
shaken
Acts 4:31; as a token of God's presence
being with them: and the shaking and trembling of the earth is often used as a
symbol of the presence of God
and of the greatness of his majesty; as when he
brought the children of Israel through the Red sea
went before them in the
wilderness
and descended on Mount Sinai
which mountain then moved and quaked
exceedingly; see Psalm 104:32; and it is easy to observe
that in this
and other parts of this majestic account of the appearance of God
on the behalf of the person the subject of this psalm
and against his enemies
there are manifest allusions to the giving of the law on Mount Sinai; though it
may be this shaking of the earth
and what follows
are to be understood in a
figurative sense;
the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken; and design
the shaking of the earth and heavens
prophesied of in Haggai 2:6; and which is explained in Hebrews 12:26; of the removing the
ordinances of the ceremonial law
that Gospel ordinances might remain unshaken;
for in 2 Samuel 22:8; the words are
"the
foundations of heaven moved and shook"; and the shaking and moving of the
earth and mountains may denote the abolition and destruction of kingdoms and
nations; and first of the civil polity of the Jews
and of their ecclesiastical
state
which quickly ensued upon the death of Christ; and next of the ruin of
Rome Pagan
and then of Rome Papal; which are both signified by an earthquake
and by the removal of mountains
Revelation 6:12;
because he was wroth; with the people of the
Jews
for disbelieving and rejecting the Messiah; for setting themselves
and
taking counsel together against him
and putting him to death; for these things
God was angry with them
and wrath came upon them to the uttermost
and their
nation
city
and temple were destroyed
Psalm 2:1; and with the Pagan empire and
antichristian powers
Revelation 6:16.
Psalm 18:8 8 Smoke went up from His
nostrils
And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.
YLT
8Gone up hath smoke by His
nostrils
And fire from His mouth consumeth
Coals have been kindled by it.
There went up a smoke out of his nostrils
.... This
with what follows
describes a storm of thunder; the "smoke" designs
thick black clouds
gathered together; "fire" intends lightning; and
"coals of fire"
hot thunderbolts; and the whole is borrowed from
and is an allusion to what was at the giving of the law on Mount Sinai
Exodus 19:16; The majesty of God is here
set forth in much such language as is the leviathan in Job 41:19; the "smoke of his
nostrils" seems to intend the indignation of God against the enemies of
David
of Christ
and of his people
and the punishment be will inflict upon
them
Isaiah 65:5. The Targum interprets it of
the pride and insolence of Pharaoh;
and fire out of his mouth devoured; God is a wall of fire
round about his people
and a consuming one to his and their enemies. This
expresses the wrath of God upon the Jewish nation
and his sending the Roman
armies to burn their city
Matthew 22:7;
coals were kindled by it; the Jews being as dry
trees
were fit fuel for the fire of divine wrath
and so presently became as
coals of fire; so the antichristian party
upon the pouring out of the fourth
vial
will be scorched with heat
and blaspheme the name of God
Revelation 16:8.
Psalm 18:9 9 He bowed the heavens also
and came down With darkness under His feet.
YLT
9And He inclineth the
heavens
and cometh down
And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
He bowed the heavens also
and came down
.... To
execute wrath and vengeance on wicked men; which is always the sense of these
phrases when they go together; see Psalm 144:6; The Targum is
"he bowed
the heavens
and his glory appeared"; that is
the glory of his power
and
of his mighty hand of vengeance; for not his grace and mercy
but his
indignation and wrath
showed themselves; for it follows
and darkness was under his feet; the Targum
is
"a dark cloud"
expressive of the awfulness of the dispensation
to wicked men; who are not allowed to see the face of God
are debarred his
presence
and denied
communion with him
and to whom everything appears awful
and terrible
Psalm 97:2.
Psalm 18:10 10 And He rode upon a cherub
and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind.
YLT
10And He rideth on a cherub
and doth fly
And He flieth on wings of wind.
And he rode upon a cherub
and did fly
.... The
Targum renders it in the plural number
"cherubim"; and so the
Septuagint
Syriac
and Arabic versions; and by whom may be meant
either the
angels
who are as horses and chariots
on whom Jehovah rides
and who art he
makes use of as executioners of his wrath and vengeance
Zechariah 6:5; and to whom wings are
assigned as a token of swiftness
Isaiah 6:2; or rather the ministers of the
Gospel
who are the living creatures in Revelation 4:7; and answer to the
"cherubim" in Ezekiel's visions; and whom God made use of
especially
after the death of Christ
and when the Gospel was rejected by the Jews
to
carry it into the Gentile world
which was done by them with great speed and
swiftness; and MaimonidesF21Moreh Nevochim. par. 1. c. 49. gives a
caution
not to understand the phrase
"he did fly"
as of God
but
of the cherub;
yea
he did fly upon the wings of the wind; which may
design the speedy help and assistance God gave to his Son
and gives to his
people; and the swift destruction of their enemies; see Psalm 104:3; the words in 2 Samuel 22:11
with only the variation of
a letter in one word
are
"and he was seen upon the wings of the
wind"; which were both true; nor need a various reading be supposed
the
psalmist using both words at different times
suitable to his purpose
and
which both express his sense. Wings are ascribed to the winds by the Heathen
poets
and they are represented as winged on ancient monumentsF23Vide
Cuperi Apotheos. Homeri
p. 178. Wings are given to the south wind by Ovid
Metamorph. l. 1. Fab. 7. and by Juvenal
Satyr. 5. v. 10. and by Virgil
Aeneid. 8. v. 430. and who also speaks of wings of lightning
Aeneid. 5. v.
319. .
Psalm 18:11 11 He made darkness His
secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick
clouds of the skies.
YLT
11He maketh darkness His
secret place
Round about Him His tabernacle
Darkness of waters
thick clouds
of the skies.
He made darkness his secret place
.... Which
and the dark
waters in the next clause
are the same with the thick clouds in the last
in
which Jehovah is represented as wrapping himself
and in which he lies hid as
in a secret place; not so as that he cannot see others
as wicked men imagine
Job 22:13; but as that he cannot be beheld
by others; the Targum interprets it
"he
caused his Shechinah to dwell in darkness;'
his pavilion round about him were dark waters
and
thick clouds of the skies; these were as a tent or tabernacle
in
which he dwelt unseen by men; see Job 36:29; all this may design the dark
dispensation of the Jews
after their rejection and crucifixion of Christ; when
God departed from them
left their house desolate
and them without his
presence and protection; when the light of the Gospel was taken away from them
and blindness happened unto them
and they had eyes that they should not see
and were given up to a judicial darkness of mind and hardness of heart; which
were some of the dark
deep
and mysterious methods of divine Providence
with
respect to which God may be said to be surrounded with darkness
dark waters
and thick clouds; see Romans 11:7.
Psalm 18:12 12 From the brightness before
Him
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
YLT
12From the brightness
over-against Him His thick clouds have passed on
Hail and coals of fire.
At the brightness that was before him
The lightning
that came out of the thick clouds; which may denote
either the coming of
Christ to take vengeance on the Jewish nation
which was swift and sudden
clear and manifest; or the spreading of the Gospel in the Gentile world
in
which Christ
the brightness of his Father's glory
appeared to the illumination
of many; see Matthew 24:27; and both may be intended
as
the effects following show;
his thick clouds passed; that is
passed away;
the gross darkness
which had for so many years covered the Gentile world
was
removed when God sent forth his light and truth; and multitudes
who were
darkness itself
were made light in the Lord;
hail stones and coals of fire; the same
Gospel that was enlightening to the Gentiles
and the savour of life unto life
unto them
was grievous
like hail stones
and tormenting
scorching
irritating
and provoking
like coals of fire
and the savour of death unto
death
to the Jews; when God provoked them
by sending the Gospel among the
Gentiles
and calling them: or these may design the heavy
awful
and consuming
judgments of God upon them
which are sometimes signified by hail storms; see Revelation 8:7. In 2 Samuel 22:13
it is only
"through
the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled".
Psalm 18:13 13 The Lord thundered from
heaven
And the Most High uttered His voice
Hailstones and coals of fire.[a]
YLT
13And thunder in the heavens
doth Jehovah
And the Most High giveth forth His voice
Hail and coals of fire.
The Lord also thundered in the heavens
.... By his
apostles and ministers
some of which were Boanergeses
sons of thunder
whose
ministry was useful to shake the consciences of men
and bring them to a sense
of themselves
Mark 3:17;
and the Highest gave his voice; the same with thunder;
for thunder is often called the voice of the Lord
Job 37:5; compare with this Psalm 68:11; the Targum interprets it
"he lifted up his word"; the same effects as before follow
hail stones and coals of fire; See Gill on Psalm 18:12.
Psalm 18:14 14 He sent out His arrows and
scattered the foe
Lightnings in abundance
and He vanquished them.
YLT
14And He sendeth His arrows
and scattereth them
And much lightning
and crusheth them.
Yea
he sent out his arrows
.... By which
thunderbolts
cracks of thunder
and flashes of lightning
seem to be meant;
see Psalm 77:17; comparable to arrows shot
and
sent out of a bow; and may denote
either the doctrines of the Gospel
which
were sharp in the hearts of Christ's enemies
and are either the means of
subduing them to him
or of destroying them
being the savour of death unto
death; or however
like arrows
give great pain and uneasiness where they
stick
and grievously distress and torment; as does the fire which comes out of
the mouth of the two witnesses
Revelation 11:5. The Targum is
"he
sent his word as arrows;'
or
else the judgments of God are meant
as famine
pestilence
and the sword
which God sent unto
and spent upon the Jewish nation
Deuteronomy 32:23;
and scattered them; among the nations of the world
where they
have been dispersed ever since;
and he shot out lightnings; or "many
lightnings"
so the Targum:
and discomfited them; troubled
terrified
and
distressed them.
Psalm 18:15 15 Then the channels of the
sea were seen
The foundations of the world were uncovered At Your rebuke
O Lord
At the blast
of the breath of Your nostrils.
YLT
15And 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.
Then the channels of water were seen
.... Or
"of the sea"; as in 2 Samuel 22:16. There seems to be an
allusion to the drying up of the sea when the Israelites passed through it.
Aben Ezra interprets this of the discovery of the secrets of enemies
and of
their deep schemes and counsels
which they seek to hide
but are made known by
him who sees all things in the dark; and so the following clause;
and the foundations of the world were discovered; but it rather
seems to intend the utter extirpation and ruin of the Jewish nation
both in
their civil and ecclesiastic state
the foundation of which was rooted up and
laid bare; unless with Jerom we understand this of the ministers of the word
in whom the doctrines of grace were channelled
and who were as fountains of
water; and of the foundation of the apostles and prophets made known in the
Gospel: but the former sense is best; since it follows
at thy rebuke
O Lord; at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils; for the
destruction of the Jews was the effect of divine wrath and vengeance: so ends
the account of the wonderful appearance of God in favour of the person the
subject of this psalm
and against his enemies; the deliverance wrought for him
is next described.
Psalm 18:16 16 He sent from above
He
took me; He drew me out of many waters.
YLT
16He sendeth from above -- He
taketh me
He draweth me out of many waters.
He sent from above
.... Either his hand
as in Psalm 144:7; he exerted and displayed his
mighty power in raising Christ from the dead; or he sent help from his
sanctuary; as in Psalm 20:2; and helped and strengthened him
in a day of salvation; or when he wrought out the salvation of his people; or
"he sent his word"
as in Psalm 107:20; his word of command
to take
up his life again
as he had given it to lay it down
John 10:18. The Targum is
he sent his
prophets; but it may be much better supplied
he sent his angels
or an angel;
as he did at his resurrection
who rolled away the stone from the sepulchre
as
a token of his justification and discharge: so Jarchi interprets it
he sent
his angels; and Aben Ezra supplies it thus
"he
sent his word or his angel:'
unless
the sense should be
as Cocceius suggests
he sent a cloud from above
which
was done at Christ's ascension
and which received him out of the sight of the
apostles
Acts 1:9. Since it follows
he took me; that is
up to heaven; thither Christ was carried in a cloud
one of God's chariots
he sent for him; and where he is received
and will be
retained until his second coming; though rather the sense is
he took me by the
hand:
he drew me out of many waters. This is said either in
allusion to Moses
who had his name from his being drawn out of the water
Exodus 2:10; and who was an eminent type of
Christ; and this is the only place where the Hebrew word is made use of from
whence he had his name; or else to a man plunged in water ready to be drowned;
see Psalm 69:1. By these "many
waters" may be meant the many afflictions
sorrows
and sufferings from
which Christ was freed
when raised from the dead
and highly exalted and
crowned with glory and honour; and the torrent of sins which flowed in upon him
at the time he was made sin for his people
from which he was justified when
risen; and so will appear a second time without sin unto salvation; and the
wrath of God
the waves and billows of which went over him
and compassed him
about as water
at the time of his sufferings; from which he was delivered when
he was shown the path of life
and entered into the presence of God
and sat at
his right hand
where are joys and pleasures for evermore; and also his grand
enemy Satan
with his principalities and powers
who came in like a flood upon
him; but he destroyed him and spoiled them; and particularly the floods of
ungodly men
spoken of in Psalm 18:4; seem to be here designed;
compare with this Psalm 144:7; "so many waters"
signify many people and nations
Revelation 17:15; and accordingly the
Targum is
"he
delivered me from many people.'
This
was true of Christ when risen and ascended; he was then separate from sinners
and made higher than the heavens; and this sense is confirmed by the following
words
where what is expressed figuratively here is there literally explained.
Psalm 18:17 17 He delivered me from my strong
enemy
From those who hated me
For they were too strong for me.
YLT
17He delivereth me from my
strong enemy
And from those hating me
For they have been stronger than I.
He delivered me from my strong enemy
.... Which
as
it may respect David
may be understood of Goliath the Philistine champion
who
was a man of war from his youth; or Saul
king of Israel; and
as it may
respect David's antitype
may design either the chief priests
Scribes
and
Pharisees
who were men of power and influence; or more especially Satan
the
strong man armed
with all his principalities and powers; or
likewise death
the last enemy
from whose pains and cords he was loosed when raised from the
dead
and when he was delivered from every other strong enemy;
and from them which hated me; from the old serpent the
devil
between whom and him there has been a lasting enmity; and from the
world
the people of the Jews
particularly the Pharisees
who bore an
implacable hatred to Christ;
for they were too strong for me; as Goliath and Saul were
too strong for David of himself
so Christ's enemies were too strong for him;
not as God
for he is the mighty God
the Almighty
and stronger than the
strong man armed
but as man; for in his human nature he had a sinless
weakness
which showed itself in his agonies in the garden; or a natural
weakness
through which he was crucified; and this weak nature of Christ Satan
attacked
and got an advantage over
and brought it to the dust of death
which
is meant by his bruising his heel
though by it he got a broken head. But
though Christ's enemies were too strong for him
considered merely as man
they
not being
at least many of them
flesh and blood
but principalities and
powers; yet being helped by his Father
and supported by his divine nature
he
overcame them
and was delivered from them.
Psalm 18:18 18 They confronted me in the
day of my calamity
But the Lord was my support.
YLT
18They go before me in a day
of my calamity And Jehovah is for a support to me.
They prevented me in the day of my calamity
.... Referring
to the times of his distress in the garden and upon the cross; the time of his
sufferings and death
which was a dark and cloudy day
as the wordF24ביום אידי "in the day of my
cloudy calamity"
Ainsworth; "nomen" איד
"proprie signifient vaporem vel nubem
ut Gen. vii. 6. hinc per metaphoram
transfertur ad obscuras ac terrificas calamitatum nebulas
Prov. i. 26."
Gejerus. used suggests
both in a literal and in a spiritual sense; and when
the day and hour was come
fixed and determined by the will of God
then his
enemies
though not before
met him
laid hold on him
were too mighty for him
condemned
crucified
and insulted him;
but the Lord was my stay; or staff
on whom he
leaned
relied
and depended
believing he would help him; and by whom he was
supported and upheld
Isaiah 42:1. The Targum is
"the
Word of the Lord was my stay.'
Psalm 18:19 19 He also brought me out
into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.
YLT
19And He bringeth me forth to
a large place
He draweth me out
because He delighted in me.
He brought me forth also into a large place
.... Into
heaven
a place of the glorious liberty of Christ
after his captivity to death
and the grave
whither he ascended leading captivity captive
and of the
children of God; and a spacious place
where there is room enough for Christ
and all his people; here he now is
and will remain till his second coming
and
from hence we expect him; see John 14:2. Compare with this Psalm 31:8;
he delivered me
because he delighted in me; God delivered
David from all his enemies
because he was a man after his own heart
in whom
he delighted; not for any merit and worthiness in him
but of his good will and
pleasure: he delivered Christ because he was his elect
in whom his soul
delighted; and who was daily his delight
rejoicing in his presence before the
world was: and he delivers his church and people
because they are his
Hephzibah
in whom is his delight
Isaiah 62:4; the Father delighted in them
and therefore chose them to salvation; the Son delighted in them
and gave
himself for them
and ransomed them out of the hands of him that is stronger
than they; the Holy Spirit delighted in them
and therefore regenerates
renews
and sanctifies them
and seals them up unto the day of redemption.
Psalm 18:20 20 The Lord rewarded me
according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has
recompensed me.
YLT
20Jehovah doth recompense me
According to my righteousness
According to the cleanness of my hands
He doth
return to me.
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness
.... Which
if
applied to David
cannot be understood of his own personal righteousness
or of
works of righteousness done by him
for these merit nothing at the hand of God;
no reward
in strict justice
is due to them
or given to them: a man's own
righteousness is imperfect
and by the law of God is not accounted a
righteousness; and it is unprofitable to God
is no gain to him
and so not
rewardable by him; and were it perfect
it is but man's duty
and what God has
a prior right to
and so is not recompensed by him; though it is so far from
being pure and perfect
that it is attended with much sin
and is no other than
rags
and filthy ones
which can never recommend a person to God; it is what
will not bear the sight of God
and can never be called cleanness in his
eyesight: by it no man is justified before him; and though God does
indeed
reward the works of his people
which are fruits of his grace
yet the reward
is not of debt
but of grace. This
therefore
must be understood of the
righteousness of David's cause
and of his innocence with respect to the things
he was charged with by his enemies; of his righteousness towards Saul; and of
"the cleanness of his hands"
in not defiling them with his
blood
when it was in his power to take away his life; therefore God rewarded
him by delivering him out of his hands
and setting him upon the throne
and
causing his kingdom to flourish and prosper; for this respects temporal
blessings
and not eternal glory and happiness; and is something that had been
and was then enjoyed
and not anything future
or in another world: though it
is best of all to apply it to Christ
and understand it of his righteousness
which he
as Mediator
has wrought out for his people; this is perfect
pure
and spotless
and entirely agreeable to the law of God; what will bear the
sight of God
is satisfying to his justice
is well pleasing to him
and is
what he accepts of
and imputes to them that believe in Christ
and by which
they are justified from all things. Now
according to this righteousness
Christ in strict justice has been rewarded in his own person; as he had the
work of man's redemption assigned him
and he agreed to do it
he had a reward
promised him
and which he claimed
when he had glorified his Father and
finished his work; and which he received when he was set down at the right hand
of God
crowned with glory and honour
in consequence of his obedience
sufferings
and death; see Philemon 2:7; and he is rewarded in his
members according to his righteousness
they being justified by it
and made
heirs of eternal life on account of it
and are or will be glorified with him
for evermore;
according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me; which signifies
the same thing.
Psalm 18:21 21 For I have kept the ways
of the Lord
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
YLT
21For I have kept the ways of
Jehovah
And have not done wickedly against my God.
For I have kept the ways
of the Lord
.... Not those which the Lord himself walks in
his ways of
providence
or of grace; though these are and should be taken notice of and
observed by good men
as the wordF25שמרתי
"observaveram"
Tigurine version
Vatablus; "observo"
Junius & Tremellius; "observavi"
Gejerus
Michaelis; so
Ainsworth. used will bear to be rendered; but the ways which he has prescribed
and directed men to walk in
the ways of his commandments
in which they should
go; these were
in some measure
kept by David
who often
in the hundred
nineteenth psalm speaks of his keeping the testimonies and statutes
and
commandments of the Lord; as they are by good men
with some degree of
pleasure
they take delight to walk in them; and with some degree of constancy
they keep walking in them
without turning to the right hand or the left
though solicited to it; but yet not perfectly
for they have many a slip and
fall in them; wherefore this cannot be a reason of their being rewarded
according to their righteousness: in strict justice
the words better agree
with Christ
who kept the law of God perfectly
did his will completely; he
came from heaven to do it; it was his meat and drink to accomplish it; and he
always did the things which pleased his father
wherefore he rewarded him;
and have not wickedly departed from my God; which was
in
some sense
true of David; not as by disbelieving the power and providence
the
promises
truth
and faithfulness of God
and his covenant interest in him;
which to do would have been a wicked departure from God; see Hebrews 3:12; nor by forsaking the house
and worship of God; though he was driven from thence by wicked men
yet sore
against his will
and which during his exile he frequently laments and
complains of; nor by sinning wilfully and presumptuously
only through error
inadvertency
infirmity
and temptation: but when it is observed
how much
unbelief
which is a partial departing from the living God
and how many there
are that neglect private and public worship
and what a proneness there is to
sin and wickedness
and how much there is of the will in sinful actions
in the
best of men; it is right and best to understand this of Christ
who never was
guilty of sin
nor committed any wickedness in departing from God in the least:
as man
God was his God
and he always believed his interest in him
and
claimed it even when he forsook him on the cross; nor did he quit his service
desert his cause
nor depart from the work and business he enjoined him
till
it was finished.
Psalm 18:22 22 For all His judgments were
before me
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
YLT
22For all His judgments [are]
before me
And His statutes I turn not from me.
For all his judgments were
before me
.... That is
the precepts of the law of God
which David had a
respect unto
loved
took delight and pleasure in
and so had them all in his
sight
and made them the rule of his actions; and the law of God is delighted
in by regenerate persons
after the inward man; and though it is abolished as a
covenant of works
it is a rule of walk and conversation to the saints; and as
such they keep it in view
and regard it impartially
not only some of its
precepts
but all. This in the highest and fullest sense was done by Christ
who was made under the law
in whose heart it was
and who came to fulfil it
and has completely fulfilled it;
and I did not put away his statutes from me; in 2 Samuel 22:23; it is read
"and as
for his statutes
I did not depart from them"; the sense is the same; this
may have respect to the ceremonial law
and the ordinances of it
which David
abode by
very strictly observed
renewed
and put in order; and which Christ
his antitype
never departed from
but conformed unto throughout the whole of
his life; witness his circumcision
keeping of the passover
attendance on the
synagogue and temple worship; nor did he put them away until they had their
full accomplishment in him; when there was a disannulling of them because of
their weakness and unprofitableness.
Psalm 18:23 23 I was also blameless
before Him
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
YLT
23And I am perfect with him
And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
I was also upright before
him
.... In heart and conversation
being sincere and faithful; so
David was in the sight of God; but this is much more true of Christ
in whom
there was no unrighteousness nor guile
neither in his heart
nor in his lips;
he was of perfect integrity
and faithful in all things to him that appointed
him;
and I kept myself from mine iniquity; which some
interpret of original sin
in which David was born
which dwelt in him
and
prompted him to sin; but rather it refers to the taking away of Saul's life
which he might be tempted to do
as being his enemy that sought his life; and
which he was put upon and urged to by some about him
and yet did it not. But
it is best here also to apply these words to Christ; for though he had no
iniquity of his own
yet he had the iniquities of his people on him
as their
surety
and which he calls "mine"
Psalm 40:12. But though he bore them
he
did not commit any of them; though he was made sin
he knew none; and though he
was tempted by Satan to the most enormous iniquities
as destroying himself and
worshipping the devil
he kept himself from the evil one
that he could not
touch him: the sense is
that he kept himself from committing any sin
which
cannot be said of any mere man; and so far as good men are kept from sin
they
are kept by the power of God
and not by themselves. All these things show
that the righteousness of Christ was a perfect
sinless one
entirely agreeable
to the laws
statutes
and judgments of God; was pure in the sight of God
and
rewardable in strict justice. Hence it is repeated as follows:
Psalm 18:24 24 Therefore the Lord has
recompensed me according to my righteousness
According to the cleanness of my
hands in His sight.
YLT
24And Jehovah doth return to
me
According to my righteousness
According to the cleanness of my hands
Over-against his eyes.
Therefore hath the Lord
recompensed me according to my righteousness
.... Having proved and
supported this proposition by the above reasons
it is repeated
for
confirmation's sake;
according to the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight; this phrase
"in his eyesight"
is here added
to show that the righteousness of
Christ was clean
pure
and spotless in the sight of God; in the eye of divine
justice: hence those that are clothed with it are holy and unblamable
and
irreprovable in his sight
Colossians 1:22.
Psalm 18:25 25 With the merciful You will
show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
YLT
25With the kind Thou showest
Thyself kind
With a perfect man showest Thyself perfect.
With the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful
.... The
merciful man is the good
gracious
holy
and godly man
as the wordF26חסיד "benigno"
Vatablus
Junius &
Tremellius; "bono"
Gejerus
some in Vatablus; "qui bonitati
studet"
Tigurine version; "pio"
Munster
Cocceius
Michaelis;
"gracious saint"
Ainsworth. here used signifies
and is sometimes
rendered; one that has received grace and mercy from the Lord
and has
principles of grace and goodness wrought in him
and is kind and merciful to
others
both to their souls and bodies; and to such men God shows himself
merciful: not that they are first merciful to others
and then he is so to
them
for it is just the reverse; nor is their mercifulness the cause or
condition of his
for he has mercy on whom he will have mercy; but to such he
shows fresh mercy
and bestows more grace upon them; they find grace and mercy
with him now
and will do hereafter; see Matthew 5:7. This may be applied to Christ
all whose ways are mercy and truth; he saw the estate his people would come
into; he pitied their case
and became their surety in eternity; he betrothed
them to himself in loving kindness and tender mercies; and undertook to feed
the flock of slaughter
even the poor of the flock; having
through his
merciful lovingkindness
assumed human nature
he went about doing good to the
souls and bodies of men; he healed the diseased and fed the hungry
and had
compassion on the ignorant
and them that were out of the way; and
as a
merciful high priest
he bore the sins and sorrows of his people; and in his
love and pity redeemed them
and continues to sympathize with them in all their
afflictions and temptations; and though no mercy was shown him while he was
suffering for them
for God spared him not
but awoke the sword of justice
against him
and used him with the utmost rigour and severity; yet satisfaction
being made
he did not leave him in the grave
nor suffer his holy
good
and
merciful One to see corruption; but raised him from the dead
prevented him
with the blessings of his goodness
and set upon his head a crown of honour and
glory;
with an upright man thou wilt show thyself upright; an upright
man
as the wordF1תמים
"perfecto"
Pagninus
Montanus; so Ainsworth. used signifies
is a
perfect man
not absolutely
but comparatively; not in himself
but in Christ;
perfect with a perfection of parts
but not of degrees; he is one that is
upright in heart
sincere and without hypocrisy; an Israelite indeed
whose
faith
hope
and love
are undisguised; he is a man of integrity
a faithful
man
faithful to God
his cause and interest
his word and ordinances
and is
faithful with the saints; he walks
uprightly according to the rule of God's
word
and by faith in Christ; and to such upright men God shows himself
upright
or faithful
by keeping his covenant with them
fulfilling his
promises to them
and not suffering one good thing to fail he has given them
reason to expect from him. This may also be interpreted of Christ
who is in
the highest and fullest sense perfect
upright
and sincere
and faithful to
him that appointed him; and as he has been faithful in all his covenant
engagements with his Father
so his Father has been faithful to him in making
good all he promised him; both with respect to his own glory
and the happiness
of his people; see Isaiah 53:10.
Psalm 18:26 26 With the pure You will
show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
YLT
26With the pure Thou showest
Thyself pure
And with the perverse showest Thyself a wrestler
With the pure thou wilt
show thyself pure
.... None of Adam's posterity are pure by nature; they are all
defiled with sin; and though some are pure in their own eyes
they are far from
being cleansed from their filthiness; such only are pure who are sanctified by
the Spirit of God
have clean hearts created in them
and whose hearts are
purified by faith in the blood of Christ; who are justified by Christ's
righteousness
and are washed from their sins in his blood; and who
in
consequence of such grace
love
pureness of heart
speak a pure language
hold
the mystery of faith in a pure conscience
and with a pure conversation
and
live soberly
righteously
and godly: and whereas God is a pure and holy Being
his perfections
works
and word
are pure; he shows himself to be so to such
persons
by providing for the honour of his purity and holiness in their
redemption
sanctification
and salvation; by making all things to be pure to
them; by granting them his presence
and blessing them with the vision of
himself here and hereafter; see Matthew 5:8; this may likewise be
understood of Christ
who
in his human nature
is pure from all sin
both
original and actual: he indeed took upon him the sins of his people
and bore
them
and made satisfaction for them
and brought in everlasting righteousness;
which being done
God has showed himself pure to him
by justifying
acquitting
and discharging him from all such sins; by accepting his
righteousness
and imputing it to those for whom he wrought it;
and with the froward thou wilt show thyself froward; or "thou
wrestlest"F2תתפתל
"eluctaris"
Junius & Tremellius; "colluctaris"
Aben
Ezra; "reluctaris"
Gejerus; "certas"
Schmidt.
or wilt
contend with them until they are destroyed: the same word is here used which
Naphtali has his name from
Genesis 30:8. The froward are such as are
of perverse dispositions
and of stubborn and obstinate tempers
and whose ways
are crooked and distorted; and such were the people of the Jews in the times of
Moses
and of Christ
Deuteronomy 32:5; and who seem here to be
designed; even the Jews in Christ's time
who were just the reverse of the
above characters
were cruel and unmerciful
faithless and hypocritical
filthy
and pure
disbelieved the Messiah
rejected and crucified him
were contrary to
God
and to all men; and therefore God walked contrary to them
as he
threatened
Leviticus 26:27; the same as showing
himself froward to them; for God is not froward and perverse in himself
nor in
his ways
which are all equal
just
and pure: and though there is one and the
same word used in our version
yet there are two different words in the Hebrew
text; the same word that is used of the froward is not used of God; that which
is used of God
as before observed
signifies wrestling
and designs God's
contending with the people of the Jews
in a way of wrath and fury
which came
upon them to the uttermost
and issued in their entire ruin as a people and
nation; the words here had their fulfilment in the destruction of Jerusalem.
Psalm 18:27 27 For You will save the
humble people
But will bring down haughty looks.
YLT
27For Thou a poor people
savest
And the eyes of the high causest to fall.
For thou wilt save the
afflicted people
.... As the people of God commonly are; they are afflicted with
sin
and the corruption of their own hearts
and with Satan and his
temptations
and with the world
its reproaches
and persecutions; but God in
his own time saves them out of them
if not here
yet hereafter. This is
particularly and eminently true of the Christians who lived between the
crucifixion of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem; who were greatly
afflicted and persecuted by the Jews
but were in a remarkable manner saved a
little before the destruction of Jerusalem
by being directed to go out of it
to a place called PellaF3Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 3. c. 5. ; so that
not one Christian suffered in it;
but wilt bring down high looks; or proud men
whom God
humbles; these he abhors
resists
sets himself against
scatters and destroys.
The Jews were a very proud people
and behaved in an insolent and insulting
manner towards Christ and his followers; but the high looks of the chief
priests
Scribes
and Pharisees
were brought down to a purpose
when their
city
temple
and nation
were destroyed; see Isaiah 2:11.
Psalm 18:28 28 For You will light my
lamp; The Lord
my God will enlighten my darkness.
YLT
28For Thou -- Thou lightest
my lamp
Jehovah my God enlighteneth my darkness.
For thou wilt light my
candle
.... Or lampF4נרי
"lucernam meam"
Pagninus
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
&c. : in 2 Samuel 22:29
it is
"Thou art
my lamp
O Lord"; which may either design outward prosperity
and the
flourishing condition of David's kingdom; or internal spiritual light
and an
increase of it
by giving fresh supplies of the oil of grace
to cause the lamp
to burn more clearly; or rather the prosperous estate of Christ's kingdom; and
may be the same with the lamp ordained for the Messiah
Psalm 132:17;
the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness; or
"cause light to shine in my darkness"F5So Gussetius
Comment. Ebr. p. 495. ; that is
bring me out of darkness into light; either
out of adversity to prosperity
or from walking in darkness to the enjoyment of
the light of his countenance; and is true of Christ
not only of the prosperity
of his kingdom and interest
but of him personally; who though
when on the
cross
was in darkness of soul
being forsaken by his God; yet
when raised
from the dead
he was received up to heaven
and set down at the right hand of
God
and was made full of joy with his countenance
Acts 2:28.
Psalm 18:29 29 For by You I can run
against a troop
By my God I can leap over a wall.
YLT
29For by Thee I run -- a
troop! And by my God I leap a wall.
For by thee I have run
through a troop
.... Or
"I have run to a troop": to meet oneF6ארוץ גדוד "occurram
turmae"
so some in Vatablus. with courage and intrepidity
as some
interpret itF7Apud Kimchi in loc. ; or
as othersF8Apud
Aben Ezra in loc.
"I have run after a troop": that is
pursued
after one
as David pursued after the troops of the Amalekites who burnt
Ziklag
1 Samuel 30:8; to which Jarchi refers this
passage; or rather
"I have broke a troop"
or "through
one"F9"Conteram"
Pagninus; "perfregi"
Vatablus; "perrupi"
Musculus; "perrumpo"
Tigurine
version
Castalio; so Ainsworth. ; for the word
as some Jewish writersF11Kimchi
& Ben Melech. observe
comes from a root which signifies to
"break" in pieces
and is fitly used for the destroying or cutting in
pieces a troop of the enemy; and is true of Christ
when he engaged with the
troops of hell
and broke the squadrons of the infernal fiends
and spoiled or
disarmed principalities and powers
and triumphed over them on the cross
and made
a show of them openly
when he dragged them at his chariot wheels
and led
captivity captive;
and by my God have I leaped over a wall; which refers
to the scaling of walls
and taking of fortified places; and so the Targum
"By the word of my God I will subdue fortified towns"; so
Apollinarius has it
passed over a tower
or took it; which was literally true
of David
in many instances. Jarchi applies this to his taking the fortress of
Zion from the Jebusites: a learned writerF12Delaney's Life of King
David
vol. 1. p. 62. thinks this refers to his leaping over the city wall
and
slipping through the city watch
when Michal let him down through a window: it
may be applied to Christ
who broke down the middle wail of partition
the
ceremonial law
which stood between Jew and Gentile; or rather it may design
the many difficulties which were in the way of the salvation of his people
which he surmounted and got over with great strength and swiftness; such as
fulfilling the law
satisfying justice
bearing sin
and making atonement for
it
undergoing a shameful and an accursed death
and grappling with numerous
enemies
whom he conquered; and he is said to do all this by his God; because
as man and Mediator
he was strengthened and assisted by him.
Psalm 18:30 30 As for
God
His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is
a shield to all who trust in Him.
YLT
30God! perfect [is] His way
The saying of Jehovah is tried
A shield [is] He to all those trusting in Him.
As for God
his way is perfect
.... Or "without
spot"F13תמים αμωμος
Sept. "impolluta"
V. L. so Syriac. Aethiop.
as the Septuagint
render the word; without any just charge of inequality
or unrighteousness;
such is God's way of providence
though sometimes his methods of providence are
cavilled at by wicked men
and murmured at by his own people: they are at a
loss
at times
to reconcile promises and providences together
and to account
for the justice and equity of them; these ways of his are unsearchable
and not
to be traced out by them; but when his judgments will be made manifest
the
wisdom
goodness
and righteousness of them will be clearly discerned
and they
will be admired; for they are all of a piece
and perfectly consistent with the
attributes of God: and such also is his way of grace
and method of salvation;
it is agreeable to all his perfections
and according to his purposes
counsel
and covenant; this being resolved on in his breast
contrived by his wisdom
and concluded on in the covenant
has been effected and finished by his son;
and his inward way of working upon the heart
though at present imperfect
will
be completed; he is a rock
and his work is perfect
and all his ways are
judgment: whatever way or method he contrives and enters upon
whether in
providence or grace
he pursues and brings to an issue; for he is an
omnipotent
omniscient
and unchangeable Being
and neither frustrates
nor is
he frustrated; nor is there any insincerity
unrighteousness
and
unfaithfulness in him; nor can he act contrary to himself
and the perfections
of his nature: the way also which he prescribes to others is perfect and plain
whether the path of doctrine or of duty; the path of truth is plain to the
enlightened understanding
and the way of holiness is such
in which men
though fools
shall not err; see Proverbs 8:8;
the word of the Lord is tried; as silver in a furnace
and is clear of all dross
of error
and falsehood; is free from human
mixtures
and without any impurity and unholiness; nor is God's word of promise
chargeable with unfaithfulness; all his promises being yea and amen in Christ
and have been tried and proved by the saints in all ages; and have been found
true
faithful
constant
and invariable;
he is a buckler to all those that trust in him; not in man
nor in themselves; in their own righteousness
or in any creature or creature
enjoyment or performance; but in the providence and power of God
in his grace
and mercy
in his word
and especially in his Son; in his person
blood
and
righteousness; to such he is a buckler or shield: his power is all around them
his favour encompasses them
and his truth
or faithfulness in his word
is
their shield and buckler: and so is his Son
who is both a sun and shield to
them; and such are his precious blood
his spotless righteousness
and stoning
sacrifice; which
being held up by faith
repel the fiery darts of Satan.
Psalm 18:31 31 For who is God
except the Lord?
And who is a rock
except our God?
YLT
31For who [is] God besides
Jehovah? And who [is] a rock save our God?
For who is God save
the Lord?.... Or Jehovah: there is but one God
and Jehovah is he; there
is none besides him
nor any like him: there are many that are called gods
nominal
deities
who are not by nature gods; fictitious ones
the idols of the
Gentiles
made of gold
silver
brass
wood
and stone; but there is but one
true God: there are gods
in an improper sense
as civil magistrates; but there
is none really and truly so but the Lord; which is to be understood
not of
Jehovah the Father
to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit; for the Son is
Jehovah
and the Spirit is Jehovah; both are so called
as well as the Father
and all three one God;
or who is a rock save our God? to have
recourse to for shelter and protection; or to trust to
and build upon
for
eternal life and salvation. False gods are rocks; but not like ours
our
enemies themselves being judges
Deuteronomy 32:31; so Apollo at Delphos is
called the Delphian rockF14
δελφις πετρα
Sophoclis Oedipus
v. 472. : the words seem to be
taken from
or at least there is in them a reference to
1 Samuel 2:2.
Psalm 18:32 32 It is
God who arms me with strength
And makes my way perfect.
YLT
32God! who is girding me
[with] strength
And He maketh perfect my way.
It is God that girdeth me with strength
.... For battle
as in Psalm 18:39; with strength of body and
fortitude of mind; both which are from the Lord
and were in David; and were
acknowledged by him as bestowed on him by the Lord; and which confirms what he
had before said of him: or with spiritual strength
with strength in his soul
against sin
Satan
and the world; and to do the will and work of God: saints
are girt by the Lord with the whole armour of God
and among the rest with the
girdle of truth; and are prepared and ready to every good work; see 1 Samuel 2:4. Hannah's song is again
referred to: in 2 Samuel 22:33
the words are
"God is
my strength and power"; they are true of Christ
the man of God's
right hand
whom he promised to strengthen
and whom he has made strong for
himself
Psalm 80:17;
and maketh my way perfect; or safe
or prosperous.
God removed every impediment and obstacle out of his way
and made it plain and
easy
as Jarchi observes; and succeeded him
and gave him victory over his
enemies; this has been verified in Christ
who has conquered sin
Satan
the
world
death
and the grave: for this is not to be understood of the way and
course of David's life and conversation
which was not perfect and unspotted
but had many blemishes and imperfections in it
which he often owns
confesses
and bewails.
Psalm 18:33 33 He makes my feet like the feet
of deer
And sets me on my high places.
YLT
33Making my feet like hinds
And on my high places causeth me to stand.
He maketh my feet like
hind's feet
.... As light and swift as theirs
as the Targum; that is
either
to flee
when there was a necessity for it
as Kimchi observes; or rather to
pursue after the enemy
to run through a troop
and leap over a wall
as
before; see 1 Chronicles 12:8; the same phrase is used
in Habakkuk 3:19; and may be understood in a
spiritual sense of that readiness and cheerfulness with which the saints run
the ways of God's commandments
when their hearts are enlarged with his love
and grace; and may very well be applied to Christ
who is often compared to a
roe
or a young hart
for swiftness; who readily and at once engaged to come
and do the will of God
and whose coming in the flesh
at the appointed time
was swift; and who made haste to do the work of God
in which he took the
utmost pleasure; and who is a speedy and present help to his people in time of
trouble; see Song of Solomon 2:8;
and setteth me upon my high places; the towers and
fortresses
and strong and fortified places
where he was safe from his
enemies; and: in a spiritual sense
may design the everlasting love of God
the
covenant of grace
its blessings and promises; and Christ himself
with the
fulness of grace in him
on which believers may be said to be set
when their
faith is directed to them
and they live and dwell upon them; see Habakkuk 3:19; and
the words were
fulfilled in Christ
when God highly exalted him at his right hand
and set him
above all principalities and powers
and made him higher than the heavens.
Psalm 18:34 34 He teaches my hands to
make war
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
YLT
34Teaching my hands for
battle
And a bow of brass was brought down by my arms.
He teacheth my hands to
war
.... From whence it appears
that war
in some cases
is lawful;
and that all the skilfulness and art in training men for war
in the use of
armour
in marshalling of armies
in forming sieges
&c. is all from God;
see Psalm 144:1; and so is all that spiritual
skill
in making use of the whole armour of God against every enemy
sin
Satan
and the world; and even the wisdom and skill
counsel and instruction
which Christ as man and Mediator had
when it was the hour and power of
darkness; when he was engaged with principalities and powers
and got the
victory over them
were from the Lord: see Psalm 16:7;
so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms; that is
the
bow of an enemy falling into his hands
which might be literally true of David.
It is in the Hebrew text
"a bow of brass"; and so Apollinarius
renders it; which Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret strong iron
that is
steel;
and so the Targum; see Job 20:24; Satan is an archer; his
temptations are darts
and fiery ones; and his strong bow may be said to be
broken by the arms of faith
when his temptations
under the influence of
divine grace
are repelled and rendered ineffectual; and especially his bow was
broken by Christ
not only in the wilderness
when he was vanquished by him;
but in the garden
and on the cross
when Satan could find nothing in him
and
get no other advantage over him
but to bruise his heel; when he himself had
his head broke
his works ruined
and he himself destroyed. Some render the
words
"mine arms have bent a bow of steel": that is
such skill and
strength were given him that he was able to bend
draw
and shoot a bow or
steel: the Targum is
"and hath strengthened mine arm as a bow of
brass"
or "steel"; and so the Syriac and Arabic versions; and
to the same purpose the Septuagint
Vulgate Latin
and Ethiopic versions; or it
may be rendered
"my arms have bent"
or "made to descendF15ונחתה "ut current"
Cocceius; so Michaelis;
"ut descendat vel deprimatur"
Gejerus; vid. Gussetii Comment. Ebr.
p. 507. so Jarchi.
a bow of brass"; for when a bow is bent
the horns or
corners of it are made to descend towards a man.
Psalm 18:35 35 You have also given me the
shield of Your salvation; Your right hand has held me up
Your gentleness has
made me great.
YLT
35And Thou givest to me the
shield of Thy salvation
And Thy right hand doth support me
And Thy lowliness
maketh me great.
Thou hast given me the
shield of thy salvation
.... Meaning either temporal salvation
which was a shield to him
when he had no outward one
as when he fought with Goliath; and was what
preserved him in all his battles at other times: or spiritual salvation
which
is of the Lord
of his contriving
effecting:
and applying
and in which his
glory is concerned; interest in which is a free gift of his
as are the
knowledge
application
and possession of it; and this is as a shield
which
saves from sin
from all sin
and the damning power of it; keeps off the curses
of the law
secures from wrath to come
and repels Satan's temptations; the
words may be applied to Christ
who
though he was not saved from dying
yet
was preserved in the day of salvation
and was not suffered to see corruption in
the grave
and was quickly delivered from the power and dominion of it;
and thy right hand hath holden me up; Christ may be
said to be the right hand of God
being as dear to him as his right hand; and
being exalted at it; and because by him he communicates all good things to his
people
and with him upholds and sustains them; or else it designs the mighty
power of God
which is often signified by it
Psalm 20:6; and may be understood of the
sustentation of David
both in a providential way
with respect to his being
the preservation of it
the supplies of life
and support in times of trouble
and distress; and in a spiritual sense
maintaining the principle of grace in
him
furnishing him with fresh supplies of grace
and bearing him up under and
through every temptation and exercise; so upholding him that he stood firm in
the true grace of God
in the exercise of it implanted
and in the doctrine of
grace
so as to go forward in the ways of God
and follow hard after him
and
so as not to fall and utterly perish; and which is true of all the saints; see Psalm 63:8. The words may be interpreted of
Christ
who
as man and Mediator
as God's righteous servant
was upheld by
him
so that he failed not
nor was he discouraged; the hand of the Lord was
established with him
and his arm also strengthened him
Isaiah 42:1; this clause is not in 2 Samuel 22:36;
and thy gentleness hath made me great; David was
very mean and low by his birth and occupation
and while persecuted by Saul;
but God of his grace and goodness
of his sovereign good will and pleasure
raised him to an high estate
set him on the throne of Israel
and gave him
honour among and above the kings of the earth; so Kimchi interprets the word
for "gentleness" by "goodness" or "merciful"
kindness; R. Jonah by "providence"; and R. Isaac explains it
"thy help and good will"; and all shows that his greatness was
not owing to his merits
but to the providential goodness of God; and his
special grace and mercy in Christ Jesus made him still greater
even a child of
God
an heir of God
a joint heir with Christ
a King and a Priest unto God;
gave him a right unto and a meetness for a crown of glory
an everlasting
kingdom
an eternal inheritance
as it does all the saints. The words may be
rendered
"thy humility hath made me great"F16ענותך "mansuetudo tua"
Pagninus
Montanus
Musculus
Gejerus; "thy meekness"
Ainsworth; ענוה
"sumitur pro humilitate seu mansuetudine"
Zeph. ii. 3. Gejerus. ;
which may be understood either of God's humbling himself to look upon him in
his low estate
and to raise him to such honour and dignity as he did
both in
a temporal and spiritual sense; see Psalm 113:6; or of the humility which he
had in himself from God
as Aben Ezra interprets it; of which grace God is the
author; it is a fruit of the Spirit; which he takes great notice of
gives more
grace to them that have it
and exalts them
as he did David
who was mean and
low in his own eyes. The Septuagint
and those versions which follow that
render it "thy discipline" or "correction": and so may
design the gentleness and lenity of God in chastising his people
which is
always in measure and in judgment
and for their good; whereby he increases
grace in them
and trains them up for
and brings them to his kingdom and
glory. The Chaldee paraphrase is
"by thy word thou hast increased
me"; it may not be improperly interpreted of Christ
who was very low in
his estate of humiliation on earth
but is now highly exalted
and crowned with
glory and honour; who first endured great sufferings
and then entered into his
glory.
Psalm 18:36 36 You enlarged my path under
me
So my feet did not slip.
YLT
36Thou enlargest my step
under me
And mine ankles have not slidden.
Thou hast enlarged my
steps under me
.... Which is opposed to those straitened circumstances in which
the psalmist was
Psalm 18:4; and is expressive of deliverance
from his enemies
by whom he was surrounded
besieged
and shut up; see Psalm 31:8; and of freedom of walking at
large
without being straitened for room
or interrupted by others
Proverbs 4:12; and of safety in standing;
all which is true in a spiritual sense of believers in Christ
who being
delivered by him out of the hands of their enemies
serve the Lord without fear
in righteousness and holiness; walk at liberty by faith in Christ
and up and
down in the name of the Lord their God; and have their feet established upon
the Rock of ages
that sure and large foundation
Christ
from which there is
no danger of slipping and falling; as follows;
that my feet did not slip; so as to fall and
perish; for sometimes the steps of the saints are well nigh slipped; yea
in
some sense they stumble; slip
and fall
but not so as to be utterly cast down
and perish eternally; the bottom on which they are is so broad
and the
foundation so sure
that it is not possible they should. The words will bear to
be applied to Christ
who was in very pressed and straitened circumstances
when
beset with the bulls of Bashan
encompassed with dogs
and enclosed with the
assembly of the wicked; and was in slippery places
when he sunk in deep mire
where there is no standing
Psalm 22:12; but now being delivered from
all this
he is brought
as in Psalm 18:19
into a large place
into
heaven
and made higher than the heavens
and is set down at the right hand of
God
from whence he can never be moved.
Psalm 18:37 37 I have pursued my enemies
and overtaken them; Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
YLT
37I pursue mine enemies
and
overtake them
And turn back not till they are consumed.
I have pursued mine
enemies
and overtaken them
.... Which may refer to David's pursuing the
Amalekites
who overtook them and recovered all they had carried away
1 Samuel 30:8; so Kimchi explains it;
neither did I turn again till they were consumed; for not a man
escaped
save four hundred young men that rode on camels and fled
Psalm 18:17.
Psalm 18:38 38 I have wounded them
So
that they could not rise; They have fallen under my feet.
YLT
38I smite them
and they are
not able to rise
They fall under my feet
I have wounded them
that
they were not able to rise
.... Which was not only true of the
Amalekites
but of all with whom David engaged in war;
they are fallen under my feet; either dead
or become
subject and tributaries to him; as the Philistines
Moabites
Syrians
and
Edomites; see 2 Samuel 8:1. This
with Psalm 18:37
may very well be accommodated
to David's antitype
and be expressive of the entire victory he has obtained
over all his and his people's enemies; he wounded the heads over many
countries
Psalm 110:6. Satan and his principalities
and powers
whose head is broke
whose works are destroyed; yea
he himself
which had the power of death
so as not to be able to rise more against Christ
who has led captivity captive: he has also finished and made an end of sin
and
overcome the world; nor did he turn back from this work he engaged in until he
had made a complete conquest; and moreover he has likewise made his people more
than conquerors
through him
over these same enemies; so that the words are
also applicable to them.
Psalm 18:39 39 For You have armed me with
strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against
me.
YLT
39And Thou girdest me [with]
strength for battle
Causest my withstanders to bow under me.
For thou hast girded me
with strength unto battle
.... See Psalm 18:32; that natural strength
courage
and valour
which David had
were from the Lord; and so is the Spirit of power
love
and of a sound mind
which believers have; and likewise that strength
which Christ
as man
had and used in his combat with the powers of darkness;
see Psalm 80:17;
thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me; as the
psalmist ascribes his strength
so he attributes his success to the Lord; who
likewise subdues the sins of his people
and all other enemies of theirs
and
who also makes the enemies of his Son his footstool
Psalm 110:1.
Psalm 18:40 40 You have also given me the
necks of my enemies
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
YLT
40As to mine enemies -- Thou
hast given to me the neck
As to those hating me -- I cut them off.
Thou hast also given me
the necks of mine enemies
.... Either to slay them
or to trample or
put a yoke upon them; or rather the sense is
thou hast made them to fly before
me
to turn their necks or backs unto me
as the word is used in Joshua 7:8; and it is expressive of an
utter rout and vanquishing of them;
that I might destroy them that hate me; they not
being able to face him and stand against him.
Psalm 18:41 41 They cried out
but there
was none to save; Even to the Lord
but He did not answer
them.
YLT
41They cry
and there is no
saviour
On Jehovah
and He doth not answer them.
They cried
but there
was none to save them
.... It is in 2 Samuel 22:42; "they looked";
that is
they looked round about
here and there
to see if there were any near
at hand to help and deliver them; they cried in their distress
and because of
the anguish of their spirits
and for help and assistance
but in vain; they
cried
as Jarchi thinks
to their idols
as Jonah's mariners cried everyone to
their god; and
if so
it is no wonder there was none to save; for such are
gods that cannot save: but it follows
even unto the Lord
but he answered them not; as Saul
for instance
1 Samuel 28:6; so God deals with wicked
men
often by way of righteous retaliation; see Proverbs 1:28.
Psalm 18:42 42 Then I beat them as fine
as the dust before the wind; I cast them out like dirt in the streets.
YLT
42And I beat them as dust
before wind
As mire of the streets I empty them out.
Then did I beat them
small
as the dust before the wind
.... They being given up
by God
and he not answering to their cries; the phrase denotes the utter ruin
and destruction of them
and represents their case as desperate and
irrecoverable; being
as it were
pounded to dust
and that driven away with
the wind: just as the destruction of the four monarchies is signified by the
iron
clay
brass
silver
and gold
being broken to pieces
and made like the
chaff of the summer threshing floor
and carried away with the wind
so that no
place is found for them any more
Daniel 2:35;
I did cast them out as the dirt of the streets; expressing
indignation and contempt: in 2 Samuel 22:43; it is
"I did stamp
them as the mire of the street
and did
spread them abroad"; which
also denotes the low and miserable condition to which they were reduced
and
the entire conquest made of them
and triumph over them; see Isaiah 10:6; compare with this 2 Samuel 12:31.
Psalm 18:43 43 You have delivered me from
the strivings of the people; You have made me the head of the nations; A people
I have not known shall serve me.
YLT
43Thou dost deliver me From
the strivings of the people
Thou placest me for a head of nations
A people I
have not known do serve me.
Thou hast delivered me
from the strivings of the people
.... In 2 Samuel 22:44
it is read "my
people"
meaning the people of Israel; either Saul and his men
who
contended with David
and sought his life; or rather the tribes of Israel
who
after Saul's death
refused to acknowledge David as their king
but afterwards came
and anointed him in Hebron. The words may very well be interpreted of the
contentions of the Scribes and Pharisees with Christ
and of the opposition
from sinners
which he for a while endured
but is now delivered from them all;
and thou hast made me the
head of the Heathen; which
if understood of David
refers to the Philistines
Syrians
Moabites
and Edomites
being subdued by him
and becoming tributaries
to him
2 Samuel 8:1. But it best agrees with
Christ
who is the head of his chosen ones among the Gentiles; the political
head
King
and Governor of them
the Heathen being given him for his
inheritance and possession; and which appeared in the first ages of Christianity
when the Gospel was first preached to the Gentiles by the apostles; and still
continues
and will be more clearly seen in the latter day
when the Lord shall
be King over all the earth. Christ was made the head of the Heathen
by the
appointment and designation of his Father; and
in fact
was so when multitudes
from among the Gentiles were converted and brought to the obedience of him. In 2 Samuel 22:44 it is
"thou hast kept
me to be head of the Heathen"; which does not seem so much to
intend the designation and constitution of him as such
but the continuation of
him; and denotes the stability of his government in the Gentile world
of which
there will be no end;
a people whom I have not known shall serve me; by whom are
meant the Gentiles
who were not the people of God
were without Christ and
without God
and without hope in the world: not that there are any people that
can be unknown to Christ
as he is the omniscient God; nor were these unknown
to him
in such sense as reprobates
nominal professors
and foolish virgins
are said not to be known by him
Matthew 7:23. For these people among the
Heathen
who are or shall be brought to serve the Lord
are such who were the
objects of his love and delight from everlasting; were in his Father's choice
and in his own
and in the gift of his Father to him
and in the covenant of
his grace; and therefore must be known by him; moreover
they are the purchase
of his blood; and the sheep he knows
for whom he has laid down his life
and
of whom he has such an exact and particular knowledge
that he can and does
call them by name. But the sense is
these seemed not to be taken notice of and
cared for by Christ; they were not owned and acknowledged by him as his people;
the Jews were distinguished from all others; they only had the law
the word of
God
and his ordinances; the Gentiles were suffered to walk in their own ways;
they were neglected
and the times of their ignorance were overlooked and
disregarded; so that they were treated as a people that were not known for many
hundreds of years: but here it is predicted
that when the Gospel should come
among them
and they be called by it
they should "serve" the Lord in
righteousness and true holiness
with reverence and godly fear
from a
principle of love
in his name and strength
and to his glory; see Isaiah 55:4.
Psalm 18:44 44 As soon as they hear of me
they obey me; The foreigners submit to me.
YLT
44At the hearing of the ear
they hearken to me
Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me
As soon as they hear of me
they shall obey me
.... That is
as soon as they should hear of Christ
through the
preaching of the word
by which faith would come
they should readily and at
once receive
embrace
and profess the Gospel
and yield a cheerful submission
to the ordinances of it; and which has had its accomplishment among the
Gentiles
Acts 28:28;
the strangers shall submit themselves unto me; meaning
either the same persons as before; the Gentiles
who were aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel
and strangers to the covenant of promise
who should
submit to Christ
to his Gospel
to his righteousness
and to the sceptre of
his kingdom; though some interpret it of the degenerate Jews
"the sons of
the stranger"
as the words may be rendered; who
though called the
children of God
and the children of the kingdom
yet were
as our Lord says
of their father the devil; and these
some of them
in a flattering and
dissembling way
feigned themselves to be the followers and disciples of
Christ: and
indeed
it looks as if hypocrites were intended
whether among
Jews or Gentiles
or both
since the word here used
and rendered "submit"
signifies to "lie"; and so it is in the metaphrase of Apollinarius;
or
as in the margin of some Bibles
to "yield a feigned obedience";
see Psalm 66:3. There seems to be an allusion
to the conquest of nations
some of the inhabitants of which readily and
heartily submit
but others only feignedly
and through fear
and the force of
superior power they cannot withstand.
Psalm 18:45 45 The foreigners fade away
And
come frightened from their hideouts.
YLT
45Sons of a stranger fade
away
And are slain out of their close places.
The strangers shall fade
away
.... Like the leaves of trees in autumn
when they fall and
perish; to which hypocrites and nominal professors are compared
Judges 1:12;
and be afraid out of their close places; their towers
and fortified places
or the rocks and mountains to which they betake themselves
for shelter; but
as not thinking themselves safe enough
through fear and
dread
come out of them; see Micah 7:17. Some Jewish writersF17R.
Donesh apud Jarchi & Abendana not. in Miclol Yophi in loc. to Apollinar.
Metaphras. interpret the words
they shall halt or be lame; that is
because of
the chains put upon their feet: and so they are expressive of the conquest made
of them. The word in the Arabic language signifies to "come out"; and
may be so rendered here
and "come out": in 2 Samuel 22:46; it is
"they shall
gird themselves"
or "come out girt".
Psalm 18:46 46 The Lord lives! Blessed
be my Rock! Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
YLT
46Jehovah liveth -- and
blessed [is] my rock
And exalted is the God of my salvation.
The Lord liveth
and
blessed be my Rock
.... This
with what follows
is the concluding
part of the psalm
which ends with a celebration of the Divine Being
and with
thankfulness for mercies received from him. The psalmist praises him on account
of what he is in himself
what he was to him
and had done for him: in himself
he is the living God
"the Lord liveth": he has life in himself
essentially
originally
and independently; and is the fountain and author of
life to all others
even to all creatures that have life
whether rational or
irrational: he is the giver of natural life to all men
and the supporter of
it; and of spiritual and eternal life to his chosen people; and he continues to
live
and ever will; wherefore the saints may conclude that their life in every
sense is safe and secure. Some render the phrase
by way of wish
"may the
Lord live"F18חי יהוה
"vivat Jehova"
Musculus
Tigurine version
Piscator
Muis; so some
in Vatablus
Ainsworth. ; but then it must be understood only that he would
show himself more abundantly to be the living God
and that he might be
acknowledged so by others. The next clauses are by way of petition; "and
blessed be my Rock"; on which he was built and established
to which he
betook himself in times of distress
which was his place of defence
and from
whence he had a supply; wherefore he desires he might be blessed
not by
invoking or conferring a blessing on him
neither of which can be; there being
none greater than he to call upon
and he being "Elshaddai"
God all
sufficient
and in no need of any; but by declaring his blessedness
by
celebrating his greatness and goodness
and by ascribing blessing and honour
and glory to him;
and let the God of my salvation be exalted; God was the
God of his salvation in a temporal sense
saving him daily from his many
enemies; and in a spiritual sense
being the contriver
author
and applier of
it to him; on which account he would have him be exalted both by himself
and
in the high praises of his people; ascribing the whole of salvation to him
and
giving him all the glory of it. Some render the words
"the God of my salvation
is high"F19ירום "excelsus
est"
Gejerus. ; he is the most high God
the high and lofty One that
inhabits eternity
and is above all others. In 2 Samuel 22:47 the words are read
"and exalted be the God of the Rock of my salvation".
Psalm 18:47 47 It is
God who avenges me
And subdues the peoples under me;
YLT
47God -- who is giving
vengeance to me
And He subdueth peoples under me
It is God that avengeth me
.... Or "gives
vengeance unto me"
or "for me"F20הנותן
נקמות לי "qui dat
ultiones mihi"
Pagninus
Gejerus; so Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Musculus
Cocceius
Michaelis. : vengeance only belongs to God
and he repays
it for and in behalf of his people. Private revenge is not to be exercised by
any; public vengeance on delinquents may be exercised by the civil magistrate
to whom God gives power and authority to exercise it
Romans 13:4; as he did to David
as king of
Israel; though the phrase rather seems to design the victories which he
obtained over his enemies
which were punishments to them
vengeances inflicted
on them; and owing to God; so the acceptable year of the Messiah's coming
and
the time of his people redeemed by him
is called the day of vengeance of our
God
both on his and their enemies
Isaiah 61:2;
and subdueth the people under me; the Edomites
Moabites
and others
as in 2 Samuel 8:1
or the Gentiles under Christ;
See Gill on Psalm 18:39;
Psalm 18:48 48 He delivers me from my
enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have
delivered me from the violent man.
YLT
48My deliverer from mine
enemies
Above my withstanders Thou raisest me
From a man of violence dost
deliver me.
He delivereth me from mine
enemies
.... From Saul and his men
from Ishbosheth and Abner
from
Absalom
and the conspirators with him; so all believers are delivered out of
the hands of their enemies by Christ
as that they can serve the Lord without
fear; and so Christ himself is delivered from all his enemies
being raised
from the dead
and set at the right hand of God
where he must reign till all
enemies are put under his feet;
yea
thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me; David was
lifted up from a low and mean estate
and placed on the throne of Israel
above
all those that rose up against him
and sought to destroy him; and the saints
are set upon their high places in Christ
where they are out of the reach of
their enemies to do them any harm; and Christ
he is highly exalted at the
right hand of God
above all principality and power
might and dominion
and
every name that is named in this world;
thou hast delivered me from the violent man; either from
Saul
from whom David was delivered; or from Satan the enemy
the son of
wickedness
who shall no more exact upon and afflict the Messiah
Psalm 89:21. The Chaldee paraphrase says
from Gog; as the saints will be delivered from antichrist
the man of sin
and
son of perdition
who will be destroyed with the breath of Christ's mouth.
Psalm 18:49 49 Therefore I will give
thanks to You
O Lord
among the Gentiles
And sing praises to Your name.
YLT
49Therefore I confess Thee
among nations
O Jehovah
And to Thy name I sing praise
Therefore will I give
thanks unto thee
O Lord
among the Heathen
.... These words are
cited by the apostle
in Romans 15:9; and applied to the conversion
of the Gentiles
which is manifestly prophesied of in some preceding verses of
this psalm: there it is rendered
"I will confess to thee among the
Gentiles"; and designs not confession of sin
nor profession of the truth
but an acknowledgment of unworthiness
joined with thankfulness for mercies
received; done in the most public manner
not only in the congregation of the
righteous
but before the Heathen conquered by him; owning before them all
that the victories he had obtained over them were not to be ascribed to his arm
and sword
but to the power of the Lord;
and sing praises unto thy name; which is comely for the
saints to do
and which Jesus Christ himself did
in the great congregation of
his disciples
and among the Gentiles
by his apostles
and others
on the
account of the conversion of them.
Psalm 18:50 50 Great deliverance He gives
to His king
And shows mercy to His anointed
To David and his descendants
forevermore.
YLT
50Magnifying the salvation of
His king
And doing kindness to His anointed
To David
and to his seed -- unto
the age!
Great deliverance giveth
he to his king
.... Not that is king over him; for he is King of kings and Lord
of lords; but that is made king by him
as David was; who did not usurp the
throne
but was anointed king by the appointment of God
and was placed by him
upon the throne; to whom he gave great deliverance from his enemies
or
"magnified salvations" to him; which were great in kind
and many in
number; and as Christ is
whom God has set as his King on his holy hill of
Sion
against whom the Heathen raged
and kings and princes set themselves; but
he is delivered from them all
and saved from the power of death and the grave
and ever lives to reign over
protect
and defend his people; in 2 Samuel 22:51
it is
he is "the
tower of salvation for his king"
with which compare Proverbs 18:10;
and showeth mercy to his anointed
to David
and to his seed for
evermore; which may be understood either of David literally
who was the
Lord's anointed
and to whom God showed mercy in various instances; and then by
his seed is meant the Messiah
who was of his seed according to the flesh; or
of the Messiah
whose name signifies Anointed; and who is often called David
Ezekiel 34:23
Hosea 3:5; and so some of the Jewish
doctorsF21Echa Rabbati
fol. 50. 2. from this verse prove that the
name of the Messiah is David: and by his seed are meant his spiritual seed; all
the elect of God
who are given him as his children
to whom he stands in the
relation of the everlasting Father: and as mercy is kept with him for evermore
Psalm 89:28; so it is shown to them in
regeneration
in the forgiveness of their sins
and in their everlasting
salvation.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)